These chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispies are so simple, yet so darn irresistible. They're chewy, extra gooey and packed with creamy Reese's peanut butter cups.
Chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispies are made with nutty brown butter and the perfect amount of melted marshmallows to give you the chewiest Rice Krispie treat. Loaded with my all-time favorite candy, Reese's peanut butter cups, and creamy peanut butter for the ultimate peanut butter treat!
Looking for more peanut butter recipes, then try my Rich and Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies and Peanut Butter Nutella Cookies.
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Why You'll Love These Peanut Butter Rice Krispies
- Extra gooey- This recipes has the perfect ratio of marshmallow to Rice Krispies. This gives you the best consistency and ultimate gooeyness.
- Simple to make- If you're looking for an easy no-bake dessert to whip up, then this recipe is for you. Easy to make and doesn't require a whole lot of prep.
- Brown butter- This extra step of melting the butter and cooking it until its lightly golden brown and nutty really helps elevate this dessert. Brown butter has a richer, deeper, more intense flavor than ordinary melted butter.
- Reese's peanut butter cup- As if this dessert couldn't get any better! These candies are creamy, chocolatey and lend the perfect peanut butter flavor for these bars.
Ingredient Notes For Marshmallow Treats
- Rice Krispies- I prefer Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal since it holds up very well to the melted butter and marshmallows.
- Butter- I use unsalted butter, which I melt and brown to add extra flavor to these treats.
- Marshmallows- I use mini marshmallows because they melt more quickly.
- Peanut butter- I use regular smooth peanut butter.
- Vanilla- Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Peanut butter cups- Use regular or mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Cut them into small chunks.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Dairy free. Feel free to use vegan butter. *NOTE vegan butter does not contain the same milk solids, fats and sugars as dairy milk, so it's impossible to achieve this on its own. You can either skip the browning and just melt the butter or add 1 teaspoon of cashew or almond butter into the vegan butter to help replicate the same nutty flavor. For the Reese's peanut butter cups, substitute with Chocolate Sun Cups.
- Peanut butter. Replace the peanut butter with cashew or almond butter. As mentioned above you can swap out the peanut butter cups for chocolate sunflower butter cups.
Step By Step Instructions - Rice Cereal Treats
STEP 1: Prepare pan. Grease an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
STEP 2: Brown the butter. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until little brown specks begin to settle at the bottom of the pan and the butter turns a light amber color.
STEP 3: Melt the marshmallows. Once the butter is browned, lower the heat and add the marshmallows. Continue to stir until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup peanut butter and the vanilla extract.
STEP 4: Add the Rice Krispies. Fold in the cereal until it’s evenly combined.
STEP 5: Add the peanut butter cups. Gently fold in ½ cup chopped peanut butter cups. Give it just a couple turns to prevent the chocolate from melting.
STEP 6: Pour mixture. With a spatula, pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Press gently with finger tips until completely spread out.
STEP 7: Garnish. Sprinkle remaining peanut butter cups on top and gently press with fingers. Drizzle with 2 tablespoon melted peanut butter. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.
Expert Tips
- Make sure your ingredients are all fresh. Stale Rice Krispies and old marshmallows will not give you the best tasting Rice Krispie Treats.
- Do not press your cereal bars too firmly. You want to lightly pack them inside the pan so they remain soft and chewy.
- Low and slow. Keep the heat low when browning your butter to prevent it from burning and having to start over.
- Use an 8x8 or smaller baking pan if you want thick and chewy Rice Krispie Treats.
FAQ
Gently press them into the pan. If you pack them down, they will become hard. Another contributing factor is cooking the butter/marshmallow mixture on too high heat. This will cause the sugar to caramelize resulting in the hard texture.
I do not recommend using any ingredients that are old or past their expiration, especially marshmallows. Old marshmallows become hard so I suggest using fresh, soft marshmallows when making these treats.
Absolutely! The texture will not be as smooth but there's nothing wrong with some added crunch.
How To Store Rice Krispie Treats?
Store these chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispies in an airtight container at room temperature. Store for up to 5 days.
Other Bar Recipes To Try
Try These Cookie Recipes Too!
- No Spread Sugar Cookies
- Brown Butter Sugar Cookies
- Coffee Cake Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
- Coffee Cookies
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies
Ingredients
- 1 stick Unsalted butter browned
- 10 oz Mini marshmallows
- ¼ cup + 2 tbsp Peanut butter, smooth divided
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 4 cups Rice Krispies
- 1 cup Reese's peanut butter cups cut into small pieces, divided
Instructions
- Grease an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until little brown specks begin to settle at the bottom of the pan and the butter turns a light amber color.
- Once the butter is browned, lower the heat and add the marshmallows. Continue to stir until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup peanut butter and the vanilla extract.
- Fold in the cereal until it’s evenly combined.
- Gently fold in ½ cup chopped peanut butter cups. Give it just a couple turns to prevent the chocolate from melting.
- With a spatula, pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Press gently with finger tips until completely spread out.
- Sprinkle remaining peanut butter cups on top and gently press with fingers. Drizzle with 2 tablespoon melted peanut butter. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.
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