When I was growing up, my Dad came home from work each Friday with a treat for my brother’s and me. “Friday treat” was something we looked forward to all week long. Well, my Friday treat to you today is No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars! Chocolate Buckeyes meet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, meet Rice Krispie Treats in this decadent, 5-ingredient dessert recipe that’s gooey yet crispy, perfectly peanut buttery, and has just the right amount of chocolate. I don’t know about you, but I like the ratio of my chocolate peanut butter cups to be 2:1, peanut butter to chocolate, and these bars definitely reflect it!
The recipe couldn’t be simpler – whip together peanut butter and softened butter (or vegan butter) with powdered sugar and gluten-free crispy rice cereal, then press into bars and top with melted chocolate spiked with peanut butter. OH. YEAH. I may have gotten my love of salads from my Mama, but Dad taught me that the best way to end the week is with a sweet and delicious treat!
How to Make this Recipe
Start by mixing smooth peanut butter and softened butter or vegan butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar then mix to combine.
Next add luten-free crispy rice cereal then mix until just combined.
Lightly spray an 8×8″ baking dish with nonstick spray then press the crispy peanut butter mixture into the bottom with a spatula. In a microwave-safe bowl combine chocolate chips (I love Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels which are GF and DF) and peanut butter then microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until the mixture is smooth. Pour onto the peanut butter bars then smooth with a spatula.
Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate has set, 20-25 minutes, then score the chocolate with a sharp knife. If you wait to slice the bars until they’re completely set, the chocolate could crack when sliced. No biggie in the taste-department, the slices just won’t look quite as sharp! Place the bars back into the refrigerator until totally set, preferably overnight. Again, you can make these bars several days ahead of time.
Once the chocolate has completely set — slice, and devour!
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