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Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats
Chocolate peanut butter rice krispy treats are chewy, peanut buttery and so flavorful. Easy to make, ready in about 15 minutes and perfect for parties, cookouts, or afternoon snacking! Great recipe to make with the kids too!
Combine maple syrup and peanut butter in a bowl. Microwave 1 minute or heat on the stove over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Stir well.
Add vanilla extract, salt and brown rice cereal to the large bowl. Stir well.
Add peanut butter rice krispy cereal mixture to a casserole dish. Press down firmly.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave 1 minute. Stir well until fully melted.
Pour the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter rice krispy mixture and spread it out to fully cover the cereal.
Put in the fridge (5-10 minutes) or the freezer (5 minutes) to set the chocolate.
Take out of the fridge/freezer. Let the chocolate peanut butter rice crispy mixture sit on the counter 5 minutes before cutting into squares using serrated knife.
Notes
Top tips
Be sure to heat the peanut butter and maple syrup together (in the microwave or on the stove) before adding the rest of the ingredients. Warm peanut butter is much more viscous and will easily coat the rice cereal.
Make sure you are using 100% maple syrup (not the imitation pancake syrup). The maple syrup helps the chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats stick together.
Press down the peanut butter rice crispy mixture firmly into the pan. Unlike traditional cereal treats, there is no marshmallow to keep these together, so they need to be packed firmly together.
Put the chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats in the fridge or freezer to set the chocolate layer. I recommend freezing for 10 minutes, then letting the dish sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes before cutting into the chocolate. If you try to cut the chocolate right out of the freezer, it will crack.
Use a serrated knife to cut the chocolate covered peanut butter rice krispy treats for the best results. Also use a sharp knife to go around the outside of the casserole dish to help break the chocolate away from the dish.
To make it even easier to remove the bars from the pan, you can line your baking pan with parchment or wax paper.
Use a smaller pan (8x8) to create even thicker rice krispy treats. Use a larger pan (9X13) to make thinner rice krispy treats (that would be great for little mouths).
Other additions
Freeze dried fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, banana - stir in crushed freeze-dried fruit to give a peanut butter and jelly vibe
White Chocolate instead of chocolate for the coating or add white chocolate chips to the rice krispy mixture
Sprinkles - add sprinkles to the rice crispy mix before flattening into the pan
M&M’s or Reece’s Pieces – add these to the peanut butter cereal mixture or sprinkle them on top before the chocolate sets.
Peanut butter cups – cut these into small pieces and sprinkle them over the chocolate layer before you set it to cool.
Flaky salt - add flaky salt to the chocolate before putting in the fridge/freezer to set.
Storing peanut butter rice krispy treatsThe maple syrup starts to soften the rice krispies so these bars are best when made immediately (and enjoyed within 1-4 hours). You can store these on the counter for 1-2 days.The second-best option is to store them in the freezer until you are ready to serve them. Allow the chocolate peanut butter rice crispy bars to defrost on the counter for about 30 minutes and they will be back to the same consistency and flavor as when you first made them.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
221
Fat
12
g
Carbohydrates
27
g
Fiber
2
g
Sugar
17
g
Protein
5
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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