For a delicious and no-fuss treat, make these tasty Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats. With a blend of sweet and salty flavors and a combination of gooey, crispy, and chewy textures, this is a satisfying treat that will become a favorite for peanut butter lovers.
These treats are so simple to make with a foolproof recipe. Best of all, you don’t even need to turn on your oven to prepare them!
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💚 Why You'll Love This Recipe
Take classic treats and give them a salty, nutty flavor! These Rice Krispies Treats with Peanut Butter (sometimes spelled Rice Crispy Treats) are beyond easy to make and only require one ingredient more than the classic version for the fun twist of PB flavor.
In 6 easy steps, you can quickly whip up a batch of these tasty treats. Serve them as a sweet snack or a delicious dessert. The whole family will love these gooey and satisfying peanut butter Rice Krispie bars!
And if you love easy and peanut buttery treats, you also have to try these super simple Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- butter - gives your treat bars a nice buttery flavor and helps the marshmallows form a decent consistency to stick to the cereal.
- peanut butter - adds a distinct salty, nutty, and slightly sweet flavor that takes your rice krispie treats to the next level.
- mini marshmallows - a classic ingredient in these treat bars, melting marshmallows is what helps form the bars.
- crispy rice cereal - a light cereal with a mild flavor that pairs well with sweet and salty flavors.
🔪 Instructions
- Place butter and peanut butter in a large saucepan or large pot over the stove top.
- Stir frequently until melted and combined.
- Add mini marshmallows.
- Stir until well incorporated and melted.
- Over low heat, stir the cereal into the mixture until evenly coated.
- Press in an even layer into a 8x8 prepared pan with cooking spray or butter, and allow your treats to sit for at least 2 hours to come up to room temperature.
❔ FAQs
The number one cause of hard rice krispie treats is cooking the butter and marshmallow mixture at too high a heat. You'll want to melt all of the ingredients together low and slow to ensure that the sugar in the marshmallows doesn't become tough when it cools.
As a substitute, you can use some almond butter or even more peanut butter. The consistency of the finished product may be slightly different than without the marshmallows, but the treats should still be able to hold their shape.
Too much butter can lead to soggy or greasy rice krispie treats, or they may be too loose to hold together. On the other hand, not enough butter can lead to a dry result. You may need to experiment to determine how much butter is optimal for how you like yours!
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Don't rush the melting process, use medium heat or low heat to ensure everything comes together smoothly. This will prevent burning and also prevent your peanut butter rice krispie treats from becoming too hard.
- For an even easier time getting your treats out of the pan, line with some parchment paper or wax paper.
- Fresh marshmallows will yield far superior results than old or stale ones. If you have marshmallows laying around, this probably isn't the best recipe for them! Buy a nice fresh bag for best results.
- Don't press the cereal mixture into the pan too hard, as this can lead to compact and hard treats.
📌 For a simple and foolproof dessert, make these peanut butter rice krispie bars! Great to pop into a lunchbox, to snack on for a boost in the afternoon, or as a sweet and salty post-dinner treat!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- For some extra sweetness and flavor, add a dash of vanilla extract.
- Stir extra mini marshmallows in with the cereal for fluffy pockets in your cereal treats.
- This recipe was made with smooth peanut butter in mind, but you could also try using crunchy or your favorite all natural peanut butter. Be aware that results may vary.
- Additional topping ideas: mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet chocolate chips work great) or melted chocolate, peanut butter chips, powdered sugar, colored sprinkles, butterscotch chips, flaky salt or sea salt, or a squeeze of frosting.
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Keep your rice krispies treats with peanut butter in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. As time goes on, they may get harder or stale, so be sure to enjoy them as close to fresh as possible.
You can also freeze them for up to 6 months by storing them in a freezer safe bag. Be sure to let them sit out at room temperature before eating, the freezer will make them hard!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Before chowing down on one of these peanut butter rice krispie bars, make sure you have a filling and healthy meal!
Serve these treats after you enjoy One Skillet Garlic Chicken with Rice, a Mediterranean Chicken Casserole, these quick and easy Baked Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas, or a fast and healthy Air Fryer Orange Glazed Salmon meal!
✔️ More Dessert Recipes You'll Love
- Funfetti Cupcakes with Oreos - These adorable cupcakes include a cookie surprise inside, perfect for any birthday or celebration!
- Berry Delicious Cheesecake Fluff - A unique and delicious treat that combines a fluffy sweet cheesecake base with fresh fruit.
- Homemade Apple Danish - Serve this apple danish as a breakfast or brunch treat, have a piece for an afternoon snack, or enjoy after dinner.
- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups - If you're a true peanut butter fan, this recipe from Fifteen Spatulas is right up your alley!
Rice Krispies Treats with Peanut Butter
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📋 Recipe Card
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- 10 ounces mini-marshmallows (1 bag)
- 6 cups crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
Instructions
- Prepare an 8x8 baking dish by spraying the bottom and sides with non-stick spray or rubbing with butter.
- Melt butter and peanut butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir frequently.4 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup peanut butter
- Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until melted.10 ounces mini-marshmallows
- While the saucepan is over the lowest heat setting, gently fold in the cereal until well mixed.6 cups crispy rice cereal
- Transfer the cereal mixture into the baking dish, pressing as you go to distribute the mixture evenly and compress it.
- Let the mixture sit for 2 hours or so to come to room temperature, then gently cut into 16 pieces. Use a plastic knife or small spatula to loosen around the edges if needed.
- Optional: drizzle with icing and sprinkle with some cocoa for garnish, if desired.
Notes
- 10 ounces of mini-marshmallows is about 5 ½ cups.
- This recipe was developed using Skippy creamy peanut butter. Natural or no sugar peanut butters may produce different results.
- Variations: top with mini chocolate chips, or colored sprinkles, or even coarse salt and press into the cereal mixture before it sets.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Happy cooking!
Elizabeth
This was a great recipe to make with my kids! They loved helping, and eating these Rice Krispie treats!
Ann
Love Rice Krispie bars! Adding the peanut butter is always a great choice! So delicious!
Diana Reis
I love rice krispy treats and I love peanut butter. Peanut butter makes these treats extra amazing.
Renee
These are so tasty and easy to make! Great for after-school snacking!
Holley
I love this recipe! It's always a crowd favorite!
Ned
My kids loved making these delicious treats with me! Thank you for the recipe!
Amy
These were so good! Such a tasty recipe for my peanut butter-loving self!