This 4-ingredient, no-bake peanut butter treat was a favorite after-school snack as a kid. I made it as an adult and I'm hooked all over again.

The simple recipe was passed on to her through the family. I still remember coming home from school and grabbing a big handful. The snack was sweet, but I was young enough that it didn't bother my stomach — even when I ate a lot of it.

After I re-created a cookie recipe I came up with in elementary school, I started thinking about other treats that stuck out in my memory from childhood, and this recipe was the first to come to mind. I'm not much of a baker, but when my mom told me the recipe only needed four ingredients, I knew I had to make it as an adult. I wanted to see if it was as good as I remember.

This recipe only uses a few ingredients, but it tastes so good that it feels like it should have more:

• 1 bag (11-ounce package) of white chocolate chips
• 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup of cocktail peanuts with sea salt
• 6 to 8 cups of Cap'n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch cereal

I used eight cups for my recipe, and even though it turned out great, I wish I used fewer cups to give the peanut butter and white chocolate coating time to thicken. It really depends on personal preference, but I would start with six cups next time and add more if necessary.

Even though the chocolate was on low heat, I kept an eye on it, making sure to stir occasionally with a rubber spatula. I didn't want it to clump up or burn, but I eventually raised the heat just a bit to speed up the process.

Once the chips were smooth and creamy, I moved on to my next step.

I kept the stove on low heat as I added the peanut butter to the white chocolate. It didn't take long to combine because both were already so smooth.

After removing the mixture from the stove, I immediately got to work prepping the cereal. I didn't want to give the peanut butter and white chocolate concoction too much time or it would start to cool and set.

Next time, I would measure out all my ingredients ahead of time to make for the most efficient experience using the mise en place method.

My large measuring cup fits four cups at a time, so I doubled up and added the cereal to the mixing bowl.

It didn't look like a lot in the bowl, but eight cups made for plentiful snacks in the end.

This was always my favorite part of watching my mom make this recipe as a kid. Hearing the crackle of the cereal moving underneath the river of peanut butter and chocolate was like music to my ears.

At this point, I was eager to finish the recipe so I could try the snack again for the first time in years.

You don't have to add the peanuts if you're not a fan, but I think they add a nice variation in flavor and texture. I always liked tasting a bit of saltiness from the peanut, juxtaposed with the super sweet chunks of cereal and peanut butter.

I got a clean metal spoon and scooped the cereal onto a long piece of wax paper, spreading the snack out into a flat layer.

I ran out of room on my first piece of wax paper, so I added a second piece next to it and continued scooping the cereal out. By the time I was done, it took up all of my counter space.

You can dig right in if you want, but I like to let the cereal set. Over time, the mixture will slowly get harder, leaving a nice coating with a bit of bite on the cereal. It'll still get on your fingers when you pick it up, but it won't completely slide off.

I ended up letting my cereal sit overnight ... but not before sneaking a few bits into my mouth.

I stored the snack in a glass container with a lid, but you can store it in any container you have on hand. It's okay to leave it uncovered while you're snacking, but I'd recommend covering it with a lid once you're done to prevent it from getting stale.

This peanut butter treat may be easy to make, but it's one of those things that instantly takes me back to my childhood. It's the type of snack everyone in my family grabbed a handful of each time they passed it in the kitchen.

Although I was a picky eater growing up, food had the power to unite my family. On the rare occasion we all loved the same recipe or restaurant, we felt excited and closer to each other in the process. It was nice to feel that way again and to have a delicious snack on hand after a long day at work.