Chocolate And Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

These Chocolate And Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats take the classic marshmallow bar and make it richer, with browned butter, creamy peanut butter, and a thick layer of melted chocolate on top. It's a no-bake treat that comes together in one pot, with the same sweet and salty pull as my Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls, just in bar form. Twelve squares, fifteen minutes of prep, and this one disappears fast.

If you love a no-bake treat with crunch, this recipe has plenty of company on the site. My Spanish Chocolate Turrón Rice Krispie Treats use the same rice cereal base with a Spanish twist, while my Chocolate Haystack Cookies skip the marshmallow entirely for a lighter, crispier bite. For something a little more elegant, my Chocolate Nut Clusters swap the crunch of cereal for toasted nuts.

This recipe also holds up well on a holiday dessert tray or as a homemade gift. My Dark Chocolate Bark and Dark Chocolate Truffles are both two-ingredient options that come together just as fast, and my Peanut Butter Snickers bring that same sweet and salty peanut butter pull in a bite-sized form.

Key Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this peanut butter Rice Krispie treat:

• Butter - Browning the butter first is what gives these bars their depth. I tested this recipe with plain melted butter and with browned butter side by side, and the browned version won every time. It adds a nutty, almost caramel note that keeps the peanut butter from tasting one-note.
• Peanut Butter - Stick with a creamy, no-stir peanut butter here, not a natural one. I tested this with natural peanut butter, and the oil separation threw off the texture of the marshmallow base, making it greasy instead of smooth.
• Chocolate - Semi-sweet chocolate chips melted with a touch of vegetable oil give you a smooth, sliceable topping instead of a hard, brittle shell. I tested it without the oil and the chocolate cracked when cut instead of slicing cleanly.

See the recipe card for quantities.

Variations

• Fun toppings: You can easily vary and adjust these Rice Krispie treats by topping the chocolate with butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, chopped Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, Reece's pieces, flaky sea salt, sprinkles, or white chocolate chips.
• Try using Cocoa Krispies for an all-chocolate base and more chocolate flavor.
• You can substitute the peanut butter for almond butter to vary the flavor when you want to. 

How To Make Chocolate And Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats: Step-By-Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:

Step 1

Brown the butter in a large pot until it begins to smell nutty and has turned a golden brown.

Step 2

Stir in the peanut butter and the sweetened condensed milk, mixing until smooth and combined.

Step 3

Stir in the fresh marshmallows to the peanut butter mixture and continue to stir as they melt. Once melted, remove the pot from the heat.

Step 4

Immediately stir in the Rice Krispie cereal and mix until everything is sticky and coated.

Step 5

Pour the marshmallow mixture onto either a greased baking dish or one that has parchment paper on the bottom. Smooth it out into an even layer. 

Step 6

In a small pot, add the oil and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Over low heat, stir until melted and smooth.

Step 7

Pour the melted chocolate mixture over top of the Rice Krispie bars and let the dish sit in the refrigerator for an hour to set.

Serve immediately or cut and store them in the fridge.

Recipe Tips

• Make sure your baking dish is greased or it has a layer of parchment paper on the bottom.