Puffed Wheat Squares are a Canadian favorite. Chewy, chocolatey, and easy to make (No-Bake), you can also add dried fruit to suit your tastes.
Well, here I am again with another quintessential Canadian treat - and it's not even Canada day or anything! This time I made Classic Puffed Wheat Squares. If you're from Canada, there's a very good chance you've had these before.
They've been a staple for my family every Christmas, but really, they're good at any time of the year. You'll often find them sold in Canadian cafeterias, gas stations, and even vending machines.
Puffed wheat squares, like Butter Tarts and Nanaimo Bars, are a sweet Canadian treat that have been a regular part of my Mom's and/or Grandma's baking repertoire for as long as I can remember.
I'm not the only one that loves the chewy chocolate treat. In fact, Puffed Wheat Squares was one of the most commonly searched recipes on Google Canada in 2015.
However, unlike Butter Tarts and Nanaimo Bars, I had no idea that they were distinctly Canadian until very recently. And bonus, they're much easier to make! This made me want to share the love with my new American friends. Try it, you'll like it - I promise!
How to make Puffed Wheat Squares:
These chocolatey treats are sticky, chewy and delicious, and almost as easy to make as good ol' rice krispie squares. I say "almost" because it does take a little more mixing and boiling of ingredients, but after that, it's all just stirring.
Similar to rice krispie squares, Puffed Wheat Squares are basically cereal held together with a sticky, sugary mixture. Unlike rice krispie squares, Puffed Wheat Squares contain no marshmallows, and instead, you mix up the chocolate-flavored sticky syrup yourself.
Puffed Wheat Squares Ingredients:
- Puffed wheat: you can usually find this in the cereal aisle. Think Sugar Crisp, but without the sugar. Admittedly, it can be difficult to find. If they don't have it in the cereal aisle, try the "natural" foods aisle. Some stores may even have other puffed grains like barley and kamut. These are options to use in this recipe too.
- Dried cherries or other fruits: This is optional. Puffed Wheat Squares are most commonly made without any dried fruits or other additives. However, I think they're a tasty addition.
- Unsalted butter: or use a dairy-free butter alternative to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan.
- Corn syrup: or substitute golden syrup if needed
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
Want more No-Bake Desserts?
Puffed Wheat Square Nutrition Notes
The recipe for Puffed Wheat Squares is vegetarian as written and can easily be made dairy-free and vegan simply by replacing unsalted butter with a dairy-free butter substitute.
Puffed wheat squares are a relatively low-calorie sweet treat. But like any desserts, they're still high in sugar, so eat them in moderation!
Classic Puffed Wheat Squares
Ingredients
- 5 cups puffed wheat see note
- ½ cup dried cherrries coarsely chopped (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (use Dairy Free butter alternative to make this recipe Dairy Free)
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lightly oil a 9x9 baking pan and set aside (you can also line the bottom of the dish with parchment paper to make removing the squares even easier.
- Stir together puffed wheat and dried cherries in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine butter, corn syrup, white and brown sugar and cocoa powder together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat (mixture must come to a boil or the syrup will not set and your squares will fall apart). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Pour cocoa syrup mixture over puffed wheat and cherries. Stir until puffed wheat is completely coated. Firmly press the mixture into the prepared baking pan (but not so firmly that you feel the cereal getting crushed) and let set at room temperature for at least an hour. Cut into squares and serve, or transfer to a zipper bag or airtight container to store.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
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