Pumpkin Spice Cheerio Krispies

Do you like recipes you can make in five to ten minutes?  I do!  I used to make desserts from scratch that took a lot of time to make.  Haven’t made any of those in years.

My daughter-i-l needed to make a quick dessert to take somewhere, and I was at their house, holding their baby after dinner.  I played with my granddaughter just a few minutes and then went into the kitchen.  My daughter-i-l made this yummy dessert in the few minutes I was playing with the baby!  I think I must have said, “Wow!”

Here’s the recipe for this absolutely yummy dessert.  I like it better than Rice Krispie Treats because it’s not quite as sweet tasting plus it has a lot of flavor.  And I think the Cheerios have more nutritional value than Rice Krispies.  Just saying!

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 10 ounces Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows
  • 6 cups Pumpkin Spice Cheerios

Melt butter over low heat and add marshmallows.  Stir until completely melted and mixed together.  Take off the burner and add Cheerios, one cup at a time.  Stir until mixed well.  Spread mixture onto waxed paper or parchment paper, or spread in a pan that has been well buttered.  Let cool and then cut into squares.

MICROWAVE INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt butter and marshmallows in large, microwave-safe bowl for three minutes, stirring after one minute intervals.  Stir well.  Add Cheerios and mix well.  Spread onto waxed paper, parchment paper, or spread in a pan that has been well buttered. Cool and then cut into squares.

Yogurt Parfait “Dessert”

Does this dessert look good?  It’s very healthy, packed with protein, live and active yogurt cultures, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This particular dessert was made with grass fed yogurt.  Kids might be turned off if they heard that.

Presentation is important for a “dessert” like this that’s not a traditional dessert. (too healthy).  I used one of my crystal stemmed glasses (that hasn’t been used in years) to make it seem like a fancy dessert.

I must admit that it’s probably going to taste different than it looks because it doesn’t have any added sugar, but you can add stevia for sweetness.  I think it’s good without any added sweetness, but not everyone will agree with me.  You can always substitute your favorite yogurt and/or add Stevia.

This dessert does have the natural sweetness of the organic strawberries, but the yogurt is tart and isn’t your typical sweet yogurt taste. It’s plain organic, 100% grassfed yogurt without any added sugar.  No added sugar.

Toppings can vary.  The pumpkin seeds are organic that have been roasted and lightly salted with sea salt (I like the salty taste that the seeds add to this).  You could substitute organic blueberries or raspberries instead of strawberries.  Both are yummy!  But most of the time, I prefer just the yogurt and pumpkin seeds.  There’s something about the tart and salty tastes together that I like.

I buy these products at Natural Grocers, which I frequent several times a month.  Pictured below are the brands I buy, but you could use your favorite brands.  The Maple Hill Yogurt also comes in flavors such as blueberry, maple, etc., that are sweetened.

Sometimes, I have a taste for something a little sweeter so I might add stevia.  But my favorite thing to add is a little bit of chocolate syrup.  Not just any chocolate syrup, though.  The brand below is organic.  I don’t think my grandchildren like it near as much as the regular name brand chocolate syrup, but I like it.

I’ve included the nutritional content of the organic chocolate syrup so you can check out the sugar content.  I usually just add one teaspoon to my yogurt.  The nutritional info is for two tablespoons.  Since one tablespoon equals three teaspoons, what’s listed on the label is for six teaspoons.  You can do the math and figure out how much sugar you want to add.  I plan to experiment sometime soon and make my own chocolate syrup using organic chocolate powder, vanilla, and organic stevia.

As you can see, this is a very simple non-traditional “dessert,” but it’s very healthy and loaded with nutrition.  You can use your favorite yogurt, and if you have some fancy glasses or bowls, simple yogurt can seem like something special!