Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars [Recipe]

Somehow I made it through 32 years of my life without experiencing the sweet pleasure of an Avalanche Bar. Unlike most people, my first encounter with these deliciously addictive treats was not with the highly coveted Avalanche Bark from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Which is surprising given my location at the time. No, instead about 10 months ago I found myself wandering through Whistler village, by-passing the RMCF and making a beeline for PureBread, a delightful little family bakery overlooking the Olympic Plaza.

Whether you’re a Whistler visitor or local, there’s no question that PureBread is THE place to get your fresh bread, savories, cakes & treats. They also serve up the best coffee in town and some tasty treats for your four-legged friend too! Whether I’m at home or on the road, I’m a big fan of supporting small, local businesses whenever I can. It makes me feel a part of the community and gives me glimpses into what local life might be like.

Anyway, I had stumbled across the place by chance 2 years previously on a skiing trip with some friends and had had a hard time forgetting it after devouring one of their giant chocolate chip cookies! So when I found myself on a road trip to Whistler last August, I knew a rendez-vous was on the cards. When I stepped through the doors of this charming bakery for a second time, no love had been lost. Everything was exactly as I had remembered. The smells, the sights and the sounds were so pleasingly familiar. It may have just been the sunlight streaming through their shop-front windows, but I felt lit-up inside. Like an excitable child with just enough pocket money for one treat, I was in a similar boat trying to decide how to spend my macros. The long line of desserts was overwhelming. I wanted them all!

But then my eyes settled on the Avalanche bar. A huge square bar of puffed rice cereal, covered in chocolate chips and seemingly stuffed with marshmallows. It looked like a decadent Rice Krispie square bar. I had never heard of them before so I asked the girl behind the counter what was in it exactly. White chocolate, peanut butter…Say no more!

I ordered my avalanche bar & canadiano (that’s an americano in Canada eh!) and took a seat outside looking out at the Olympic Plaza with the beautiful backdrop of Blackcomb Mountain.

My Avalanche Bar looked solid like a brick (and was about the size of one!) but was every bit as sweet, chewy and crispy as I’d hoped for. White chocolate can sometimes be a little sickly in desserts but I think the peanut butter combo helps mellow out the sweetness. Crucially its also what makes these bars so incredibly chewy!

Well fueled for a day of exploration, I spent the afternoon hiking and cooling off in a glacial lake.

If you’re ever in Whistler, I definitely recommend taking a walk or bike ride down to Green Lake, it’s simply stunning! Swimming is optional but if it’s summer & you’re feeling brave then embrace it! Be warned though, its breathtaking properties are likely to cause a state of euphoria & may compel you to move to the mountains. If Whistler’s a far stretch for you though & there’s no glacial lakes in your vicinity, then these Avalanche bars do a pretty good job at inducing a bliss-like state.

Since that day I have vowed to make Jason his own batch of avalanche bars. Given that we have such a well-stocked pantry though it’s often hard to find a reason to bake. Inevitably it’s taken me longer than anticipated to fulfill my promise to him. But we had some marshmallows left-over from our recent experiment with a
s’mores stuffed waffle sandwich and so I couldn’t help make the connection and feel inspired to make these delicious treats.

It’s not long now till we officially hit the road and leave the house. So figuring out ways to consume everything in our pantry is likely going to involve a lot more baking! Jason is pretty happy with this turn of affairs & the baked treats seem to be alleviating his nervous anticipation of a nomadic life. I’m excited to see him embracing life outside his comfort zone. I’m also pretty excited to discover more delicious bakeries along the way…

There are plenty of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory copycat recipes out there for their Avalanche Bark, but this one is incredibly simple & turned out well for me. My only recommendation is that you take care not to burn your white chocolate morsels! Use a bigger bowl so your morsels are spread out or you may want to consider slowly heating in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Fortunately I caught my chocolate before it was ruined & my bars still turned out as tasty as I’d hoped for.

Ingredients

Yields 9

Method

1. Lightly grease 9×9 inch baking pan or line with great proof paper.
2. Place white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium for 1 minute. Store and heat fro an additional 1-2 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds – if your microwave has a “melt” option then I highlight recommend using it!
3. If you’re using regular peanut butter go ahead and add it to your white chocolate. If you’re using powdered peanut butter like I did, then measure out 4 tbsp and add recommended amount of water until desired consistency achieved. Then add your PB to your white chocolate and combine well.
4. Place your crisp rice cereal in a large bowl and then pour your peanut butter and white chocolate mixture on top. Combine well taking care not to smash your cereal!
5. Allow your cereal mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes. Then fold in your marshmallows and your 1/4 cup of chocolate chip morsels.
6. Now spoon your deliciously gooey mixture into your baking pan, spreading it out evenly and lightly compressing it with the back of your spoon.
7. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of chocolate chips on top and press lightly into your cereal mix so they stick.
8. Place your mix in the refrigerator and allow for it to set. I left mine for an hour but if you can’t wait that long I’m sure 30 minutes would do the trick too!
9. Cut into even squares and enjoy as bars. You can wrap them individually and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. Although I seriously doubt that will last you that long!

Enjoy!

Did you make these bars? We’d love to know how they turned out! Be sure to comment below or share your photo on Instagram & tag us @ownyoureating and use the hashtag #ownyoureating

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