Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are sure to be a family favorite! This Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bar Recipe is marshmallow-free made with brown crisp rice cereal, peanut butter, and honey. Finished with a chocolate topping, because chocolate and peanut butter are perfection together!
If you love chocolate and peanut butter together as much as I do, be sure to check out Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie, Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.
One of my earliest memories of a sleepover at a friend's house included making homemade rice krispie treats. I remember laughing and giggling and thinking we were so grown up that her mom let us make the classic no-bake treat all by ourselves.
And truly, to this day, I have a hard time resisting a soft rice krispie treat, just like I have a hard time passing up chocolate.
Put the two together and an IRRESISTIBLE treat is created.
You guys know I have a serious love for peanut butter already, with my Peanut Butter Banana Bars, Peanut Butter Banana Sushi, and even Peanut Butter Coffee. I also love to switch out overly processed food to make classic recipes a bit healthier.
So it was a pretty obvious choice for me to lose the marshmallows in rice krispie treats and replace them with peanut butter and honey. The chocolate addition is just because everything is better with chocolate, right?!
These rice krispie treats are rich with peanut butter, perfectly sweet from the honey, and gooey just like traditional rice krispie bars. They are truly spectacular--and totally better than the original recipe!
Notes on Ingredients
- Brown Crisp Rice Cereal--this can be harder to find, so regular old crisp rice cereal works, you just lose the whole grains that brown rice cereal provides.
- Peanut Butter--use all natural, creamy style peanut butter. You can use regular peanut butter, but keep in mind that has added oils and often added sugars.
- Honey--I love the way honey and peanut butter pair together and the honey helps to sweeten these bars up naturally. You can use agave syrup if you need these to be vegan friendly.
- Chocolate--Melted chocolate tops off these peanut butter rice krispie bars to take them over the top, but is totally optional. Use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate. You can also use dairy-free chocolate if needed.
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars
- Measure out the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt and mix well.
- Measure the rice cereal and pour into the peanut butter mixture.
- Stir the cereal into the peanut butter mixture until the cereal is well coated.
- Pat down the bars into a greased or parchment or wax paper lined pan.
Chocolate Topping
You can totally stop right there and have delicious peanut butter rice cereal bars.....or you can take the extra step to add a layer of chocolate.
Simply melt chocolate chunks or chocolate chips in the microwave, by heating chocolate in intervals, 20 to 30 seconds, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and has a smooth consistency. Then pour over the peanut butter rice krispies and spread out.
Pro-Tip: Be sure your peanut butter rice krispie treats are hardened before icing with chocolate, or it will be quite a mess! Pop the rice krispies in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and then ice with chocolate.
Serving and Storing
- Let bars cool completely and then slice into squares.
- Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Rice Krispie Treats DO NOT freeze well.
Notes on Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars
- Use dairy-free dark chocolate and agave syrup in place of the honey for Vegan Rice Krispie Treats.
- If you don't have parchment paper to line your pan with, grease well with butter or coconut oil.
- I like to use a leftover dark chocolate bar, chopped up to melt if I have it in place of chocolate chips.
- Be sure your crisp rice is certified gluten-free to make these Gluten Free Rice Krispie Treats.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie
- Peanut Butter Pancakes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- dash of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups brown rice crisp cereal
- 2 cups dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cover an 8x8 pan with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
- Heat honey and peanut butter up for 30 seconds and then stir in vanilla and salt until smooth. Stir in cereal until just coated.
- Pour into prepared pan and gently flatten out. Place the treats into the fridge to harden before ICING with chocolate for 10-15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted.
- Pour chocolate over cereal mixture and spread out with the back of a spoon.
- Allow to set up in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove from fridge and cut into squares.
Notes
- Substitute agave syrup for the honey and use dairy free chocolate for a vegan rice krispie treat.
- Be sure your peanut butter rice krispie treats are hardened before icing with chocolate, or it will be quite a mess!
- Store in sealed container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
Ksenia
These bars look super yum! I just wanted to say though; while the honey is easily subbed out, it is not a vegan ingredient. Please consider either amending the recipe, or labelling it vegetarian instead of vegan. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe! 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Ksenia--good catch. I updated the recipe to please vegans Enjoy--these are scrumptious!
Sarah
Yum! These sound great! Thanks for linking up to the Blogger Brags pinterest party. I have pinned your post to the Blogger Brags pinterest board.
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you Sarah!
cuteheads
Found you through the linkup! These look AMAZING. Must make them! I'm gluten free and would love them as much as my kiddo.
Kristen Chidsey
I could have eaten the whole pan myself--you will love these!
Christine
Great way to cut down on the sugar! Love it, Kristen! Thanks for linking up at #SaucySaturdays.
Kristen Chidsey
You bet Christine!
swayam
Ditto here!!baby D is my constant helper in the kitchen.esp when I am baking or its something with eggs! These sound so good .. I am going to have to try this! Thanks for linking up at #SaucySaturdays
Kristen Chidsey
You bet!! My kids beg me to let them crack the eggs as well 🙂
Lisa Sharp
I'm allergic to peanuts but I bet sunflower seed butter would work with these! They sound delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
It would be great with sunflower butter!
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
I could eat a pan of these treats myself!!
One of my all time favorites~
Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
Kristen Chidsey
I may be able to eat 2 trays 😉
Catherine
Dear Kristen, what a fantastic idea to use honey and peanut butter to bind the krispies..I love your variation! These look wonderful. I used to love krispie treats more than my kids...still do! I have to try this next time. xo, Catherine
Kristen Chidsey
Trust me Catherine, these will be your new favorite!!!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious
Chocolate & peanut butter are always a winning combo! P.S. love the book analogy!
Kristen Chidsey
Winning combo for sure!!