Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treats #alphabits

Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treats put a delicious pumpkin twist on classic marshmallow cereal treats made fun for kids using Alpha-Bits cereal.

Now that Halloween is over, Thanksgiving planning is in full force. My favorite part of Thanksgiving planning is dessert! While I absolutely love this crustless pumpkin pie recipe, it can be nice to mix things up a bit and make something new. Marshmallow cereal treats are always a favorite, especially with kids. I decided to combine my favorite Thanksgiving dessert (pumpkin pie) with a treat that kids love (marshmallow cereal treats) to create a fun Thanksgiving treat ~ these Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treats!

Because I was making these treats with kids in mind, I thought using Alpha-Bits cereal would make it even more fun for them. We all know that little ones love playing with their food, and Alpha-Bits can help make treat time educational! The shaped pieces can help little ones become familiar with the letters of the alphabet. Or in the case of my little one, give Adam a bowl full of letters, and he will be occupied for hours coming up with different words.

I gave Adam a Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treat to snack on while he played with letters. He came up with a great idea! Before eating his treat, Adam sifted through the Alpha-Bits to find letters so he could put his name on top. This could be a fun activity for kids to personalize and decorate a Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treat (or any treat). You could even glue Alpha-Bits cereal on paper to create name cards for Thanksgiving dinner place settings.

Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treats require no baking, making them a quick and easy treat to make for the holidays (or any time). Just melt the butter, add pumpkin, flavorings, marshmallows and Alpha-Bits. Pretty easy, right? The result is the delicious taste of pumpkin pie and marshmallows combined with tasty Alpha-Bits cereal.

Pumpkin Pie Alpha-Bits Treats

Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

3 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup pumpkin puree
1 (10 ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
6 cups Alpha-Bits cereal
Cooking spray

Instructions

In a large sauce pan, over medium-low heat melt butter. Add pumpkin and stir, cooking until heated through.
Add marshmallows, stirring until almost melted. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and remove from heat. Allow marshmallow mixture to cool for 20 to 25 minutes.
Once pumpkin mixture is cooled, add in Alpha-Bits cereal, stirring until combined.
Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. (For thicker bars, use a 9-inch square).
Press mixture into prepared baking dish. Let set for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving. Decorate as desired.

Adapted from theKitchn