These 7 ingredient peanut butter rice krispie treats are so addictive! They are sweet, salty, crunchy and topped with a layer of decadent chocolate.
Just when you thought rice krispie treats couldn’t be any more delicious- we go and add two of our favorite ingredients to take them to the next level- Chocolate and peanut butter!! If you love peanut butter like we do then you will also love our no-bake peanut butter pie, chewy peanut butter blondies, and peanut butter buckeyes!
7 Ingredients Only!
These sweet, salty, crunchy treats were sort of a happy accident. I was cleaning out our pantry the other day and happened to find a bag of Rice Krispies cereal as well as a bag of mini marshmallows nearing their expiration date!
You see where this is going, right?
I so badly wanted to whip up a batch of my favorite gooey rice krispie treats, but since I can’t have dairy right now, that wasn’t really an option. Yes, you can swap out the butter for coconut oil (just like I did in this recipe), but without additional ingredients, they just don’t taste the same. They need butter, trust me.
So I grabbed some peanut butter, along with vanilla extract, sea salt, and chocolate and went to work. It took all of 15 minutes for me to make these bars… with only 7 ingredients!
How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
While these don’t require any baking, they do require a little heat
You can melt the peanut butter marshmallow mixture and the chocolate on the stovetop or in the microwave, whichever you prefer.
Simply combine a few tablespoons of coconut oil or butter in a non-stick pot place over medium-low heat. Once melted, add a full bag of mini marshmallows. Let them melt, stir them every few minutes to help speed the process along.
When the marshmallows are nice and creamy, add the peanut butter and stir it in quickly to prevent it from burning. Remove the pan from the stovetop immediately. Add a splash of vanilla and a pinch of salt. Pour in the rice krispies and stir until they are evenly coated.
Press into an 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper. This will allow you to avoid greasing the pan.
Melt 1 ½ cups of chocolate chips or chunks and spread over top. And like always, add a pinch of salt. ?
Place the bars in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping has set. This takes anywhere from 10-20 minutes. Remove the bars from the pan, cut into squares and enjoy.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats FAQs
Aren’t these know as “scotcheroos”? These are slightly different. Scotcheroos typically use corn syrup and sometimes butterscotch chips and these are good ol’ peanut butter rice krispies!
Does the texture change much when using coconut oil? The texture of melted butter and liquid coconut oil are almost identical if anything, using coconut oil would change the overall taste of the baked good.
Can I use foil if I don’t have wax or parchment paper? Using foil with this kind of recipe is taking a risk for sure because the sticky marshmallows will stick to the foil and will not come off easily. If you don’t have wax or parchment paper I suggest greasing a glass dish really well.
Can I use almond butter or another nut butter? Yes, you can substitute any nut butter for peanut butter!
How to Store Rice Krispie Treats
- These can get hard and not fun after 2 days at room temperature. To prevent this I recommend wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap or have them in an air-tight Ziploc bag.
- You can freeze them in layers separated by wax paper for up to 6 weeks. When you want to consume them let them thaw at room temperature for 15ish minutes.
These 7 ingredient peanut butter rice krispie treats are so addictive! They are sweet, salty, crunchy and topped with a layer of decadent chocolate. If your home is anything like ours, they will disappear in no time! We’re obsessed!!
Other Rice Krispie Treat Recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coconut oil - or unsalted butter
- 1 (16 oz) bag mini marshmallows
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp coarse kosher sea salt - + more from topping
- 5 cup crispy rice cereal - white or brown
- 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks* - or bittersweet chips
Instructions
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment or wax paper; set aside.
- In a large nonstick pot set over medium-low heat, add the oil or butter. Once melted, add the mini marshmallows. Stir every minute or so until they have melted completely.
- Stir in the peanut butter, then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Mix until thoroughly combined. Fold in the rice cereal and coat evenly.
- With a rubber spatula, stir continuously until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press it with the spatula to create an even layer.
- In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate until smooth. Spread over the top of the bars. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 10–20 minutes before cutting and serving.
These are a big miss for me. They were rock hard immediately after pressing into the pan. The chocolate on top hadn’t yet set when I cut them (over 45 minutes) and the squares were so hard. I would argue not edible. I don’t think a recipe should need to be microwaved to eat, especially when it’s as fresh as these are. I will likely toss the batch, a real bummer and waste!
Hi Laura,
Ugh, that’s frustrating—thanks for the detailed feedback. Based on your description, it sounds like a couple things may have gone wrong.
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Why They Turned Out Hard:
1. Overcooked Marshmallow Mixture:
o If the marshmallows were cooked over too high a heat or cooked too long, they can turn into a stiff, candy-like mixture instead of a soft, chewy one.
o Fix: Cook over low heat and remove from heat as soon as the marshmallows melt. Don’t let it bubble or cook further after adding the peanut butter.
2. Too Little Fat or Moisture:
o Coconut oil or butter helps soften the texture. If your tablespoon measurements were on the small side (or if you packed the cereal in too tightly when measuring it), the mixture could dry out.
o Fix: Use a full 3 tablespoons of fat and ensure you don’t overpack the measuring cup for the cereal.
3. Peanut Butter Type:
o If you used a very dry or natural peanut butter (especially one that separates), it can make the bars dense and dry.
o Fix: Use a creamy, emulsified peanut butter like Skippy or Jif—not the kind that requires stirring.
4. Pressing the Bars Too Firmly:
o It’s tempting to press them in hard to make a neat layer, but over-compressing can make them rock solid.
o Fix: Press gently and evenly into the pan, just enough to level it.
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Chocolate Not Setting After 45 Minutes?
• If you used a thick layer of chocolate or the room was warm, that could delay setting.
• Fix: You can place the tray in the fridge or freezer for 10–15 minutes to help it set faster.
• Also, check the type of chocolate—some chips (especially dairy-free ones) take longer to firm up.
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Tips to Make Them Softer Next Time:
• Use low heat and watch the marshmallow stage like a hawk.
• Try reducing the cereal to 4½ cups instead of 5 to keep the ratio a bit gooier.
• Add 1–2 tablespoons of milk or cream to the melted marshmallows if you like an extra soft bite.
• If making again, let the chocolate fully set before cutting—even if that means a chill in the fridge.
Not sure what happened but I followed the directions and used your ingredients and the bars are delicious but they are rock hard! I broke a metal knife trying to cut them! (once I chipped some pieces out I microwaved them each for about 15 sec to make them easier to eat).` I did use a non-name brand of mini-marshallows since the name-brand only came in a 10 oz bag.
Note also that items 3 & 4 both state to add vanilla and salt (I only did at step 3).
Hi Jean, these are a little stiffer than the non-peanut butter version. Using the microwave helps as well as keeping them well wrapped to keep them from drying out. Thanks for the note on steps 3 and 4 – I have fixed that in the recipe.