Cookies & Cream No-Bake Chex Bars

One of the things I miss about working in an office is treat day. Is there anything that makes 9-5 go faster than enjoying good food prepared by other people all day? It’s always the most trashy and delicious food too like creamy dips, caramel brownies, and crock pot little smokies.

I swear I gained 10 pounds at my first office jobs simply because my cube was approximately 10 feet away from the treat table and I passed it every time I got up. It was the opposite of Milton not getting any birthday cake. I had ALL THE BIRTHDAY CAKE. All the time, too. My office was obsessed with treat day and used any and every excuse to have one.

Iowa vs Iowa State game-day weekend? Treat day.

Susie’s having a baby? Treat day.

Bob got a hair cut? TREAT DAY!

If your office is treat day-happy too, I’ve got a quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing recipe for you to take to the next one – Cookies & Cream No-Bake Chex Bars!

Oh yes. These babies, which combine Vanilla Chex with ooey-gooey melted marshmallow and chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, are the next installment in my no-bake, gluten-free Chex bar series. (Also see Strawberry Shortcake No-Bake Treat Bars and Strawberry-Blueberry Vanilla Chex Bars!)

They’re cousins of plain ol’ Rice Krispie Treats but are so much better because they’re made with Vanilla Chex which taste like cake. CAKE! When combined with chopped chocolate sandwich cookies, it’s almost as if you’re biting into an oversized Oreo.

Even better? They’re gluten-free. If I still worked in an office I probably wouldn’t be able to eat 90% of the foods on the treat table (which wouldn’t be such a bad thing for my waistline!) but I mean, c’mon, that’s sad! Set these out with a gluten-free sign on the treat table and I promise it won’t go unnoticed.

(Cutting board courtesy of my brother and sister-in-law – how fun, right?)

Start by roughly chopping 20 Oreos or, if you need a gluten-free version like me, the GF chocolate sandwich cookie of your choosing (Oreos are NOT gluten-free.) I found these at the regular grocery store and have also heard Trader Joe’s makes a killer GF version of their Joe-Joe’s. The day I made these I’d already been to two different HyVees – one of them twice – so a trip to another grocery store just wasn’t happening.

#foodbloggerproblems

Chop 16 of the 20 cookies into bite-sized chunks – these will go into the bars – and the remaining 4 a little finer as they’ll be sprinkled on top and nobody wants a mouth roof cut from an oversized chopped cookie chunk.

Set the finely chopped cookies aside then add the roughly chopped cookies to a huge bowl with 1 box Vanilla Chex with 1 cup scooped out. Save the scoop for snacking and general merrymaking.

I can’t tell you what a Godsend these Vanilla Chex have been. They’re ridiculously scrumptious and make the best no-bake treat bars ever. Like I always say, eating gluten-free doesn’t mean taste-free!

Next, melt 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl then add 1 bag mini marshmallows, stir to coat, microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds, and then stir until smooth.

Immediately pour the ooey-gooey melted marshmallows on top of the cookie and Vanilla Chex mixture (ignore your instinct to put your face under the drizzle,) then mix with a spatula until everything is well coated.

Scoop the mixture into a nonstick sprayed 9×13 baking dish then press into an even layer. I sprayed the bottom of a big Pyrex measuring cup and used that to press.

Hold on, WE’RE NOT DONE YET!

Melt 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals until smooth, stirring between each interval, then drizzle over the bars.

Top with the finely crushed cookies then let ’em set until solid.

Slice, open, bite, enoy!

Cookies & Cream No-Bake Chex Bars

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gluten free15 minute meal

Description

Cookies & Cream No-Bake Chex Bars are quick, sweet, and perfectly ooey-gooey.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 10oz bag mini marshmallows
• 13.5oz box Vanilla Chex, 1 cup removed
• 20 Oreos or a gluten-free version, divided
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick spray then set aside.
2. Roughly chop 16 cookies then add to a very large bowl with the Chex and set aside. Chop remaining 4 cookies a little more fine then set aside.
3. Add butter to a microwave-safe bowl then microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows then stir to coat and microwave for 1 minute and 20 seconds. Stir until smooth then immediately pour over Chex mixture and mix until evenly coated. Scoop into prepared baking dish then press into an even layer (I sprayed the bottom of large measuring cup with nonstick spray then used that to press.)
4. Add chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl then microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over the top of the bars then sprinkle on remaining cookies. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

Treat day, birthday, heck, ANY day is a good day to make Cookies & Cream No-Bake Chex Bars!