So let’s get one thing straight, shall we?
I am completely and utterly a product of convenience.
Growing up, my family rarely made home-cooked meals, and I don’t have fond memories (or well, any memories) of rolling out sugar cookies and baking pies with grandparents. Â If we’re being honest, I ate fast-food at least five days a week, and lived exclusively on snack food.
Now, this isn’t a bad thing by any means. Â It eventually created my desire to learn how to cook since I got sick of memorizing the McDonald’s menu or having the Carl’s Jr people know my order by heart. Â Your mom made homemade lasagna? Â That’s fantastic, but did it come with a free toy? Â Didn’t think so. Â #winning
Anyway, growing up I do have fond memories of staying at my grandma’s heavily-air-conditioned house during the summer while my parents worked.  In between doing flips off of the diving board and watching Scooby Doo on Cartoon Network, I would sneak into the kitchen and into her bottom cupboard where she housed the good stuff: Circus Animal Cookies (sparking this incident), Cosmic Brownies, Twinkies, Nutty Bars, and the like.  I’d grab handfuls of different sweet snack cakes and scurry back into the den where my brother and I played and feasted on sugar.
Since we didn’t do the grocery shopping, I was completely unaware of the amazingness of Star Crunch.  But one day, my grandma dragged us kids along and lo and behold, there it was: the long, rectangular box housing little plastic packages of crunchy caramel krispies coated in creamy milk chocolate.  I was instantly in awe and begged her for a box to try.  Soon after my first bite, it became a favorite.  So making my own was kind of a no-brainer.  I mean, I already recreated many of my childhood favorites.  Star Crunch was inevitable.  It was written in the universe, you could say. I saw it in my stars.  I… will shut up now.  And then when Averie made it, well, it kinda sealed the deal.
Now, why am I calling these “Galactic Crunch” rather than “Star Crunch”? Â Well, while purchasing the ingredients for this glorious treat, I stumbled upon the Simply Caramel Milky Way candy bars and knew I would make these with those. Â Milky Ways + Star Crunch = a pretty galactic dessert, if you ask me. Â Thus, this slightly out-of-this-world treat was born.
You’ll want to eat these for like, infinity and beyond.
- 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 (10 oz) bag mini marshmallows
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 small bag Milky Way Simply Caramel snack-sized candy bars
- 1 pkg Candiquik or chocolate almond bark
- Sprinkles, if desired
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper and set aside. Meanwhile, unwrap all the Milky Way candies and place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt the candies in the microwave on high power for about 30 seconds, then stir. Continue melting the candy bars in increments of 30 seconds, stirring in between to prevent burning, until mostly melted.
- Add in the butter and the bag of mini marshmallows and microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds again until marshmallows are puffy and have melted. Lightly stir the marshmallow and candy bar mixture to combine.
- Add the cereal into the bowl and gently stir to coat.
- Grease your hands with butter or cooking spray and carefully grab fistfuls of the cereal mixture. Form into compact patties and place the patties onto the prepared baking sheet. If the mixture is too hot, allow it to cool slightly before forming; however, it's best to work quickly before the cereal can set in the bowl. Allow the patties to set for a couple hours at room temperature, or for about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Melt the Candiquik according to package directions. Dip each patty into the chocolate, coating completely. Allow excess chocolate to drip off, then return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle with sprinkles, if you'd like. Eat!!
Seriously, my love for Star Crunch knows no bounds. Â Since I’m a Krispy Treat fanatic, it has that similar texture and taste of a gooey crispy treat, but with that addition of creamy, salty caramel and that glorious blanket of milky chocolate. Â Crispy, crunchy, gooey, chewy.. these crunch snacks will definitely bring back fond memories of hoarding snack cakes in your grandma’s den. Â And sprinkles add a fun, modern touch to this classic treat.
Happy Saturday!!
xo, Hayley
Â
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
They look so good! Glad you liked my recipe and I am loving the blue in yours, the sprinkles, the sparkles, the title….they look so tooth sink-able. Really dense and chewy and I love that!
Molly @Bakelette says
I LOVE the star sprinkles!! And the blue non-pariels have yet to see those up my way!
Tieghan says
These are so fun! They look really delicious and I love that thick layer of chocolate on top!
Alexis says
Does the Midwest have star crunch? I’ve never heard of it. Need to find them…
thedomesticrebel says
Hey Alexis, I’m not sure — I’m located in California and have always had no trouble finding it. However, you guys have Goo Goo Clusters which I’m jealous of!!
Krista says
Yes the midwest did have it. I grew up in Iowa & Nebraska, and LOVED star crunch as a child *and still as an adult*
Faith @ Pixie Dust Kitchen says
Star Crunch was always a church treat for me- I didn’t even know you could get them outside of church for the longest time! I love that you used melted milky ways in yours-adding caramel could only make them better!
Debra says
Absolutely loved what you wrote! Love these cookie things you created, yum!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
You should totes eat these while wearing your galactic shirt you got here and some galactic leggings. YEPP
and your childhood reminds me SO MUCH of mine!
Tonette Joyce says
Hayley,I have to admit that I usually don’t do recipes that have added candy bars, but what can I say? I am a caramel-freak and have an open bag of Simply Caramel Milky Ways right here! And Rice Crispy bars are a guilty pleasure…what you have here is SOMETHING, something good anyone can make.Nice.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I never heard of Star Crunch.. but instead I want Galactic Crunch now!
Becca @ Crumbs and Chaos says
Ohmygosh…Star Crunch was always my very favorite…making them at home sounds like the right thing to do 🙂
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I have never had these! I must try them. They sound amazing. And man, if it wasn’t for my mom and her insistence on green vegetables, my dad and I would have eaten at McDonald’s every single day. 🙂
Jennifer @ Not Your Momma's Cookie says
Oh perfect! I love the sprinkles and edible stars! My mom wasn’t much of a cook, but my grandmother was the quintessential domestic goddess 🙂
Nessa says
I think I’ve fallen in love 😉
Liz says
Love the star sprinkles on top and what a perfect name! Grandma’s always have the best treats, don’t they?! 🙂
Sarah says
This sounds delicious! And there’s nothing wrong with not having a pie- baking grandma in your past. It just means your inspired by other things. Star crunch for example. Love it!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
I love all your stories. My mom didn’t cook much when I was growing up either! Maybe that’s why I try extra hard to cook at home as much as I can 🙂
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
Gorgeous! What a great twist on the classic rice krispy treat. 🙂
Stephanie @ Back For Seconds says
I forgot all about Star Crunch! Now you have me wanting them in a bad way. Totally making these!!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl says
Star Crunch was always my ultimate favorite. Hmmmmm….I think I “need” to make these for Doodle so I can have one (or three).
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
I have those same sprinkles. my kids totally dig them. I am making these!! I love Star Crunch!!!
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
LOVE Star Crunch, Hayley! My mom kept them in the fridge and chilled Star Crunch was a favorite summertime snack for me. Ah, the joys of childhood. Saw Averie’s recipe and now, yours. So, no excuse not to make some soon. Thanks for sharing!
Sarah @ Miss CandiQuik says
These look amazing, Hayley!! I can’t believe I haven’t made these…that will change very soon though 🙂
Laura says
These do look great, but I find myself wondering where the cookie center is. After all the description is “A soft, chewy cookie topped with caramel and crisp rice then covered in a layer of fudge”. These do look good, and I would definitely make them, but I don’t know that they can be star crunch without the base of the treat.
thedomesticrebel says
Hey Laura! Woah, thanks for bringing that to my attention! I guess I meant the term ‘cookie’ VERY loosely. There is no physical cookie inside; the “cookie” is that caramel Rice Krispy base 🙂