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Special K Bars

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Special K Bars

Special K Bars

When I wanted to make Special K bars recently I searched my blog and discovered I’ve been amiss.  I haven’t blogged my Special K bars recipe!  I wanted to have all of our family recipes on this blog and I’ve forgotten one of our favorites.  Shame on me.  I promptly made the bars and took pictures in preparation of posting the recipe but I forgot to photograph a few steps.  Oops.

So of course I had to make the bars a second time, a short while later.  By now I’ve memorized the recipe and won’t have to search for it again on my blog.  But I’m going to post it anyway, for family, friends and passers-by.  Because I need a good excuse to have eaten so many Special K bars (not really).

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a rolling boil for 30 seconds in a saucepan. No more than 30 seconds or you'll have some very hard to chew bars!

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a rolling boil for 30 seconds in a saucepan. No more than 30 seconds or you’ll have some very hard to chew bars!

I start with my medium-sized saucepan, measuring in the sugar and corn syrup.  While that begins to heat I run around the kitchen like a crazy woman, spraying the 9×13-in pan with cooking spray and measuring the cereal into a large bowl.  I’m doing that backwards I know.  Best to read the recipe and follow the directions in order.  Or be a crazy person like me.  Your choice.

When the syrup mixture comes to a full bubbling boil I time it for 30 seconds and remove it from the heat.  30 seconds isn’t a suggestion, it’s an order.  Otherwise you’ll have some really, really chewy bars.  I know this because I accidentally boiled it for 3 minutes instead, one time.  Crunch, crunch.

Add peanut butter and stir until melted and smooth

Add peanut butter and stir until melted and smooth

Now here’s where crazy woman dashes to the peanut butter cupboard and curses lightly under her breath that she also forgot to measure out a cup of peanut butter before starting this endeavor.  I scoop and measure fast, peanut butter flying everywhere.  Mostly down the front of my shirt (picture not provided).  I scoop the peanut butter into the sugar mixture and stir well, until all of the lumps are gone and it is smooth sailing.

Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal. Fold and stir to coat the cereal well.

Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal. Fold and stir to coat the cereal well.

I pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal and with a large spoon I stir and fold fast, making sure all of the cereal is coated.  It ends up in a large ball and I spoon this into the prepared pan.

Spread cereal mixture evenly into the prepared 9x13-in pan, leaving the top flattened for the frosting.

Spread cereal mixture evenly into the prepared 9×13-in pan, leaving the top flattened for the frosting.

I use a small offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the pan, making sure it is mostly flattened and ready for the frosting.

Melt butter and chips and spread over the cereal layer. Let set until hardened then cut into 24 bars and store in a covered container.

Melt butter and chips and spread over the cereal layer. Let set until hardened then cut into 24 bars and store in a covered container.

I microwave the frosting.  I put the butter and both kinds of chips into a glass bowl and microwave it for 45 seconds, then stir.  I microwave it another 20 seconds or so and stir again.  Usually it’s nice and melted by this time.  It easily seizes up if you microwave it too long so beware!  I spread the frosting over the bars and let them set for several hours.  I cut the bars into 24 squares and store them in a plastic container.

Special K Bars

Special K Bars

Some people say you should use 5 cups of cereal instead of 6 for the bars.  They like the cereal more thoroughly coated.  You could try that to see what you think.  I thought the bars fell apart too easily and liked the consistency of using 6 cups of cereal.  Others have told me that they use two cups of chocolate chips and omit the butterscotch chips.  I like that difference the butterscotch chips bring to the flavor, but again you could try both ways to find your ideal mix.

Special K Bars

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cup Special K cereal
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chocolate chip
1/4 cup butter

Grease or spray a 9×13-in pan.

Place Special K into a large bowl.

Bring the sugar and the corn syrup to a full boil and boil for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the peanut butter.

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the Special K cereal and quickly stir to coat the cereal.

Place the cereal mixture into the 9 X 13-in pan.

Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips together with the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.  Spread over the cereal mixture.  Let cool and cut into 24 pieces.

Number of Servings: 24.  Each bar: 336 calories, 39.3 carbsTiara Logo

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11 thoughts on “Special K Bars”

  1. Why have I never found your blog till now? I love your sense of humor. My kind of cooking you do and sounds like me in the kitchen . Once my granddaughter told me her moms kitchen never got messy when her mom cooks. I told my little darlin good cooks are messy. I was looking for a Cheddars broccoli rice casserole and that’s how I found you. . I’m buying everything to make these delicious looking bars for grandkids after school treat tomorrow.
    Cheryl

    Like

    • It’s great to meet you, Cheryl! The broccoli rice casserole is beyond delicious. Thousands stop by to find it every year. I never realized how many people love that dish! The kids will love the bars. My grandkids sure do!

      Like

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