Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Bars (No-Bake)
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Sep. 5, 2024
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Bars (No-Bake) are the perfect blend of chewy, crispy bars, loaded with peanut butter, and a dreamy layer of chocolate on top. They’re easy, make-ahead, and ridiculously tempting.
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
Here’s why this fan-favorite recipe is one of our favorite recipes with peanut butter:
- Easy Ingredients: This recipe uses pantry staples like honey, sugar, peanut butter, and chocolate that you likely already have at home, just like our Peanut Butter Brownies.
- Creamy and Chewy: They’re loaded with crispy rice cereal and creamy peanut butter! Pure honey adds a slight chewiness which takes them to the next level!
- No-Bake: No turning on the oven for this one! This is the perfect recipe for those hot summer months, like our 5-Ingredient No Bake Protein Bars.
- Keeps Really Well: You can make these ahead of time, making them the perfect dessert for busy days or special occasions. It reminds us of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars!
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Dry Crispy Rice Cereal – This is the main ingredient that gives the bars their crispy texture. Make sure to use a good quality, crispy rice cereal for the best results.
- Creamy Natural Peanut Butter – The peanut butter adds a delicious flavor and acts as a binder for the bars, holding everything together.
- Semisweet Chocolate Morsels and Peanut Butter Morsels – We use these to make the chocolate peanut butter topping. Make sure to use good-quality morsels for the best flavor.
- Chopped Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – These are optional, but highly recommended for a little extra peanut butter chocolate goodness.
Substitutions And Variations
Here are our favorite substitutions and variations:
- Nut Butter: If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, feel free to substitute it with almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut or seed butter you like. Or try our Award Winning Almond Bars!
- Chocolate Morsels: Try mixing things up up with dark chocolate, butterscotch morsels, or even white chocolate morsels, like we do in these Chocolate Turtles.
- Mix-Ins: This recipe is totally changeable. Add any other chopped nuts or seeds instead of nuts. Fun flavors of M&M’s would be fantastic, too.
Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside. Place cereal in a large bowl.
- In a saucepan, combine honey and sugar and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and immediately stir in peanut butter. Pour this mixture over the cereal and press it evenly into the pan.
- In a cleaned-out saucepan, melt the chocolate and peanut butter morsels over low heat.
- Spread this mixture over the cereal mixture in the pan and sprinkle the chocolate peanut butter cups on top. Chill until set and cut into bars.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How To Prep Ahead
Take a look at our favorite prep ahead tips and strategies:
- Make Ahead Entirely: You can easily make these ahead of time. Follow the recipe, then cover and chill the bars until they are set. You can do this a day or two in advance.
- Freeze For Later: You can also make and freeze these crispy bars in an airtight container for up to three months. Allow them to thaw in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Commonly Asked Questions
How do I cut the bars into neat squares?
Make sure the bars are fully chilled and set to get clean, even cuts. Then, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between each cut. This will give you perfectly shaped bars without a messy appearance.
Why do I need to add sugar if I’m already using honey?
We use sugar to give the bars a bit of a firmer texture. Using honey alone would result in a chewier, softer texture.
How long do no-bake peanut butter chocolate crispy bars keep?
These bars can be kept at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars. The name says it all. Bite into a chewy, crispy bar that’s loaded with peanut butter and nestled under a dreamy layer of chocolate. Easy, make-ahead recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pure honey
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups peanut butter, creamy natural
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal, dry
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
- 2 cups peanut butter morsels
- ⅔ cup peanut butter cups, chopped
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 baking pan with oil and set aside. Place cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
- In a large heavy saucepan, combine honey and sugar over medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn off heat. Immediately add the peanut butter, stirring until well combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape mixture into the bowl of cereal. Stir until fully incorporated. Press mixture evenly into bottom and corners of greased pan.
- In the same saucepan (cleaned out,) combine the chocolate morsels and peanut butter morsels, over low heat, and continually stir until smooth and melted.
- Spread melted chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the crisp rice mixture in pan, smoothing out evenly. Evenly sprinkle on the chocolate peanut butter cups. When bars reach room temp, cover and chill until set.
- Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
- Tip: It works well to use clean, damp/slightly wetted fingers for pressing mixture firmly into the pan.
- When adding the peanut butter to the hot honey and sugar mixture, be sure to do it immediately after turning off the heat. This will make it easier to mix and ensure that the peanut butter is evenly incorporated.
- While spreading the melted chocolate and peanut butter mixture, work quickly to ensure a smooth and even layer.
- If your room temp is warm, it’s best to keep bars chilled at all times until ready to serve.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 3mg
More to Cook And Eat
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bars – Creamy, fudgy peanut butter. Rich chocolate. Salty pretzel bits throughout. Meet these dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars.
- Peanut Butter Blossoms – All peanut butter chocolate lovers have to try these peanut butter kiss cookies (peanut butter blossoms.) They are wonderfully satisfying and happen to be gluten-free.
- Coconut Peanut Butter Cereal Bars – These Coconut Peanut Butter Cereal Bars pack a nutritious punch for the morning or afternoon pick-me-up.
- Flourless Peanut Butter ‘n Chocolate Cookies – These gluten-free peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips are always a hit, as they’re soft and chewy and boast big peanut butter + chocolate flavors.