Rice Chex Balls

If anyone made the Funfetti Puppy Chow with me last week, then you are in the same boat as I am this week: you have half a box of Rice Chex that you don't know what to do with (unless you eat cereal in the mornings).

Never fear, our next recipe is here! I quickly searched up "things to do with rice Chex" and was shocked that I did not think of doing this earlier. As the title suggests, I made Rice Chex Bars (basically Rice Kripsie Treats but with a different cereal). I thought they would make for a good snack (I am in a relationship with Rice Krispie Treats) or an easy on-the-go breakfast. I've actually never made Rice Krispies myself, as I think the store bought ones taste better, so this was an interesting experience.

I have a mild understanding of how these types of cereal bars come to existence, so I decided to forgo a recipe. This turned into quite the collaboration because I did not have any butter in my dorm. Thanks to my relentless complaining in the group chat, a friend offered to give me enough butter for this recipe, except when he got wind of what I was making, he decided he was going to make them with me. The interesting part of this story, we didn't make them until after 9p.m., and I didn't realize until then that I hadn't bought marshmallows yet. Another friend in the same building just happened to have marshmallows, which we may or may not have taken from his room since he never locks his door ("That's why you should always lock your door," we said). Of course we shared with him as well, since we all contributed in some way to these treats.

Here's what you'll need (we do not endorse theft here at Little Cub Cooks):

Pardon my messy desk.

1. Half a stick of butter (4 Tbsp.)
2. Rice Chex
3. 1 bag of marshmallows

Now, as you can see, I (read: my friend) only had about half a bag, so we just adjusted the amount of cereal used. With half a bag of marshmallows we used approximately one fourth of the box of Chex.

You will also need, once again, as big a bowl as possible. We split the melted marshmallow into two bowls and each mixed a portion. While this recipe was rather messy, it was enjoyable with friends, so I suggest recruiting a friend to endure with you.

Step 1: Melt the butter in the microwave. (You can do this in the same bowl you plan to put the marshmallows in to reduce dirty dishes.) This only takes about 45 seconds.

Step 2: Add the marshmallows to the melted butter, mixing to coat the marshmallows evenly.

Step 3: Microwave the marshmallows until melted.

Step 4: Add the rice chex and mix until evenly coated.

Step 5: Shape into balls and place a plate in the fridge to set.

If you have wax paper or plastic wrap (or a pan) those would work best, but two plates worked just fine for the amount we made. We scooped a spoonful of cereal into our hands and made balls, but you can also make cereal bars, or any other shape. The balls were already practically set by the time they were all made, but we still placed them in the refrigerator for maybe fifteen minutes.

The only snacks left after 2 boys ravished them.

I am actually very satisfied with the way these turned out. It was a little bit of a hassle to make, but with enough time and some company, I really enjoyed making this recipe. It requires very little actual skill, just love and lots of wet wipes. I hope you can enjoy making Rice Chex Balls as well!

Funfetti Puppy Chow

Long ago in a land far, far away (or about ten years ago in Wisconsin), I was first introduced to the wonder of puppy chow. I was quickly obsessed with the snack, but I ate so much puppy chow I was turned off to the idea practically ever since. I wasn't even really aiming to make puppy chow this week, until I remembered the random box of Funfetti cake mix that's been sitting on my dresser for no reason. A quick "what to do with Funfetti cake mix" Google search yielded this puppy chow recipe.

True to form, I adapted the recipe to my needs. Here's what you'll need:

1. About half a box of Rice Chex
2. About 1/4 a box of Funfetti Cake Mix
3. One bar of white chocolate
4. M&M's (optional)

You will also need a bowl (as big as possible) and a plastic bag. I used a gallon sized bag, but did not need nearly as much space. I substituted more Funfetti cake mix for powdered sugar because I didn't want to buy an entire bag of powdered sugar just to make this. Either way, my friends thought it tasted good, so I'll take this one as a win.


Step one: Dump about a fourth of the cake mix into your plastic bag. I originally put too much mix in, but it didn't cause too many problems. My advice is to add about the size of a hand (unless you have bigger hands than me), then add more as needed.

Step two: Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and put in a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time. This only takes about three rounds in the microwave! Remember you can, in fact, burn chocolate (and it stresses me out every time I see someone do it). If there are a few small chunks left, just keep stirring to let the heat of the melted chocolate melt it, do not put it back in the microwave.

Step three: Gently mix the Chex into the chocolate. This works best in a slow folding motion, so as not to smash the cereal. Because of the size of my bowl, I had to do this in sections, just make sure each cereal is evenly coated in chocolate.

Step four: Once all the cereal is covered, put it into the bag, making sure to seal it completely. Now all you have to do is shake it until the cereal is evenly coated in powder and does not stick to the bag or other cereal. Because I used too much mix, I shook the cereal out onto a paper towel to get off the excess powder. This step is entirely optional.




Step five: Add M&M's, place in a bowl, and enjoy!

I ended up making far more of a mess than planned, but this recipe was super easy to execute, and it makes a great snack to munch on while working or to share with friends! Thank you for reading!