These Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars with Dark Chocolate are made with crispy rice cereal and a blend of nuts and seeds with a drizzle of dark chocolate.
Rice crispy treats have always been a favorite in my family and growing up my mom would make a batch for most special occasions. She was very experimental and would typically incorporate some new ingredient, whether it be m&ms, skittles, sprinkles, chocolate chips, or peanut butter.
My way of eating has changed so much from when I was younger. Although I do enjoy the taste of a traditional rice crispy treat every once in a while, I prefer this new twist on the classic dessert made with more wholesome ingredients and an extra boost of fiber and protein.
These bars use sprouted brown rice cereal, a mixture of nuts & seeds, and are bound together with a honey and peanut butter “caramel.” A drizzle of dark chocolate tops it off and takes these from tasty snack to a decadent treat. They’re like the adult rice crispy treat. 😉
The nice thing about these treats is that you can easily substitute different ingredients to add a variety of flavors. Use almond butter instead of peanut butter, a different nut or dried berry instead of the almonds, or omit the nuts all together. Any variation you decide on is sure to be equally as delicious. Enjoy!
- 4 cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
- 1 cup Almonds
, peanuts, or other nut, roughly chopped (can also omit and use extra rice cereal)
- 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal
- ¾ cup Honey
or brown rice syrup
- ⅓ cup Natural Peanut Butter
or almond butter
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup Dark Chocolate
, chips or a roughly chopped bar
- 2 teaspoons Coconut Oil
- Flaked Sea Salt
, optional (unless using salted peanut butter)
- Place a sheet of wax paper (or plastic wrap) into a 9x9 pan (an 8x8 pan can be used too, but bars will be thicker) and set aside.
- Into a large bowl, mix together the rice cereal, nuts, chia seeds, and flaxseed meal. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat honey over medium-low heat until it comes to a low boil. Continue to boil for about 1 minute, or until it reaches the firm ball stage on a candy thermometer, about 250ºF.
- Remove from heat and mix in peanut butter and a pinch of salt.
- Pour honey peanut butter mixture over the cereal mix in the bowl and gently stir to combine, making sure to coat all dry ingredients evenly.
- Transfer mixture into the prepared parchment lined pan and spread across evenly. Use your hands or the bottom of a glass to press the mixture into the pan, getting the sides and corners well. Cover and place pan into the fridge for 10-15 minutes or until firm.
- Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut bars evenly. You can get 12-16 bars, depending on how large you cut them. Slightly separate the bars on the parchment paper so that you can drizzle the chocolate over the top.
- Into a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and coconut oil and place on the stove over medium-low heat. Stir often until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the bars and top with flaked sea salt if desired.
These bars have all my favorite things!! Love these!
I am completely sold, Joscelyn. I think any kind of bars may be the perfect, perfect food. Crunchy peanut butter + dark chocolate. Nothing can beat this droolicious combo. Yours looks scrumptious! Need to try them soon! 🙂
Oh yes please! These bars look absolutely delicious!
I love your wholesome twists on classic desserts! My mom used to make those crispy bars when I was young too, but not so much anymore.
These bars look absolutely delicious, and I wouldn’t feel bad at all if I ate the whole tray in one sitting!
This looks so good!! Would have loved these as a kid, but I’m sure I’d love them even more as an adult! With the honey and PB, I feel like it would almost taste like a Honey Nut Cheerios crispy bar! Bookmarking this for a future get together 🙂
Oh man, the ADULT rice crispies?? You got my attention! I am intrigued by what is sure to be a unique and complex flavour profile. That caramel sounds fantastic!
Wow these peanut butter bars look amazing Joscelyn, and I love how healthy they are! Such a delicious treat. I wish I could grab one out of my screen and eat it now! So yummy!
These look so good! Peanut butter with chocolate is my favorite!
Joscelyn, these photos are incredible! I’m drooling just looking at them! Love the ingredients you used in these— I’ll definitely be trying them soon!
Oh my goodness! I’m going on a road trip in May and will be taking these along as a snack for sure!