Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisps

Your first bite of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisps will have you hooked. A perfect combination of crunch paired with the taste of chocolate and peanut butter that just melts in your mouth!

I tend to make these around the holiday time because they’re always a hit to share with family and friends. During the holiday season, I swap out the regular Rice Krispies for the colourful red, white and green version. They look so pretty this way on a cookie platter.

But certainly these Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars don’t have to wait for the Holiday season to be eaten any Rice Krispies will do even the new brown rice Rice Krispies.

If you’re a cookie hound like me, be sure to check out my Raspberry Jam Cookies that also look amazing on a cookie platter! 

With just six simple ingredients, you’re going to see why I love these tasty dessert squares very soon! 

Ingredients and Substitutions 

All you need are these chocolate peanut butter rice Krispy treat ingredients to get started! It couldn’t be easier! 

Natural Peanut Butter – I like to use creamy because it creates a smooth and rich texture. Natural peanut butter is also what I would recommend because it has less sugar and the honey in this recipe makes the squares sweet enough.

Vanilla – Adding pure vanilla extract adds so much flavor. 

Rice Krispies – Measure out and add them in. You can even use coloured crispies if you want to change it up. 

Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Any type of chocolate chips could be used as an option. 

Salted peanuts – Be sure that they’re skinless.

Honey – This is used to mix with the peanut butter and adds sweetness and is also a binding agent to hold other ingredients together. Maple syrup could also be used. 

Can I use crunchy peanut butter? 

Yes, you can. It’s still going to be delicious, but it will add a different texture to the outcome of the dessert bars. 

How to make Peanut Butter Crisps

1. Grab a pot and melt the peanut butter and the honey on low heat on the stove. They need to be melted together and blended. Let the mixture cool a bit. The heat just helps the honey melt into the peanut butter to make it easier to mix together. 

2. Once combined, add the salt and the vanilla. (You are only going to add salt if you use UNSALTED peanuts).

3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and then add the Rice Krispies, chocolate chips, and peanuts. 

4. Mix well to get everything combined and coated in the chocolate and peanut butter mixture. 

5. Line a glass pan (8″X8″) with parchment paper and spoon the mixture into the pan. Use the back of a spoon to press it down and make it flat and level. Place the pan in the fridge to cool. 

6. Once cooled, you can remove it from the fridge, and start to cut the chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats into squares. 

Variations 

• Use other nut butter – You can use almond butter, cashew butter – or even use a nut-free alternative as well. 
• Change the nuts – If you don’t want to add peanuts, you can use almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts also.
• Add a topping – Melt some of the extra chocolate chips and then drizzle the chocolate over the top! 
• Change the type of chocolate – White chocolate or dark chocolate are both yummy options. 
• Get festive – Change the color of the rice Krispies to add a fun holiday flair. During Christmas, they sell red and green ones at the store. 

Why are my squares brown and messy looking?

It’s important to be sure to let the peanut butter mixture cool slightly after it’s heated and also not to overmix the chocolate chips. As they melt, they will spread on their own, and if you stir too much, this will create a mess to have to deal with and clean up. 

How do I stop the mixture from sticking to the pan?

I always line my pan with parchment paper because I HATE dealing with cleaning up messes. The parchment paper makes it a breeze to clean up because you literally just have to take it out of the pan and throw the paper in the trash.

If you don’t have parchment paper or don’t care to use it, you can also rub butter on the pan before adding the mixture. This doesn’t guarantee that it won’t stick, but it should help. 

Is peanut butter Good for you? 

As long as you’re eating it in moderation, there are a lot of great health benefits that peanut butter and peanuts can offer. 

They’re a great source of protein, which is perfect for fueling your body with energy and also helping you feel and stay fuller throughout the day so that you’re less likely to snack. 

Peanut butter is also considered a healthy fat which is just better overall for the health and performance of your body. Healthy fats can help your heart be healthier, which is definitely a great benefit.

The downside of eating a ton of peanut butter is that it’s high in fat and calories. I don’t recommend sitting and eating a jar of peanut butter every day, but having a treat like this with a small amount added in is never a bad idea! 

What other ingredients can be added? 

If you want to shake things up a bit, you can add in some other ingredients like chopped pretzels or even some fun and festive holiday sprinkles. 

Just know that anything that you add that goes off the script of the printable recipe below changes the nutritional value as well. 

Leftovers and Storage 

Leftovers are a breeze to store! Simply add a lid to your pan, and leave them at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. 

If you want to freeze them, you can do that as well. Wrap the squares in saran wrap and then store them in a freezer-safe bag. (I do think that these are best eaten fresh!) 

Freezing them in serving sizes also helps with portion control and temptation! 

More Dessert Bar Recipes 

Healthy Granola Bars 

Strawberry Crumble Bars

Salted Caramel Brookies

Date Squares

For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Crisps Story.