Description
Homemade Star Crunch is a nostalgic, chewy-crispy treat made with gooey caramel, melted chocolate, and crunchy rice cereal, just like the classic Little Debbie snack cake but even better made from scratch.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 10 oz (about 40) soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups crispy rice cereal
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and caramels with the heavy cream, stirring constantly until smooth and fully combined.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until melted and smooth.
- Gently fold in the crispy rice cereal until evenly coated with the chocolate-caramel mixture.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, drop heaping mounds onto the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten into discs.
- Let cool at room temperature for 1–2 hours or refrigerate for quicker setting.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use soft, chewy caramels for the smoothest texture—avoid hard candy-style caramels.
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.
- Try shaping into bars instead of rounds if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 treat
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 15mg