A Family Favorite | Puffed Wheat Squares

Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe

Hi friends! I hope you all had a marvelous weekend. I spent mine with some of my favorite friends, drank too much sangria, danced until I was a sweaty mess, stayed up way too late, and this, coupled with the fact that I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for the past month or so has left me in the throes of an awful cold. I don’t know what it is about getting sick in the summer, but it always feels WAY worse to me. Like, oh hi, I’m running a fever AND my house is 98 degrees and rising – perfect! It’s a beautiful day and rays of sunshine are beaming through the window, BUT I’m sweating my arse off inside whilst being doped up on cold meds – AWE.SOME. No thank you. I’ll take a cold in the deep dark of winter over one in the depths of summer any day. At least curling up on the couch with a blanket and bad daytime TV seems slightly more appealing when it’s minus one million outside.

Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe   Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe

In any case, I’ve learned that I’m terrible at resting. Like, I know that when you’re sick, it’s usually a result of your body being run down and therefore rest is necessary to get healthy again. But I can only sleep so much. And I can only lay in a vertical position for so long. And I can guarantee that in the time that I am “resting”, my brain is already making 101 plans for what I need to do next. My brain isn’t very good at being quiet.

Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe

So today, after lying on the couch for what seemed like days watching What Not To Wear and Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (seriously, those are the only half decent shows on during daytime hours, and I am using the term half decent very loosely), I decided that my compromise would be to continue to lay on the couch, write a blog post, and finally share this recipe with you. These puffed wheat squares have been on my list to share with you since I first started this blog, nearly three years ago (eep, three years!). I make them quite regularly, but have never taken the time to photograph them. One of the reasons being that they tend to get consumed rather quickly. However, I churned two batches of these squares out of my kitchen a couple of weeks ago for my Dad’s epic 60th birthday celebration, and took a few minutes to snap a few shots. And every last square was gone less than an hour after the platter was set out to be ravaged by the party-goers.

Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe

These squares are chocolatey, sticky, and wonderfully chewy. The recipe comes from one of my aunties, and it is the best puffed wheat square recipe in the history of the land. Make no mistake – not all puffed wheat squares are created equal. Of paramount importance is the chocolately goodness to puffed wheat ratio. AKA. The chocolately goodness must generously coat each morsel of puffed wheat. Let’s be real, these squares aren’t a healthy treat. But they are damn good and ridiculously addictive. Which means you should probably make some immediately.

Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe   Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe

Puffed Wheat Squares

A family favorite! Makes about 24 squares, depending on the size. Perfect for parties and BBQ’s!

½ cup butter

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

6 heaping TBSP. cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

10 cups puffed wheat

Measure the puffed wheat into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Melt the butter with the corn syrup, sugars, and cocoa powder in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add the vanilla, and stir well. Pour the mixture over the puffed wheat and mix until the puffed wheat is evenly coated. Press into a 9×13-inch pan that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Allow to cool and then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container to maintain ooey-gooey freshness!

Puffed Wheat Squares | Once Upon a Recipe

Comments

  1. I love family recipes!

    Daytime tv is pretty dismal…and summer time colds are like a crime against nature!

  2. Ah, I was right! Those weren’t rice krispies! I saw them on my Instagram feed and had to check out the recipe. I like how yours don’t look overtly sticky and gummy like most of these out there. Get well soon!

  3. Oh yum! If I could eat wheat, I would be all over these like a bee to honey! These look delicious!

  4. These squares look so perfect, you did such an amazing job…
    And also I would like to eat at least 3 of these, ok 7.

  5. They look so yummy! And photograph so well 🙂

  6. I totally agree with you! I hate being sick in the summer. It is way easier to be forced indoors if it is horrible or cold outside. These squares are like the evil twin of rice krispy treats, and by evil I mean waaaaay more fun and tastier! I can’t wait to try these.

  7. I have never tried a puffed wheat square – they look delicious! I love adding puffed wheat to bulk up my cereal in the morning, so I usually have it around the house. I need to try out your recipe! I hope you feel better

  8. Awww! Get better soon.

    I read this whole post waiting to see if you would describe them as chewy or gooey.. which you did and now I’m dying to make this recipe. I was traumatized by dry horrible puffed wheat squares in the past which made me wary of them. Yours sound like the ones I’ve been looking for

  9. Hope you’re feeling better – getting sick in the summer is just cruel and unusual punishment 😉 I’m not surprised that a platter of these chocolatey treats disappeared within minutes – – they look completely addicting!

  10. Woah. What, what, what is this chocolatey deliciousness?! These look incredible.

  11. Dancing, sangria, and these squares… we need to DO it!

  12. This looks very delicious! Will have to give this recipe a try soon! Thanks for sharing! Xo, M&K at brewedtogether.com

  13. These look awesome- – perfect couch-lounging fare. Even if the TV is terrible.

  14. Such beautiful photos. I would eat that whole tray…

  15. So, I remember the deliciousness of this family recipe! I made a batch for Jesse today! We can’t stop eating them. Soooo good. Amy approved too! Now you only need to post the oatmeal deliciousness that your family makes. That oatmeal bar thing?!?! You know what I’m talking about. You post that and I can die a happy girl!! Xx

    • Yessss! Good job, friend! Glad the hubby and little lady enjoyed them. You’re thinking of “candy cake” – I will share that recipe one of these days!

  16. I’m going to make these in a few minutes!!
    I’ll let ya know how they worked out😊

  17. OHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYY
    These are the BESTEST puffed wheat squares EVER!!!
    This recipe will be THE one for my recipe box!
    Thank you so much for this wicked awesome recipe!!!
    Delicious!!!!

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