Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Bars (No-Bake)

This a convenient dessert to make since no making is involved. Amy Dong

View the print-ready version of this recipe.

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

Amy Dong

• 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

1. Grease a 9×13 baking pan and set aside. Place cereal in a large bowl.
2. 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.
3. In a cleaned-out saucepan, melt the chocolate and peanut butter morsels over low heat.
4. 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.

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.

Amy Dong

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins Cook Time: 5 minutes mins Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Makes 25 bars

• 1 cup pure honey
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups peanut butter, creamy natural
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal, dry
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
• 2 cups peanut butter morsels
• 2/3 cup peanut butter cups, chopped

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.