Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

I got a request from my friend Roger who loves peanut butter rice crispy treats, and was determined to make a batch without the marshmallows. Since my local health food store doesn't carry the heavily sought-after substitutes, I looked for a good recipe online. I added flax seeds to this otherwise guilty pleasure, although this does not, I repeat- does not justify eating a whole dozen in one sitting! ... Or does it?

Ingredients:

6 C. rice crispy cereal
1/4 C. ground flax seeds
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)
1 C. brown rice syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. peanut butter (I used natural unsweetened)

Spinz:

In a large bowl, mix together the cereal, flax seeds, and chocolate chips and set aside. In a deep skillet or wok, heat the brown rice syrup and brown sugar until bubbly. Turn off the heat, and stir in the peanut butter until well combined. Fold in the cereal mixture (about a third at a time) until well coated. Scrape into a prepared 9 X 13" pan and press until flat. Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Makes 12-18 servings (depending on size)