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Delicious seasonal recipes from the Post Food team.

Crispy Rice Cups With Raspberries. (Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico)

By Becky Krystal

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Happy Saturday, friends. We made it to the weekend. Maybe you’re reading this over breakfast — perhaps some cereal, even one that snaps, crackles and pops?

I didn’t eat many bowls of Rice Krispies growing up, but my mom did make the chewy, marshmallowy treats printed on the side of the box. So I felt a wave of nostalgia wash over me when I tested (and tasted!) Ellie Krieger’s Crispy Rice Cups With Raspberries.

The treats that many of us grew up with include butter, marshmallows and vanilla. Ellie, though, gives them a better-for-you makeover by using honey and peanut butter to sweeten and bind the mixture. (No worries if you have a peanut allergy — any other nut or seed butter will do.) And for a more grown-up twist, she packs the coated cereal into muffin tins and shapes them into elegant little cups. Fill them with raspberries, as she suggests, or anything else you like, whether that’s a scoop of ice cream or other types of fruit. (Could you just pat the cereal mixture into a tin and cut into squares like the original recipe? Absolutely.)

We loved the nutty, sweet flavor of the crunchy cups set against the tart, soft and juicy raspberries. It brought back memories of another nostalgic favorite, too: PB & J.

The recipe reminded me of a different childhood staple that Ellie put cereal to work in: Savory Cereal Snack Mix. Here, the Chex Mix also found on the side of a box gets a protein boost with nuts, seeds and chickpeas, along with healthier whole grains and olive oil. (Again, swap out the nuts to accommodate any allergies, or simply replace them with more cereal.) I’m sharing the recipe with you below, along with a few other fun ideas that make use of cereal you may already have in the pantry.

In this week’s live cooking chat, we had a lively conversation about the many tricks people have for not tearing up while cutting onions. I love the twists and turns these discussions take, and the unpredictability always keeps it interesting. What will we talk about next week? Join me Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern to find out. Submit your questions now, and come back when we get started.

Until next week, happy cooking.

Crispy Rice Cups With Raspberries

(Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico)

These crispy rice treats are held together with peanut butter and honey rather than marshmallow to form cups that hold a pile of fresh raspberries.

By Ellie Krieger

Crispy Chicken Tenders With Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

These better-for-you baked chicken tenders get their crunchy exterior from a coating of crushed crispy rice cereal and almonds.

Tahini Crunch Chocolate Bark

A shredded wheat topping studded with sesame seeds gives this chocolate bark an irresistible texture.

Salted 'Kacang Puteh' Crisped Rice Treats

Singaporean baker Gan Chin Lin combines her childhood memory of kacang puteh with the Rice Krispies Treat.

Granola Wedges

This chewy, crunchy, gluten-free snack is made with all whole foods, including brown rice cereal.

Recipe of the Week

(Laura Chase de Formigny/For The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky)

Savory Cereal Snack Mix

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Save or print the recipe

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Servings: 12 (makes about 6 cups)

Active time: 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
3 cups (5 1/2 ounces) whole-grain rice or wheat cereal squares, such as Rice Chex or Wheat Chex
1 cup (3 ounces) chickpea snacks
1 cup (1 1/2 ounces) broken pieces of whole-grain pita chips
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) raw, unsalted almonds
1/4 cup (1 ounce) raw, unsalted hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Steps

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 250 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and cayenne pepper, if using.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the cereal, chickpea snacks, pita chips, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the spiced oil mixture and toss until evenly coated.

4. Spread the mix over a large sheet pan and bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes, until the ingredients are slightly darkened and just crisp. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool before serving or storing.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger. Tested by Ann Maloney.

Nutrition information per serving (1/2 cup): Calories: 126; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 2 mg; Sodium: 196 mg; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 2 g; Protein: 5 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

Dried rosemary >> other dried herbs.
Instead of the spice mixture called for here >> use whatever combination you like or have.
Whole-grain pita chips >> regular pita chips.
Almonds >> other nuts or seeds.
Pumpkin seeds >> sunflower seeds or nuts.