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Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats are an easy no-bake dessert you can stir together with just 4 simple ingredients. They taste better than the kind made with marshmallows!
Just like making homemade granola bars, you can also customize these rice crispy treats by melting some dark chocolate chips and spreading the melted chocolate on top.
I also like to add a sprinkle of sea salt to make the flavor pop!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Crispy rice cereal gives these bars their famous crunchy texture. Rice Krispies cereal is slightly lighter and crispier than brown rice cereal, so you may prefer the texture of these treats when you use the popular name brand.
However, that particular cereal is NOT gluten-free because it’s made with malt flavoring. (Which is derived from barley.) If you need a gluten-free recipe, choose another crispy rice cereal that is labeled gluten-free.
Paired with creamy peanut butter, honey, and salt, these treats are easy to prepare. Feel free to use any other nut butter you prefer!
How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
This recipe moves fast, so be sure to measure everything out before you get started.
Prepare an 8-inch square baking dish by lightly spraying it with cooking spray, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom. The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, so it won’t wiggle around as you work. This will make the bars easy to remove later.
Add the cereal to a large mixing bowl, so it’s ready to go for the next step. Have the ½ cup of peanut butter measured and the salt nearby, too.
Then add the honey to a small saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, and bring it to a boil. As soon as you see bubbles around the edges of the pan, set a timer for 1 minute.
It’s okay if the honey bubbles significantly, but turn down the heat when the bubbles start to rise toward the top of the pot. You don’t want it to boil over!
When the timer goes off, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in the peanut butter and salt with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
Pour the hot peanut butter mixture over the cereal in the mixing bowl. Stir well, until the cereal is evenly coated.
Work quickly, as the peanut butter mixture will start to harden as it cools, and will become more difficult to stir. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly until the bars are in a flat even layer.
To make chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats, melt 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (either in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove) and spread the melted chocolate over the top. It will harden as the bars cool.
Sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the top, if you’d like.
Let these healthy rice crispy treats cool completely by placing them in the fridge or freezer. It usually takes about 1 hour in the freezer, or 2 hours in the fridge for them to cool completely.
Slice the cooled peanut butter rice crispy treats into 16 bars and enjoy. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. (But I doubt they will last that long before you eat them!)
Peanut butter rice krispies treats will become softer when you store them at room temperature, so for the firmest results, keep them chilled.
Safety Tip
When serving these peanut butter treats to a crowd, please label them for those who may have peanut allergies to avoid a tragic story like this one.
Looking for more healthy desserts? Try Flourless Chocolate Cake, Banana Mug Cake, or Freezer Fudge for more delicious options.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
- 3 cups crispy rice cereal
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Optional Topping:
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Spray an 8-inch square pan with oil and press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan. The oil will hold the parchment in place, so it won't wiggle around later. Since this recipe moves quickly, go ahead and add the measured cereal to a large mixing bowl, so it's ready to go later.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the honey to a boil. As soon as it's bubbling, set a timer for 1 minute and let it boil until the timer goes off. Turn down the heat if the honey starts to bubble towards the top of the pan.
- When the timer goes off, remove the honey from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and salt. As soon as the mixture is smooth, pour it over the cereal in the large mixing bowl. Stir well, until the cereal is well coated. It will start to thicken up as it cools, and will be very sticky.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and press firmly to pack the cereal into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the fridge or freezer, so the bars can cool completely. When they are totally cool, they are ready to slice and serve, unless you'd like to add the chocolate topping below.
- For a chocolate-topped bar, melt a 1/2 cup (or more for a thicker layer) of dark chocolate chips in the microwave, or over a double-boiler. When the chocolate is melted, spread it over the top of the bars and place the pan in the freezer briefly, just until the chocolate is hardened. Then the bars are ready to slice and serve.
- Leftover rice crispy treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, but they will become slightly softer over time. For the crispiest results, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Video
Notes
Use a different nut butter: Almond butter or sunflower butter will also work in this recipe if you prefer. Make it Vegan: replace the honey with maple syrup. Update Note: This recipe was updated in June 2024 to use slightly less cereal and improve the overall flavor and texture. You can find the original recipe here.
Nutrition
If you try this Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
So yummy!
Thanks Meagan 🙂 made these for the second time this month now. I used about 1/3 honey and the rest maple syrup and liked the taste/sweetness better this time. They cut and hold shape well if kept in the fridge.
This is our go-to dessert almost weekly. It’s so easy and yummy! I use all the ingredients recommended, including the 365 rice cereal. It’s definitely the best I’ve found (better nutrition label than Trader Joe’s brand of the same). Favorite peanut butter is Kirkland organic. Just peanuts and some salt as ingredients. I use Nestle organic dark chocolate chips. We keep this in the refrigerator and the kids love it as their treat!
Seriously, one of my most favorite recipes for years.
Oops! I meant to say I’ve been using the version with 4 cups of rice cereal for years. With 3 cups, it’s more gooey, and with 4 cups more crispy, which my family prefers.
I know there’s a note about swapping out the honey for maple syrup, but has anyone tried agave?? I’m making these for a large vegan audience and agave is just much cheaper 😉 Thanks for any advice.
I haven’t tried these with agave, but my guess is that it would work. Please report back if you try it!
This is just soo good. I’ve been making it almost weekly for my kids for a couple of years and they would happily eat it every meal. It’s delicious, super easy to make and usually have all ingredients on hand. Total winner! (As are all your recipes I’ve tried. Thank you!)
Made these today and they turned out great! Thank you for linking the Rice Krispies that you used. I was hoping to add freeze dried strawberries next time!! Has anyone tried this? If so, please include how much!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I just slid 2 smaller baking pans into the freezer. I melted dark chocolate. Stretched it thin the cover all the krispies mixture. Can’t wait for the hour to pass. Yay!