These are deliciously sweet handheld rice crispy treats with peanut butter and chocolate, as well as raw pepitas for that October-y flair. Easy-to-make and unctuously chocolate-y and peanut buttery, these squares of puffed rice goodness are an amazing snack to indulge in this Halloween.
Add the rice cereal, raw pepitas, chocolate chips and salt to a large mixing bowl. Roughly combine these together.
In small sauce pan over low-medium heat, melt together the creamy peanut butter and brown rice syrup until the two are well combined, whisking occasionally. Once the two are fully melted together, remove the pan from the heat, and then whisk in the vanilla. Let this cool for about 1 - 2 minutes.
After it's slightly cooled, add the peanut butter-brown rice mixture to the large bowl with the other ingredients, and fold everything together with a hefty spoon or spatula (preferably something metal and strong), until all the cereal is sticking together, and most of the chocolate chips have melted.
Pour the sticky cereal mixture into an 8x8 baking dish lined with parchment or wax paper. Press the cereal down until it is very compact. Then, pop the baking dish into the freezer for 10 - 15 minutes, until cool and the chocolate has congealed and set in place. Once cooled, remove the treat by lifting the parchment/wax paper from the baking dish, and then cut the large rice crispy treat square into 9 separate squares.