My childhood consisted of Little Debbie, thanks to my grandma.
We were in her (day) care for a good chunk of our childhood. I don’t think our diets strayed far from Happy Meals, French toast sticks and hash browns, or Little Debbie.
We basically ate nothing but fries and Nutty Bars. We didn’t grow up with defects, so I’m guessing that diet was sufficient after all.
But then again, my childhood revolved around playing constantly. Whether it was that awful game ‘Orphanage‘, or dressing up in obscenely odd costumes featuring hats and high heeled shoes (and carrying around a bottle of mouthwash–hey, it was a cool accessory for awhile) I was always doing something.
Some things haven’t changed since then. I still think about Happy Meals, except I know I won’t feel so jolly after eating a cheeseburger and fries. My thighs won’t, either. And while I don’t play orphanage anymore, I do like to play house. By “play house” I really mean do the dishes, cook dinner every night and vacuum like I’m being held at gunpoint.
Check out those tippy toes! Always eager to be in the kitchen. That’s where the good stuff is. I wasn’t a dumb kid.
And I still do like playing dress up. Especially if it involves frilly pink tutus (yup, I have an adult one)
And, not surprisingly, because it was such an integral part of my childhood, I still like Nutty Bars. Who doesn’t like cookies covered in peanut butter and chocolate? Especially if they’re creamy and crunchy. Lil Debbie knows what’s up.
So I decided to make some Nutty Bars of my own… mostly to appease my dad, who is slightly addicted to them, and mostly because it seemed pretty easy to do, so why haven’t I before? (Some questions can’t be answered)
In doing some extensive research on transforming myself into a Little Debbie, I stumbled across Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats, who made Nutty Bars 3 Ways for her Nutty Bar fiend. I followed her advice and made the one her boyfriend liked the best… and (shocker) is won over the men in my life, too.
I was a bit apprehensive in using these crispbread crackers. I mean, they kind of look and smell like bird seed… and I’m not convinced people eat these plain. But they were absolutely PERFECT in recreating this classic snack bar. The right amount of wafer-y crunch, the perfect balance between the chocolate and peanut butter. I’m sold!
And I made it in a video, so take a look!!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXu_j-z8PW0]
Homemade Nutty Bars *inspired by Kristin at Iowa Girl Eats
1 box Wasa plain crispbread crackers (make sure you don’t get the flavored kind or the kind with sesame seed!)
About 1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 pkg chocolate candy melts or almond bark
1. Start by spreading one side of a cracker with a generous shmear of peanut butter in an even layer. Stack with another cracker, pressing gently to adhere, and smear the top of the second cracker with another even layer of PB. Then, stack a third cracker on top, press to stick gently, and set on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remainder of crackers, three-high, until finished.
2. Using a very sharp knife (I used a santuko, but a serrated would work too) carefully cut each cracker stack in half down the vertical center. I cut a very little bit at a time to try to avoid the crackers from splitting or breaking–they are quite fragile.
3. Now, prepare your candy melts or almond bark according to package directions until melted and smooth. I dipped mine in a large bowl, but like Kristin, using a loaf pan may be easier. Dip each bar into the melted chocolate, turning to coat on all sides with a fork. Once coated, gently remove with a fork, allowing the excess to drip off, and set it on the wax paper sheet to harden. Before it hardens completely, if you want to be fancy, draw lines or designs onto the tops of the bars with a butter knife. Pop bars into the freezer for about 15 minutes to chill and harden chocolate and set the bars. Then eat!
You have NO idea how outrageous these bars are. They’re nearly IDENTICAL to the Little Debbie classic–it’s like I’m sitting in front of the TV watching Scooby Doo and eating them again. Except I’m not nearly as cute… and my tutu is being dry cleaned.
Enjoy!
xo, Hayley
Julia O. says
Hi Hayley, your version of the Nutty Bars look great! I actually work with Wasa and I wanted to thank you for giving the product a try. If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out our Facebook page for coupons and to continue getting great recipe ideas! http://www.facebook.com/wasa
The Domestic Rebel says
Hi Julia! Thank you very much for stopping by–I am so glad you liked the video, and I hope you give the Nutty Bars a try; they’re delicious! I will definitely be checking you guys out on FB and the coupons will come in handy when I (definitely) make these again. Thank you!
Julia O says
The Wasa team loves your recipe so much we want to share it with our fans on Facebook and Twitter.
Also, you may be interested in knowing on the on the @Wasa_NA handle we hold weekly #WasaWednesday giveaways for free cripsbread. You should definitely check it out and share with your readers!
Thanks again for such a delicious recipe! Here is the link to the Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/wasa/posts/267266736650559
The Domestic Rebel says
Julia–thank you SO much! Words cannot express how thrilled, excited and grateful I am that Wasa enjoyed the recipe so much! Thank you for featuring it on your Facebook and Twitter pages–this will mean more traffic for me and hopefully, a brand new dessert recipe for your devoted fans. Thank you!!
Anita says
Could you tell me where to buy wasa? Have never heard of it. I live in Delaware. Thank you.
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Anita! I believe you can find them at Whole Foods, Walmart, and other local supermarkets! They’re usually near the natural food aisle.