This recipe takes me back to my childhood. But it almost didn’t happen.
Why?
Because my grandma never measured anything, never wrote anything down, and many of her recipes died with her when she died. Unfortunately for me, unlike Jessica who has her Mother Lovett’s recipe vault, no such vault exists for me.
I emailed my mom hoping she had this recipe of my grandma’s. Thankfully, my mom had it because she also used to make these for me when I was a kid. Whew, I was relieved!
These bars are rich, sweet, peanut buttery, caramely, and just plain amazing. You’re going to thank my Grandma for these.
Grandma D’s Special K Bars
1/2 c Butter (or margarine), i.e. 1 stick
1 c Karo Syrup
1 c Brown Sugar
Pinch Salt
Bring to a boil and boil for 3 Minutes
Then add 1/2 c Peanut Butter
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract & Stir
In a large bowl, pour this mixture over 6 c of Special K cereal (5 c if you want the bars more gooey) & stir
Pour cereal mixture into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan and press mixture down well. Freeze or refrigerate if the house is warm and you need these to set up fast, otherwise the counter top is fine.
Optional: Frosting
I like my Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Or you can use my Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Frosting
Or use store bought or omit frosting.
Pictures of the process
Now Make Frosting!
Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Or try Chocolate Peanut Butter Coconut Oil Frosting
I made Vegan Chocolate Frosting
After taking it out of the freezer and scoring it, here was what I had been waiting my adult lifetime for
Please let me know if you make these. My Grandma would be thrilled. She would literally say the Rosary if she only knew that I am sharing this recipe of hers.
From my last post, thanks for filling me in on if you like Posts that have Tips included. Most everyone said yes please. Like my French Press Coffee tips to Free Book Tips from this morning.
And thanks for filling me in on things you’d like me to write about in the future. It’s nice to know what you find interesting and want to see more of.
Speaking of Tips: My Case of Coconut Water Give Away for 3 Winners!
Similar Desserts to today’s recipe that you may enjoy…
1. Vegan Gluten Free Rice Krispie Treats with Vegan Chocolate Frosting
3. GF Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars with Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Questions
1. Do you have recipes from your childhood that you remember fondly?
I definitely have lots of them.
From my mom’s Broccoli Salad (yes, I loved broccoli as a kid and still do. Raw Broccoli Salad & Broccoli Slaw Dressing is a staple for me) to my Grandma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (no one makes them like Grandma!) to all the holiday recipes and baking I used to help my mom and grandma with in the kitchen. It all makes me smile so much when I think back!
2. Do you have grandmas, aunts, your mother, or people in your family who cook without recipes or who don’t write things down?
I admit I usually don’t follow recipes. Heck, I hardly make the same thing twice, even within my own arsenal of recipes. And sometimes don’t even follow my own recipe if I make something a second time. I am the queen of winging it.
The pitfall of course is that everything is stored upstairs. Gray matter. Nothing is written down on paper.
But that’s the beauty of my blog. Everything is written here.
One of my goals is to have my blog turned into a book(s), just for myself and Skylar. (google “Blog into Book” and tons of sites do this)
I want Skylar to have all these pictures of herself in book form. And it will be fun when I’m 80 to look back and see what I was cooking when I was in my 30s. The only way to ensure that is to have my blog bound into a book.
But I encourage you to urge, beg, and plead those elderly aunts, grandmas, and relatives who cook without writing things down, go sit with them and take notes as they dictate recipes. I wish to God I had.
3. Are there things that no one else but a certain relative makes that no matter how many times you try, it’s just not the same as theirs?
My Grandma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. No one can get them like hers.
As well as her homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, and all her Polish and Russian Soul Food. No one whips up pierogies and Russian Tea Cakes like Grandma could.
See you tomorrow!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Yah for Special K Bars! Thanks for giving me the link to this Averie!
I can’t believe how Vegan foods can be so delicious and so good! You make me want to be one!!
My roommate makes a version of these, only with honey-nut cheerios. SO GOOD.
I can’t wait to make these, thanks for sharing!
They are one of my fave desserts ever. So easy and my childhood in a pan. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do
Oh and NOBODY can make my grandmas chicken soup, perogies or galumpki (cabbage rolls).
My grandma made perogies too! And cabbage…anything
I just updated the recipe, too, so it has a Print This feature on it now, too.
My grandmother made Special K cookies when I was growing up. I LOVE these cookies & every time I make them, I think of her. She is 99 years old, so does not do much baking anymore. I am excited to try this recipe.
please let me know if you make them!
I could not wait and made them yesterday. The pictures are on my blog: http://www.stacysfoodlove.blogspot.com.
Glad you enjoyed them and I commented on your site, too
Hi AVery, what is Karl syrup? I’ve never heard of it, is it similar to brown rice or agave syrup? Is there a substitute you can use in place of this syrup? I would like to try making these bars.
Thanks!
Karo not Karl. It’s the brand of syrup. It’s light-colored corn syrup. You could use any brand of corn syrup. I wouldn’t use agave for these. Brown rice…possibly. But the recipe is about 75 years old (from my Grandma) and that’s what she always used so that’s how I wrote it. Enjoy the bars!
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