MMMMMM... mom, can we have some more? A deliciously chocolaty square that packs well in little one's lunches.. (big one's too!). Enjoy!
The basics are there, but I too, like most, found this to be lacking in stickiness, so I couldn't give it full marks. I also found that 9x9 isn't enough for us. I came up with my own after lots of experimenting that feeds us all *and* sticks together well. I pack it tightly in a 9x 13 greased pan. I use: 2/3 cup butter or margarine, 1 cup corn syrup (I spray the cup with PAM so the syrup comes out easily), 2 cups brown sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder (add more if you like a more chocolate flavour), and 10 to 10 1/2 cups puffed wheat cereal Then I pretty much follow the directions that the submitter uses, though I don't time the boiling of the mixture. Once it gets fairly bubbly, then I remove it from the heat. I also use a medium pot because I'm too lazy to butter the sides. *** Brenda--It's been a while since I made any, but you could try decreasing some of the brown sugar (I don't pack the brown sugar when I measure it). You could try reducing your boiling time if that doesn't work. That's tricky though, because not enough and they won't stick; too much and they get hard. Time the boil for right about a minute or slightly less and you should be good. Or grab a candy thermometer and go for a soft ball stage. Honestly, I can't remember ever having any leftovers to notice if it goes hard, but I think over boiling is generally what makes the syrup/squares harden quickly.
Read MoreThis is what I change to the recipe to make it even better: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup butter, and add 1 tsp of vanilla. I let it boil for 3 minutes, and then pour it over the puffed wheat. These additions make it the yummiest p.w. squared you will ever eat. (And they stick together well)
Read MoreThis is what I change to the recipe to make it even better: 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup butter, and add 1 tsp of vanilla. I let it boil for 3 minutes, and then pour it over the puffed wheat. These additions make it the yummiest p.w. squared you will ever eat. (And they stick together well)
The basics are there, but I too, like most, found this to be lacking in stickiness, so I couldn't give it full marks. I also found that 9x9 isn't enough for us. I came up with my own after lots of experimenting that feeds us all *and* sticks together well. I pack it tightly in a 9x 13 greased pan. I use: 2/3 cup butter or margarine, 1 cup corn syrup (I spray the cup with PAM so the syrup comes out easily), 2 cups brown sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla, 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder (add more if you like a more chocolate flavour), and 10 to 10 1/2 cups puffed wheat cereal Then I pretty much follow the directions that the submitter uses, though I don't time the boiling of the mixture. Once it gets fairly bubbly, then I remove it from the heat. I also use a medium pot because I'm too lazy to butter the sides. *** Brenda--It's been a while since I made any, but you could try decreasing some of the brown sugar (I don't pack the brown sugar when I measure it). You could try reducing your boiling time if that doesn't work. That's tricky though, because not enough and they won't stick; too much and they get hard. Time the boil for right about a minute or slightly less and you should be good. Or grab a candy thermometer and go for a soft ball stage. Honestly, I can't remember ever having any leftovers to notice if it goes hard, but I think over boiling is generally what makes the syrup/squares harden quickly.
I have a similar version - 8c. puffed wheat 1/2c. butter 1/2c. corn syrup 2T cocoa 1tsp vanilla 1c. brown sugar I found that for chewy squares add all ingredients but the puffed wheat and butter, bring the mixture to a boil and then add the butter and then boil for about a minute, the longer it boils the crunchier the squares.
This is a stingy version of the original recipe most people are looking for. After a bit of a search I have found the most used recipe is: 1/2 c butter, 1/2c corn syrup, 1cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cocoa, 2 tsp. vanilla for 8 cups of puffed wheat. As well, by rapid boiling the syrup for one minute I think most people without a candy thermometer run the risk of taking it to a hard candy stage (hence the comments about rock hard squares). Bring the syrup to boil and as soon as it hits rapid boil remove it from heat. Should work out better for most people.
I tried this recipe (twice in fact) and followed the directions exactly. I could not get the squares to stick together. Am I missing something? I seem to have this problem with the corn syrup and sugar mixtures. They do not seem to bind well to the cereal mixture. Any suggestions out there?
Reviewer romyo has it right, this is the stingy version! Altho she states 2 tsp of cocoa..you're kidding me ha! More like 5 tablespoons if you want a seriously choclatey square...and why wouldn't you?? Try this: 2/3 cup corn syrup, 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar, 5 Tablespoons cocoa..bring to a boil, add 1/2 cup butter, and then boil approx 45 seconds. Remove from heat and add 2 tsp vanilla. Add to 8 cups of puffed wheat or puffed kamut. Press into 9x13 pan (another reviewer suggests wetting palms of your hands then pressing, this works great). A great treat on a hot summer day (which it is in Perth Australia right now) when you don't want to turn on the oven. Another great TIP I just discovered. I always save the paper or foil from butter and keep it in the freezer...use it to grease pans. Anyway, after I lightly pressed the puffed wheat into the pan, I laid a butter paper over and pressed with my hands, works like a bomb!
This is a yummy recipie, but you have to either triple the amount of sauce, or only use 2 or so cup sof puffed wheat in order for them to even stick together!
Followed the suggestions from Rachelle review from Mar. 25, 2008. Taste great & they stick together - only problem just one day after (even stored in a air tight container) are rock hard. Like it to be sticky gooey. Any suggestions anyone please?
they tasted great, but i could not get them to stick together. I adjusted it to 1/4 cup butter, 3/4 cup corn syrup, 1 cup brown sugar, 1tsp vanilla, 3tbsp cocoa, 8 cups puff wheat. and let it boil for three minutes.
Good but didn't stick together to well. Boil sauce for about 30 sec makes them stay together much better.
This is the same basic recipe I've seen lots of places so you won't find anything different anywhere else, and there's nothing wrong with it. To get them to stick together all you have to do is keep the syrup at a rolling boil on med/low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes. Chill them to set as well.
I took the advice of other readers and doubled the saucy stuff! ;) I also added two tsp vanilla, and replaced the unhealthy corn syrup with honey! The honey does make it a bit sweeter, but it's much healthier than corn syrup, and it has a nice light honey flavor!
I love these puffed wheat squares! Although, I have to agree with one of the earlier reviewers, there's either too much puffed or not enough sauce but that's easily adjusted, still a great recipe!
I love this recipie, if you want it more chocloatly just double or triple the sauce. :)
Unfortunately, I did not read the other reader reviews before I made this recipe, and I found out the hard way that it doesn't stick- at all. I ended up doubling the candy recipe and then it stuck together.
I read through some comments and took the advice to put margarine in very last and I added a handful of small marshmallows as I finished boiling the corn syrup, cocoa and brwn sugar. Also only boiled for about 30 to 45 seconds... I've had people rave about this - stick perfectly and never hard and crunchie - don't boil the margarine/butter.
quick and easy, but b/c of the hot syrup, kids need to be supervised at all times.
This is not how puffed wheat squares are suppose to be. They don't stick together & they ended up really grainy.
i did not like this recipe very much. i used almost half of the puffed wheat (because i like them gooey) and had the same problem of them not sticking together. wouldn't use it again....
Delicious squares. I doubled up the cocoa, butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar to make them more gooey.
Yummy! As other reviews suggested, I changed the quantities to 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey (rather than corn syrup), 1/2 cup butter, and added 1 tsp of vanilla. I also substituted 1 cup of raisins for one cup of the puffed wheat. And I mixed about 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and spread it over the bottom of the prepared pan before adding the puffed wheat mixture.They were just delicious! Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
TO MAKE IT STICK, i just melted 20 marshmallows with it and it made it even better tasting! and instead of 1/4 cup brown sugar, made it 1/2 cup and i more tablespoon of unsweetened coco. i don't like very sweet but this recipe is really not sweet enough.
I followed the recipe and also could not get it to stick together. I used carob instead of cocoa but I doubt that was the problem. The mix tasted good and would have been great with double or even triple the sauce. May try again.
The taste was there, but it wouldn't stick together. I'll try tripling the sauce next time.
My husband loves these!! However, I like many reviewers, change the amounts. 8c. puffed wheat 1/2c. butter 1/2c. corn syrup 3T cocoa 1tsp vanilla 1c. brown sugar
Would have given a five, but tripled the sauce and it was fantastic. For those of you who have gluten allergies, I've made these with puffed rice and puffed corn...yummy.
great for fast and fun cookies
I remember these treats from childhood and now make them for my grandchildren. Just the BEST treat ever!!
After reading how everyone said there wasn't enough "sauce," I cut the puffed wheater cereal down to 6 cups. I think it worked fine. Tastes pretty good. I bought a huge bag of Malt-o-Meals puffed wheat cereal, and neither of us like it with milk, but we like it this way. Not the healthiest treat, but at least I'm using up that cereal!
Wouldn't use this recipe again. I love puffed wheat squares and these are just as easy as any other but lacking in gooey-ness and sweetness. They need way more chocolate sauce and the sauce itself needs way more brown sugar.
The kids just loved these!! They are a very easy snack to make with the kids. Definately a keeper!
perhaps triple the cornsyrup and double the butter and sugar portions and you will have enough "stuff" to cover the puffed wheat.
Wonderful recipe but I find that in order to get it to stick properly, it's best to wet the palms of your hands lightly with tap water and press the mixture into the pan carefully but firmly after you have used the spatula (without the butter) with your damp palms. The water stops the heat from burning your palms and also stops the mixture from sticking to you. The mixture holds much better this way.
A 3* review for taste, but they didn't stick together at all. I'll try another recipe next time.
I love these, they're so crunchy! It's a great way to use up a cereal box nobody wants... :) Reduced the amount of puffed wheat as suggested by other (5 cups). Great with PB added, too.
I love this recipe for being a chocolatey, healthier version of Rice Crispy squares, but even after doubling the 'sauce' the squares did not 'stick' together. Next time I try it, I will boil the 'sauce' as suggested below.
I would add another 2 tablespoons to make it more chocolatey, but it was excellent! I took it to a back yard bbq and it was the first thing gone.
Overall a good recipe but a suggestion for anyone having problems getting the puffs to stick - let it get to the boiling point and add 1/2 bag fresh marshmallows until just before completely melted. Then remove from heat. Depending on how chewy you like it - it's not always necessary to pack it down hard into the pan. I've made this recipe several times now and it seems the marshmallow addition helps the chewiness of the end product whether it's packed tightly or not. Also, it does need more cocoa - I added about 2/3 of a cup to help counteract the natural sweetness of the syrup and brown sugar. Will keep this as a basic go to recipe.
I have tried this recipe twice now. I followed the directions to the letter. I let them cool completely the first time (2 hours) and they crumbled. 2nd time? Cooled 2 hours, cooled another hour in the fridge. Still crumbled. It made a decently tasty crumbly mess, but they were completely unsuccessful as a bar.
I made this and it was horrible! Came out so dry! Not sticky or gooey at all! I also could not taste chocolate. I threw out the entire batch and found a better recipe that turned out exactly as it should have.
I changed up the recipe a bit to make it low-fat. Instead of butter I put 2/3 cup mini marshmallows, put in splenda instead of brown sugar, and used some millet puffs too (i had some left over). There was definitely enough coating for the puffs with all the marshmallows. I also heated everything in the large bowl in the microwave and then added the wheat while mixing. I shaped mine into little balls in muffin tins. Cute and healthy!
Great taste to the recipe, however, I only used 5 cups of puffed wheat and then added overflowing 1/2c brown sugar, 3/4c corn syrup,1/2c butter, 1.5 tsp of vanilla, 2tbsp of cocoa. It is much better with excess sauce rather than being too dry. If you still want moist squares using 8cups of puffed wheat, I would at least double or double plus half of the sauce to make them really sticky and yum!
I'm torn between liking these and not. I only had about 5 cups of puffed kamut that I wanted to get rid of, and was out of cocoa so I subbed 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate for the cocoa and about halved the cereal. The squares taste a bit bland until you hit a chunk of chocolate syrup mixture that didn't get totally mixed in, and then they taste better. I think honey in place of the corn syrup would be wonderful. I could see myself making this again if I buy more puffed cereal that gets just half eaten before we're tired of it.
This recipe is alright, however I suggest doubling everything but the puff wheat otherwise theres not enough chocolate.
Its an incredible recipes, I can tell by looking at it, (it hasn't cooled yet,) But, there wasn't enough coating, and i only added 7 cups of puffed wheat. So my suggestion, to everyone, is just add like, for example, 1/3 a cup ...brown sugar instead of 1/4. Before I put my puffed wheat mixture into the greased 9x9 pan, I sqrinkled cinnamon, white sugar and cocoa on the bootom. Have fun with this recipes. Its easy to clean too!!
these are healthier than rice krispie squares. plus you get a hit of chocolate. I love the nutty sort of fragrance.
I followed veganinvancouver's recipe but used honey nut cheerios instead of puffed wheat. I also spoon mine into muffin papers (makes about 24) so that they are already portioned for a bake sale. This recipe is FABULOUS!! Thanks Vegan for your changes!!!!!
This recipe,for as easy as it is, has won over all my family and friends. It disappears very quickly, and I for one love it because it is so simple to make.
Another idea here for the peanut butter lovers; add 1 cup peanut butter-instead of the cocoa , 1/4 cup corn syrup and brown sugar. Delicious!
An excellent, and easy recipe! I make these and they are gone in no time! Even my 1 1/2 year old triplets love this one!!
I did as other reviewers had sugested and used 1c. Brown sugar, 1/2c. corn syrup, 1/2c. margarine, and 1 tsp of vanilla. I boiled it for about 2 mins. Tastes great! Sticks together well! Will definitely make again. :)
I have tried many puffed wheat square recipes and it's one of the things that never turns our for me. I found this one wasn't sticky enough to stay together very well. The taste was good and my kids enjoyed eating it regardless of it's texture. Thanks for posting.
love puffed wheat squares...i add mini marshmallows to my cocoa mixture, stir til melted then add to the cereal. \not only does it stick together better, it gives it a great chew!
not enough sauce for 8 cups wheat!! 2012... I almost doubled recipe amounts and use six cups of puffed wheat, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup butter, and add 1 tsp of vanilla. I let it boil for 3 minutes not 1.
The Recipe is good but not soft enough. I found that there were a few reviews that helped me get the Recipe just right. Over boiling will just harden the cocoa and syrup mixture over the puffed wheat. I would also add a bit more cocoa to have a better chocolate flavor. Don't over do it with the syrup.
I'm thankful for other people's reviews and I'm glad that I always check them out prior to trying a recipe. This helped me to end up with a great final product that tasted delicious! Because I have to follow the low FODMAP diet I had to make some adjustments, but it still tasted amazing. I substituted the corn syrup with brown rice syrup and the puffed wheat with puffed rice. Additionally, I increased pretty much every ingredient as the reviews suggested, added vanilla, and put it in a 9x13 pan. I boiled the brown rice syrup, brown sugar, and cocoa for only about 1 minute (at full boil), then added the butter and cooked for another 45 seconds. Once removed from the heat, I added the vanilla, and poured over 10 cups of puffed rice. . This ended up making a delicious dessert that I brought to my staff birthday lunch----and I could finally have a piece of 'cake' like everyone else!
well this recipe didnt stick too well but when i added the modifications it was the yummiest thing i ever tasted. but for an added boost i put pecans and chocolate bits on top while is was still hot then drizzled caramel. yes it was sweet but this will kill any sweet cravings you are having.
I give this recipe 4 stars because they were super easy. A go-to for a quick snack or treat after dinner. There was a little something missing... haven't figured it out yet, but good for a quick, every day treat.
This is a good "base" recipie, but to make these the best(and stickiest/gooeiest) puffed wheat squares you have ever tasted, add about 10 marshmallows, a bit extra butter and a dash of vanilla.Presto amazing dessert!
I've made this recipe twice now. The first time was my first ever attempt at Puffed Wheat Squares so I followed it exactly. I found that there was a serious lack of stickiness and made a mental note for the next time. When I made it most recently, I used 7 cups of puffed wheat instead of 8, and used 1/2 cup of corn syrup, and 1/2 cup of margarine. I am letting the pan cool as I type, but it looks much better than last time. How it stays together when I cut it will determine whether I make changes in the future!
I found the same issue as many others that it wasn't sticky and added another good amount of corn syrup. Otherwise, great receipe.
I used 4 instead of 8 cups oif cereal! This recipe wouldn't fit in the size pan, and it is too dry (not enough syrupy goo to coat the cereal). Add a tsp of vanilla and it's also tasty to stir in some mini Reese's pieces before putting in the pan.
First time I made them... way to dry... second time I adjusted the recipe 1 1/2 Cups of Butter or Margarine 1 1/2 Cups of Corn Syrup 9 Tbsp of Cocoa Powder 1 Tbsp of Vanilla 2 170g Bag of Natures Path Organic Kamut Khorasan wheat puffs
Really important to double the sauce! Otherwise it is too dry and barely coats the puffed wheat, and they don't stick together at all. I've also made some adjustments for my personal taste: 7 cups (not 8) puffed wheat, 6 tbsp cocoa powder, 2/3 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/3 (not 2/3) cup butter or margarine. It sticks well together, is moist and very tasty! If the sauce had been doubled in the original recipe, I would have given it 5 stars.
I was really disappointed with this recipe. The basics were there but there wasn't enough syrup to keep it from crumbling apart. Wish I had read the reviews before I made the squares.
wish I would have read the comments first the chocolate didnt even close to coat all the cereal so if I make it again I will at least 1/2 the cereal. for now im left with dry crumbling flavorless puffed squares
This recipe calls for too much cereal. If the cereal is reduced to 4 or 5 cups then it is good.
Best chocolate puffed wheat/rice bars ever! I seriously cannot stop making them.
