These Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars are the easiest no-bake dessert you will ever make. They use just 5 simple ingredients and no marshmallows needed! Make them for a party, pack them as a snack, or whip them up whenever you need a quick chocolate fix.
I like to have one as an afternoon pick me up with a cup of coffee or an iced shaken espresso in the warmer months. It is the perfect thing to get me through my 3pm work slump!
15 minutes hands on
Extremely easy
Quick Look: Chocolate Peanut butter rice krispie treats
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ❄️ Chill Time: 2 hours
- 🕖 Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- 🍫🥜 Servings: 16 squares
- ⚡️ Calories: 182 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Mix ingredients and chill in the frideg
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: sprinkles, rolo candies and pretzels
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Extremely easy! This is a great recipe to make with kids using just pantry staples.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
- Quick Look: Chocolate Peanut butter rice krispie treats
- Peanut butter, chocolate and sea salt is my favorite dessert combination
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ingredient substitutions
- How to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars 🍫🥜
- Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats 🍫🥜
- Frequently Asked Questions
- storage and freezing
- Recipe
Erin left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Delicious! Just made with my two daughters this morning and simple enough they could help. All ingredients we already had on hand.”
Peanut butter, chocolate and sea salt is my favorite dessert combination
For me, there is pretty much nothing better than the peanut butter, chocolate and sea salt flavor combination. When I was little I would sneak spoonfuls of peanut butter topped with chocolate chips out of my pantry when we didn’t have any sweets around.
This recipe is a fun spin on the traditional rice krispie treat. These rice krispie bars are held together with a stick peanut butter and honey mixture instead of marshmallows..
This is the perfect treat for anyone who loves peanut butter and its even easier than the traditional rice krispie recipe because you don’t need to worry about melting marshmallows.
Looking for another rice krispie recipe? Make these brown butter rice krispie treats or these strawberry rice krispie treats.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make these peanut butter chocolate rice krispie bars with just 5 basic ingredients. Instead of using the typical butter and marshmallows, you will instead use just peanut butter and honey!
- Peanut butter – It is important to use creamy peanut butter for this recipe. Natural or drippy peanut butter has too much oil and will stop the bars from setting up properly.
- Honey – Honey acts as the binder that holds the bars together. Do not swap it for maple syrup as the bars will be too soft and will not set up the same way.
- Rice Krispies – Any crisp rice cereal will work for this recipe. I love using the Trader Joe’s crisp rice cereal but the classic Kellogg’s Rice Krispies work great too.
- Chocolate chips – Use your favorite chocolate chips here. Semi-sweet is the classic choice but dark chocolate or milk chocolate both work great depending on how sweet you like it.
- Salt – A pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled on top of the chocolate layer before chilling makes a big difference. It cuts through the sweetness and really brings out the peanut butter and chocolate flavor.
Ingredient substitutions
Not a fan of peanut butter? Use any kind of nut butter that you like. I think that almond butter or cashew butter would taste best.In place of honey you can use brown rice syrup or agave nectar. Using maple syrup will not result in the correct texture.
I like to use semi sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate topping layer, but you can also use a semi sweet chocolate bar, dark chocolate bar or milk chocolate bar.
If you don’t want to use rice krispie cereal you can use Chex or Crispex. I love how this easy recipe tastes when made with rice checks instead of crispy rice cereal. You may need to smash them into smaller pieces before mixing in the peanut butter so that the bars stick together.
How to make Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars 🍫🥜
Step 1: Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Mix honey and peanut butter together until a smooth mixture remains.
Step 2: Stir crisp rice cereal into the honey and peanut butter. Then, press this mixture into the lined pan in an even layer.
Step 3: Heat chocolate chips and a little peanut butter together until smooth. Pour melted chocolate over the rice krispie layer and smooth out.
Step 4: Sprinkle flakey sea salt over the chocolate and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. Cut chilled bares into 16 squares.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats 🍫🥜
- Use regular creamy peanut butter, not natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has too much oil and will stop the bars from holding together. A peanut butter like Jif or Skippy works best.
- Press the base layer down firmly. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or the back of a spoon to pack the Rice Krispie mixture down as tightly as you can. This helps the bars hold together when you cut them.
- Do not skip the sea salt on top. A pinch of flaky sea salt on the chocolate layer before chilling makes a big difference. It brings out the peanut butter and chocolate flavors and keeps the bars from tasting too sweet.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before cutting. The bars need a full 2 hours in the fridge to set up all the way. For the cleanest cuts, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between each slice.
If you love this flavor profile, try these flourless peanut butter brownies next!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren’t my Rice Krispie bars setting up?
This is almost always because of natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has too much oil and does not bind the bars the same way. Use a regular creamy peanut butter and make sure you press the mixture firmly into the pan before chilling.
Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Maple syrup will not work well in this recipe. The bars will be too soft and will not hold together. Use honey instead, or try brown rice syrup or agave nectar.
Can I use a different nut butter?
Yes! Almond butter or cashew butter both work great. Just make sure to use a regular version, not a natural or drippy one, for the same reason as the peanut butter tip above.
Can I freeze these bars?
Yes, these bars freeze really well! Cut them into squares first and store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before eating.
storage and freezing
These delicious chocolate peanut butter crisp rice treats can melt quickly so I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. I keep them in the refrigerator just until I am ready to eat them.
You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Cut into squares and freeze this peanut butter rice krispie bars recipe for up to 3 months. Thaw each individually in the refrigerator or at room temperature and enjoy!
Check out these other easy dessert recipes!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 tsp salt omit if your peanut butter is salted
- 2 cups rice krispie cereal – I like Traders Joe’s version
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Flakey sea salt to top
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup honey, and 1/4 tsp salt
- Once thoroughly combined add the rice crispies to the bowl and mix again
- Mix until the cereal and pb are an even mixture
- Press firmly into the pan
- Heat chocolate chips and 1 tbsp of peanut butter in the microwave or over a double boiler until the chocolate melts and the peanut butter can be easily mixed in
- Pour the chocolate over the rice krispie layer
- Season with flakey sea salt if desired
- Place in the fridge to chill until the bars are solid – at least 2 hours
- Cut the bars into 16 even squares and enjoy!
- Store the bars in the fridge and enjoy shortly after removing from the fridge because the bars will melt quickly
Recipe Notes
- You can use other types of nut butter like almond butter or cashew butter in place of the peanut butter
- You can use other types of cereal like rice chex in place of the rice krispies
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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