Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Name: Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons salted butter, (room temperature, divided); ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter, (I used Peter Pan brand); 10 ounce bag marshmallows; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal; 2 cups milk chocolate chips, (approximately 1½ (11.5-ounce bags))

Add peanut butter and a layer of chocolate on top, and you'll have these amazing peanut butter Rice Krispie treats to add to your afternoon snack rotation.

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Table of Contents

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients
How to Make This Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
How To Serve
Storage
More Recipes You’ll Love
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These delicious peanut butter Rice Krispie treats will knock your socks off! We take classic Rice Krispie squares to the next level by adding creamy peanut butter to the mixture and topping the squares off with a layer of rich and decadent chocolate.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats raw ingredients that are labeled

You’ll need:

5 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature, divided
⅔ cup creamy peanut butter (I used Peter Pan brand)
10-ounce bag of marshmallows
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 cups milk chocolate chips (approximately 1½ (11.5-ounce) bags)

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

BUTTER: If you do not keep salted butter on hand in your kitchen, you can add ½ teaspoon of salt to the melted marshmallow mixture. The salt helps to balance the sweetness of the marshmallows.

PEANUT BUTTER: I do not suggest using fresh or natural peanut butter for this recipe as they tend to have a lot of excess peanut oil. This extra oil will alter the texture of your Rice Krispie treats. I used the Peter Pan brand, but your favorite standard brand will work well. You can even use chunky peanut butter for a fun texture if you desire.

CHOCOLATE: I like the combination of milk chocolate and peanut butter for this easy recipe, but you can certainly substitute semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead if that is your preference.

How to Make This Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can cut this recipe in half and make them in an 8×8 square pan if this recipe makes too many. That is never the issue in my house, so I often will double the recipe. These keep great in the refrigerator and, when packed in your child’s lunch, will be perfectly chewy and delicious by the time they get to eat them.

STEP ONE: Butter a 9×13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the salted butter. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large sauce pot on medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of salted butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows. Stir often to avoid burning the melted marshmallows. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes.

salted butter peanut butter and marshmallows stirred in a pan

STEP THREE: Remove the large pot from the heat and stir the vanilla extract and Rice Krispie cereal into the melted marshmallow and peanut butter mixture.

vanilla extract and rice krispie cereal added to the marshmallow mixture and stirred in a pot

STEP FOUR: Stir to incorporate all the ingredients evenly.

PRO TIP:

You can spray your hands, spatula, or wooden spoon with a little bit of cooking spray so that the gooey mixture doesn’t stick when you are mixing it.

STEP FIVE: Spread the peanut butter Rice Krispie mixture into the prepared pan and gently press it into an even layer. Do not pack the mixture into the dish too tightly. This will ensure that your Rice Krispie treats are light and chewy.

peanut butter rice krispie mixture spread into the baking dish

STEP SIX: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the milk chocolate chips for 1 minute at 50% power, stir and heat in additional 30-second increments until completely melted. Stir the melted chocolate until completely smooth. Be sure not to overheat the milk chocolate chips, or they will seize up and be unusable.

PRO TIP:

When melting your chocolate chips, be very careful not to overheat them in the microwave. If your microwave has a “melt” preset, then you can use that according to your microwave’s manual. You can also melt them on the stovetop in a small saucepan on medium-low heat or in a double boiler. Use the method that works best for you.

STEP SEVEN: Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the dish of peanut butter Rice Krispies.

melted chocolate spread over the rice krispies

STEP EIGHT: Allow the peanut butter Rice Krispie treats to chill for 30 minutes, or up to an hour, to allow the chocolate to firm up before slicing and serving.

PRO TIP:

Once the chocolate layer has firmed up, you can slice your peanut butter Rice Krispies into single servings and store them in a lidded rectangular container. I would suggest you place a piece of parchment paper between the layers of Rice Krispie treats to avoid them from sticking to each other.

let Rice Krispies firm up before serving

How To Serve

Whip up a batch of these ooey-gooey treats for all the peanut butter lovers in your life. They would make a delicious afternoon snack along with a creamy chocolate milkshake or Wendy’s Frosty.

Our original Rice Krispie treats are always a winner, while our Fruity Pebbles treats are a fun twist on the classic.

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Storage

ON THE COUNTER: You can store the Rice Krispie treats with peanut butter in a covered container on the counter for up to 4 days for the freshest texture.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store in the refrigerator for up to one week. If you are storing your easy peanut butter Rice Krispie treats in the refrigerator, then I would allow them to come to room temperature before serving so that their texture is chewy and not hard.

IN THE FREEZER: I do not recommend freezing this peanut butter Rice Krispie treat recipe.

overhead shot of Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats on a wooden board with some krispies split in half

A handful of simple ingredients elevates a classic treat to the next level of deliciousness. These treats include the addition of peanut butter and decadent chocolate to make this a confection that no one will be able to resist.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why are my peanut butter Rice Krispie bars hard?

Getting the marshmallow and butter mixture too hot can lead to your peanut butter chocolate Rice Krispie treats getting too hard. Also, if you don’t use fresh marshmallows or butter, it can impact your treats.

How do you keep homemade Rice Krispies treats from sticking together?

Store any leftover chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container or bag in between sheets of wax paper to help keep each square from sticking to the others.

How do I mix the marshmallows and cereal without it sticking to everything?

You can dampen your hands and spatula with water or spray both with cooking spray to help avoid the mixture sticking to you.

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Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

5 from 27 votes

Add peanut butter and a layer of chocolate on top, and you'll have these amazing peanut butter Rice Krispie treats to add to your afternoon snack rotation.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings

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Ingredients

5 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature, divided
⅔ cup creamy peanut butter, I used Peter Pan brand
10 ounce bag marshmallows
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 cups milk chocolate chips, approximately 1½ (11.5-ounce bags)

Instructions

Butter a 9×13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the salted butter. Set aside.
In a large sauce pot on medium-low heat, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of salted butter, peanut butter, and marshmallows. Stir often to avoid burning the melted marshmallows. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the large pot from the heat and stir the vanilla extract and rice Krispie cereal into the melted marshmallow mixture.
Stir to incorporate all the ingredients evenly.
Spread the peanut butter Rice Krispie mixture into the prepared dish and gently press it into an even layer. Do not pack the mixture into the dish too tightly. This will ensure that your rice Krispie treats are light and chewy.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the milk chocolate chips for 1 minute at 50% power, stir and heat in additional 30-second increments until completely melted. Stir the melted chocolate until completely smooth. Be sure not to overheat the milk chocolate chips, or they will seize up and be unusable.
Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the dish of peanut butter rice Krispies.
Allow the peanut butter Rice Krispie treats to chill for 30 minutes, or up to an hour, to allow the chocolate to firm up before slicing and serving.

Notes

You can cut this recipe in half and make them in an 8×8 square pan if this recipe makes too many. That is never the issue in my house, so I often will double the recipe. These keep great in the refrigerator and, when packed in your child’s lunch, will be perfectly chewy and delicious by the time they get to eat them.
You can spray your hands, spatula, or wooden spoon with a little bit of cooking spray so that the gooey mixture doesn’t stick when you are mixing it.
When melting your chocolate chips, be very careful not to overheat them in the microwave. If your microwave has a “melt” preset, then you can use that according to your microwave’s manual. You can also melt them on the stovetop in a small saucepan on medium-low heat or in a double boiler. Use the method that works best for you.
Once the chocolate layer has firmed up, you can slice your peanut butter Rice Krispies into single servings and store them in a lidded rectangular container. I would suggest you place a piece of parchment paper between the layers of Rice Krispie treats to avoid them from sticking to each other.

Nutrition

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Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients

How to Make This Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

How To Serve

Peeps Rice Krispie Squares

Ranch Chex Mix

Storage

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