Dessert: PB&J "Rice Crispies"

Anyone on the low carb/ketogenic diet knows that an occasional sweet tooth is inevitable. For some reason, I'm always craving peanut butter when this happens: thus, the PB&J sugar free rice puff bars were born. That's obviously too long of a name to use for a recipe title, so in short, "PB&J 'Rice Crispies'". And trust me they are de-lish. This is technically not low carb, but healthier than any other dessert, snack, or breakfast (this can be used for all three!) and contains no extra added sugar. Peanut butter provides essential protein and I love getting it whichever way that I can. So along with dying my entire head purple (what, you mean you haven't seen my instagram?) this was my next no-bake crazy trick.

Eat sparingly if on a low-carb diet, rice puffs are roughly 14g. of carbs per every 1/4th of a cup, plus the carbs in peanut butter--I use all natural or organic to drop the carbs down to 6g. or lower per 2 Tbsp. The only sugar content comes from the honey and dried fruit used, which normally I allow every once in awhile because your body does need some sugar to level out your blood sugar levels. 

Ingredients:

3/4 c. all natural or organic peanut butter (the less carbs, the better)

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. dried fruit (optional and eyeball it, I added a handful)

1 c. puffed rice cereal (NOT rice krispies!)

1/4 c. sugar free jam or jelly

1/2 c. reserved sugar free jam or jelly for topping

Fat Free whipped cream for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Put puffed rice in a medium sized mixing bowl. Measure out dried fruit and mix with puffed rice.

2. Measure out peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then microwave for another 30 seconds. Caution, bowl may be hot! I learned the hard way.

Peanut butter…yuuum!

3. Scoop peanut butter into the bowl with puffed rice and dried fruit (I used a mix of raisins/cranberries). This will be tough to mix, but that's why we have step 4!

Tip: Steps 3-4 should be done relatively quickly, before the peanut butter seizes up and becomes hard again.

4. Add in 1/4 c. jelly or jam, and 1/4 c. honey. Mix vigorously. Just kidding, mix until well combined and mixture holds together. Depending on your brand of peanut butter, whether it's more loose or thick, you can alter the jelly/jam and honey ratio. If you don't want it to be too sweet, use less or no honey, and all jam/jelly. 

5. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish or tupperware, as I did. Tupperware fits more easily into the refrigerator. 

Top with reserved jelly/jam and chill for up to one hour, or overnight to eat for breakfast the next morning!

Or that same night for dessert.

Yum. Peanut buttery goodness!