Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Add 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, ⅔ cup corn syrup, and ½ cup cocoa powder to a large pot over low-medium heat. Melt everything together while stirring gently.
Bring the mixture to a gently boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Now add the puffed wheat cereal and mix together so that puffed wheat is evenly coated.
Pour the puffed wheat mixture into the greased baking pan and spread into a single layer. Lightly spray a spatula with cooking spray and use it to press the puffed wheat into the baking sheet.
Let this sit for 1 hour, then slice them into bars.
Recipe Notes:
Mix the puffed wheat with the melted chocolate sauce thoroughly. This will help everything stick together better.
Be sure to grease the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter so that the puffed squares come out easily.
Press the puffed wheat mixture into the casserole dish firmly. It will be very sticky. You can lightly spray a spatula with cooking spray so that it doesn’t stick as you press it down.
The puffed wheat needs to sit for at least one hour at room temperature before slicing. This will help all the ingredients to stick together better.