peanut butter, shmeanut butter

...give me the Barney Butter!


I think it's a pretty safe assumption that the majority of folks in the good ol' US of A have had a Rice Krispies Treat at some point in their lives. The quality I like best about them (aside from their chewiness, sweetness, and hey--vitamin enrichment) is their versatility. There are many twists and alterations one can make to the recipe.

Believe it or not, I decided to get creative. What can I say--I had a whim. I think my inspiration came from the Barney Butter I received thanks to Sandy of 4 Reluctant Entertainers. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the product, it's a completely peanut-free almond butter, which is a blessing for lovers of nut butters in this trying time of peanut butter crisis.


Another contributing factor to my epiphany was the new Banana Nut Cheerios I had bought and rejected (unfortunately, they just didn't do it for me). Bearing in mind that bananas and peanut butter make a darn good combination, I decided to make my treats with those Banana Nut Cheerios, using Barney Butter in lieu of regular butter, and with freeze-dried banana dices mixed in.


I was completely and wholly satisfied with my creation. There was just a hint of the almond butter, a tinge of banana, sweetness and chewiness from the marshmallows, and a fabulous crunch from the cereal. If bananas and nut butter aren't your thing, I encourage you to make up your own fantastic combination--the possibilities are endless!

Banana Nut Bars
6 cups Banana Nut Cheerios
1 cup freeze-dried banana dices
4 tablespoons Barney Butter
1 10.5-oz bag marshmallows

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the Barney Butter and marshmallows for 1 minute; stir. Continue heating at 15 second intervals until the mixture is smooth. Dump in the cereal and banana dices and stir until well-coated. Using a buttered spatula, evenly press the mixture into a 13x9-inch pan lined with wax paper. Let cool and cut into squares.