Christmas Marshmallow Krispies with a Kick
There is some unwritten rule that says the holidays must be filled with sweet, decadent, mouth watering flavors that rival desserts for the rest of the year. It is the season of pies, cakes, cookies, pastries, hot coco, warm pudding, and overflowing candy dishes. Break rooms are stuffed with Christmas treats, parties are filled with delicious morsels spread out on tables and carried on trays, and that dinner at grandma’s has a little extra oomph with a dollop of whipped cream. If you have the willpower to simply walk away, we applaud you. If you are like us and find yourself drooling a bit as you pass by the brightly painted sugar cookies, we thought we would offer you an alternative. This season there is no reason you can’t have your krispie and eat it too!
The best way to curb your inhalation of all the seasonal goodness is to give yourself choices that are equally tempting and also provide you with the protein you need to stay fuller longer. We all know an empty stomach makes poor decisions. That’s why keeping a constant selection of delicious protein snacks at your disposal makes for some smart eating in the face of fruit cake and gingerbread.
While we do love a bag of Korean BBQ Stix, they don’t always stack up to a square of walnut fudge. Sometimes you just need dessert. So we have created a twist on the simple classic treat that has tempted adults and children alike for years, the marshmallow krispie.
For this tasty treat, you can make as many modifications as you need or want. It can be dairy free or buttery. It can even be vegan if you’re brave enough to make your own marshmallows with agar agar powder and aquafaba from a can of chickpeas instead of gelatin (or just buy vegan marshmallows pre-made...shhhh). The real fun is in the toppings. Sure you can stay true to the classic sticky goodness, but you can also drizzle that gooey delight with dark chocolate. Drip some creamy peanut butter across the top and then freeze them for a melt in your mouth delight. If you’re the extra creative type, you can even decorate them like sugar cookies using vegan cashew cream blended with different all-natural food colorings.
If you want to amp up the protein, toss in some slivered almonds or nutrient dense chia seeds into your mix. For a subtle twist on flavor, you can add in a teaspoon of extract in mint, chocolate, or hazelnut with the chocolate protein crunchies or try coconut or vanilla extract added to the berry protein crunchies. If you use the cinnamon protein crunchies, these are amazing with nut butter chilled on top or set them on melted white chocolate and let them harden in the fridge.
The options are endless! This is a sweet seasonal treat that packs a protein kick to keep you snacking well throughout the holidays.
Ingredients (Makes 9 squares):
1/4 cup coconut oil or 3 tablespoons of butter
10 oz of your favorite marshmallows
4 1/2-5 cups Protein Crunchies
Instructions:
- Heat the coconut oil or butter in a large pot over low to medium heat until melted.
- Add marshmallows and stir until they are all melted.
- Add IWON Organics Protein Crunchies and stir well. (Add extra ingredients at this step if desired. We added whole pecans and cacao nibs to our chocolate treats.)
- Then transfer the mix to a 9 by 9-inch baking dish. Make sure to grease your dish well. Notes for best options are below. Press the mix down with your hands or a spatula...But not too hard or they can become too compressed and hard once cooled.
- Let them cool either on your counter or in the fridge. When you’re ready to serve them up, cut it into squares and ENJOY!
Here are some pro-tips and suggestions:
-You can use parchment paper or baking spray, but we found baking spray is by far the better choice letting the krispies come out of the pan with no problem. They stuck a bit with the parchment paper.
-Use coconut oil on your hands or spatula to help with stickiness.
-The snacks can be made vegan if coconut oil and vegan marshmallows are used instead of butter and standard marshmallows.
-You can reduce the sugar with sugar free marshmallows if needed.
