Chocolate Crackles | No-Bake Australian Chocolate Rice Cereal Bites

Combine the puffed rice cereal, sifted powdered sugar, cocoa, grated coconut, and salt in a wide bowl. Sift the cocoa and powdered sugar; lumps of cocoa will not break up when they meet the fat and can leave a bitter speck in a bite. Fold gently from the bottom with a spoon without crushing the cereal.

Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over the lowest heat until completely clear, then remove from the heat immediately. Let it stand on the counter for 5 minutes. It should feel warm, not hot, when dripped into your palm, at about 30°C / 86°F. Hot fat softens the cereal immediately and removes the recipe’s only source of crunch.

Pour the lukewarm fat over the dry mixture and stir within 30 seconds, until all the cereal is coated brown. Without delay, spoon the mixture into paper muffin liners, using 2 tablespoons per liner. Gently press the center with the back of the spoon to shape a cup. Refrigerate the tray; the fat will set and hold the cups together.