These no-bake treats are prepared with lots of white chocolate, creamy peanut butter, a few cups of rice cereal, and a good helping of marshmallows too. Holiday Avalanche Squares are absolutely delicious! The white chocolate is melted together with the peanut butter, and once cooled, the other ingredients are folded in to create these wonderfully high and cloudy-soft squares!
Usually, I save the description of a recipe for this paragraph, but I think I gave it all away in the introduction! Nevertheless, it is worth repeating, because these Holiday Avalanche Squares are so, so good! They’re one of those treats that you tell yourself it’s okay to have just one of, but you just can’t stop at one. I know that happens to me quite often, and in the case of these squares, I know I won’t be alone!
Avalanche Squares are a deliciously addictive treat that I first tasted at a little chocolate store in Toronto’s Eaton Centre called The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. If you have ever been there and bought anything, you will agree with my deliciously addictive statement at the beginning of this paragraph! Sadly, that location is closed. They used to have so many great treats, like candy apples covered in everything but that sticky red stuff found at summer fairs and amusement parks.
The fudge was unbelievable, but I would always select a few of their truffles. One day, their version of an Avalanche Square was starring me in the face and I couldn’t resist. It was delicious. Luckily, this homemade version is just as good and much more cost effective too!
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LORD BYRON’S 12 BARS AND SQUARES OF CHRISTMAS
Because of the fact that they are so delicious, I thought they would be the perfect confection to kick off the 2022 holiday baking season – even though these are a no-bake recipe! Yes, that’s right, Dear Reader! I’m kicking off another holiday baking series, just like I have for the past few Christmases! Welcome to Lord Byron’s 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas!!!
If you have been reading my blog for a while – well, at least anytime around Christmas for the past few years – you must have run into at least one of my Christmas baking countdowns. This particular countdown is all about bars and squares. For 12 consecutive days, I will share a holiday-based bar or square recipe with you. That means on Saturday and Sunday too! I usually publish new recipes three times a week, so I hope you’re up for this!
You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday baking countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. There will be bars and squares with chocolate, some with candy, and some with nuts too. Are you ready!!??
NO-BAKE RECIPES
I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter.
To prepare these Holiday Avalanche Squares, you will need to use your microwave. So, even though they’re no-bake and kid-friendly, you will still need some way to melt the chocolate.
Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.
Looking For More Christmas Confections?
Lord Byron’s Kitchen has more than enough to satisfy your sweet tooth! Click on the links below to see a countdown series of holiday recipes from that category!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- White Chocolate – Use good white chocolate. Truffles are meant to be inexpensive, but you still want them to taste good. I tried making these with cheap white chocolate chips and they turned out rather chalky, not smooth at all.
- Peanut Butter – A paste or spread made from ground, dry-roasted peanuts, along with sugar and other additives. When baking, I always use regular peanut butter, not the expensive natural peanut butter or nut butter.
- Rice Krispies Cereal – Just about everyone is familiar with this. Wasn’t it, after all, the breakfast of champions in the 80s?
- Mini Marshmallows – I used vegan mini marshmallows. You can use regular or even multi-coloured marshmallows.
- Chocolate Chips – I use chocolate chips a lot in my recipes, and I change up the type depending on how I feel. Unless the recipe states otherwise, you can use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chips.
LET’S TALK PEANUT BUTTER!
Before you are tempted to send me an email or a comment knocking my choice of peanut butter that is not natural and organic, hear me out! This recipe will not work with natural peanut butter. I repeat, this recipe will not work with natural peanut butter. There, I said it. Now, if you go ahead and make this recipe using natural peanut butter and it comes out a big, wet mess, you cannot blame me.
John.e uses only natural peanut butter, but I do not. I do not like it at all. Yes, it’s healthier and better for me, but I’d rather not eat it at all if I have to choose the natural stuff. I grew up on Kraft or Jiffy peanut butter and it’s the only peanut butter I ever use.
For these Holiday Avalanche Squares, you will need to use smooth peanut butter. I haven’t tried them with crunchy peanut butter, but I think it would work just fine. In fact, the crunchy peanuts might be quite lovely! Sorry, but you do not have a choice between all-natural and sugar-laden, mass-produced stuff. The squares will not be set up firmly when chilled. Mostly, it certainly will not taste right. If you are completely against using non-natural peanut butter, as harsh as it may sound, this recipe is most certainly not for you.
DANDIES VEGAN MARSHMALLOWS
As you know, Dear Reader, John.e is a vegetarian and marshmallows have gelatin in them. Gelatin is made using collagen from animal parts, so obviously, he isn’t going to eat anything with marshmallows in it. Sounds gross, doesn’t it!? So, I was quite happy to find vegan marshmallows, and now I can make more marshmallow treats. You can 100% use regular mini marshmallows, but I used Dandies Vegan Marshmallows in this recipe.
This post is not sponsored by Dandies, and I don’t want you to think that I’m preaching veganism at you, because I am far from vegan. However, whenever I find a product that I love, I always share it with you. You most certainly don’t have to be vegan to enjoy Dandies marshmallows. They also have no artificial colours or flavours, which is always a bonus.
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If you have any friends or family with food allergies, you might want to consider using Dandies as well. Unlike real marshmallows, there’s no corn syrup, they are kosher, and have no GMOs. Dandies are manufactured in a gluten-free environment and are free from many common allergens such as wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, fish, mustard, corn, and sesame. Seriously, what do you have to lose!?
In the spirit of full disclosure, I will tell you that a representative from Dandies did reach out to me after reading one of my previous recipes using their product. Still, I would not promote the product without fully supporting it. Honestly, they taste wonderful and I’m not sure I could tell the difference between a vegan marshmallow and a “real” one! They’re really that good! So, thank you, Dandies!
HOW TO MAKE HOLIDAY AVALANCHE SQUARES
This no-bake recipe comes together quickly and easily. The first thing you should do is to prepare a 9 x 9 inch baking pan by lining it well with parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper so that it fits snugly in the pan. I use two sheets – one folded to fit the length of the pan and another folded to fit across the pan. Allow the excess parchment paper to hang out over the side of the pan. Once the confection is firm, use the excess parchment to lift the whole block out of the pan to make it easy to cut into squares.
Next, in a large, microwaveable bowl, melt the white chocolate chips on high speed in 30-second intervals, stirring well between each increment, until melted and combined. Add the peanut butter and stir until well incorporated. Next, add the cereal and stir again until the cereal is well mixed into the white chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Set this aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Finally, add in the marshmallows and the chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press down with the spatula to flatten slightly.
Allow the squares to cool at room temperature for one hour. It’s important to allow the chocolate to firm up at room temperature, which is slow, but it works. If you place the pan into the fridge to speed up the re-hardening of the chocolate, you run the risk of separating the milk solids. That will result in a chocolate with white streaks through it.
Lord Byron’s Annual Christmas Cookie Series
Did you know that Lord Byron’s Kitchen has been sharing a 24 Cookies of Christmas Series for the past several years? Click on the links below to see all of the recipes from each series on one page!
It’s best to let it sit at room temperature for at least one hour to help temper the chocolate. Slowly cooling will prevent the milk solids from separating. This is not a huge concern with white chocolate, but most certainly the case with milk or semi-sweet chocolate. After the hour has passed, refrigerate the squares for 20 minutes before cutting.
Once cooled, cut into squares. Store the squares in an airtight, food-safe container and keep refrigerated. Squares will last 5-7 days in the fridge.
FAQs
- Do I have to use white chocolate chips? No, you most certainly don’t! In fact, these squares are even better with a good quality bar of white chocolate. Break it into small pieces and measure out a full 4 cups if you go the bar route. I used chocolate chips to keep the squares more budget-friendly.
- I can’t find Rice Krispies Cereal. No worries! You can use other cereals like Special K or Chex. In fact, you could skip the cereal completely and use crushed pretzels or plain popcorn!
- More peanut butter flavour, please! This is easily achieved by adding more peanut butter to the recipe. I would only increase it by an additional 1/4 cup. Alternatively, you can add a half cup of salted chopped peanuts to the mixture. It will taste more peanut-y and also add texture!
STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING
Most no-bake confections are made without the need to freeze them for long periods of time, but they can be frozen. For this recipe, I have tested whether or not they can be frozen, and they certainly can! Once they are completely firm, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in! You can freeze these for up to three months.
Do You Like This Recipe?
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Holiday Avalanche Squares
Ingredients
- 4 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups rice krispies cereal
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- To start, line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set that aside.
- Next, in a large, microwaveable bowl, melt the white chocolatechips on high speed in 30-second intervals, stirring well between eachincrement, until melted and combined.
- Add the peanut butter and stir until well incorporated.
- Next, add the cereal and stir again until the cereal is well mixed into the white chocolate and peanut butter mixture. Set this aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Finally, add in the marshmallows and the chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press down with the spatula to flatten slightly. Allow to cool at room temperateur for one hour. Refrigerate for 20 minutes before cutting into squares.
- Once cooled, cut into squares. Store the squares in an airtight, food-safe container and keep refrigerated. Squares will last 5-7 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
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Elsa says
Any substitute for peanut butter? Grandkids are allergic to all kinds of nuts.
Thank you so much 😊
Rhonda Parkin says
Hi Elsa, my granddaughters are allergic to nuts also. I substitute crushed pretzels
in all recipes that have nuts – they have never complained 😊
Rhonda Parkin says
OPPS forgot to mention substitute for peanut butter 😳 I use tahini
Jackie Caron says
These bars were very good. Made them for xmas. I’ve got one left.
Jackie Caron says
The flavor keeps you coming back for more. Mmmm
Dorothy says
Haven’t used it yet, but can’t wait to try it out. Thanks!