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.
Manali @ CookWithManali says
March 11, 2016 at 10:07 pmThese bars have all my favorite things!! Love these!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
March 11, 2016 at 1:35 amI 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! 🙂
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
March 10, 2016 at 5:24 amOh yes please! These bars look absolutely delicious!
stacey says
March 10, 2016 at 12:22 amI 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!
Minna says
March 9, 2016 at 7:51 amThis 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 🙂
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table says
March 9, 2016 at 6:28 amOh 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!
Harriet Emily says
March 9, 2016 at 5:46 amWow 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!
The Southern Thing says
March 8, 2016 at 8:32 pmThese look so good! Peanut butter with chocolate is my favorite!
Liz says
March 8, 2016 at 7:47 pmJoscelyn, 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!
Natalina Sents says
March 8, 2016 at 5:13 pmOh my goodness! I’m going on a road trip in May and will be taking these along as a snack for sure!