I never thought I’d post this recipe as its such a staple in Alberta. What I didn’t realize is that its (apparently) an Alberta thing! I was talking to some coworkers yesterday and puffed wheat squares were mentioned and they had no idea what I was talking about. Needless to say, I was in shock. Its like being told they’ve never heard of Star Wars.
Anyhoos, I guess you could kind of compare them to rice krispie squares. But not. No marshmallows, still lots of sugar, and definitely gooey chocolate’y.
I made puffed wheat Christmas Puddings for Christmas this year (2024) and they not only taste delicious, but are adorable! Merely spray a cupcake tin with baking spray and add an extra cup of puffed wheat (8 cups), then scoop some into the cup, flattening the top with a spatula. Just pop into the fridge to set and pop it out of the cup with butter knife (it’ll come out very easily, just needs a tiny push). Melt some white chocolate (no need to add any oil) and put a generous teaspoon on top, kind of pushing over the edges, and top with some sprinkles.
Puffed Wheat Squares
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 7 cups puffed wheat
Instructions
- Spray pam an 8x8 square baking pan.
- Mix all the ingredients except the puffed wheat in a saucepot, and bring to a boil.
- Pour over the puffed wheat (in a large bowl) and stir with a spatula until everything is coated.
- Pour into the baking pan and spread evenly. Press down very firmly with a spatula.
- Let cool. Cut into squares (big or small as desired).
- Cover with plastic wrap and keep on the counter.
After searching for years for the ultimate Puffed Wheat Square recipe, yours is the closest to perfection! I made a couple of changes: cut the brown sugar down to 3/4 cup (still plenty sweet) and cut the puffed wheat down to 6 cups. It is ooey gooey good. Many have asked for the recipe and my family and coworkers always request more of these squares. Thanks for posting it.
Thank you! It’s actually my mother-in-law’s recipe. The key to making them extra delicious was the doubling of the “goo” (reflected in the recipe.) Soooo tasty!
Puffed wheat squares are not just an Alberta thing, but apparently they are a Canadian prairies thing. In Saskatchewan, you can’t attend a wedding, funeral, bake sale, etc., or go to a bakery or coffee shop without coming across puffed wheat squares. They are the most ubiquitous dessert square that I can think of. Though, for some reason I had never made them and I didn’t have a recipe for them.
I read probably close to 20 different recipes before coming across yours. Of all the recipes I looked at online, yours appeared to have by far the best chocolate sauce to puffed wheat ratio. Plus it has the correct amount of cocoa powder. One of the recipes I read only called for 2 tsp… 2 TSP…? Umm, no thank you.
The squares are exactly what I wanted. They have lots of chocolate flavour, and they are perfectly gooey and chewy. I did add a bit more puffed wheat, as there was a pretty big pool of sauce at the bottom of my bowl after coating the original amount. But it would have been just as great had I followed the recipe exactly.
Great recipe! It’s going in my repertoire for sure. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! That doubling of the chocolate goo is 100% due to my mother-in-law. 😀 She was such a fantastic baker!