No bake chocolate peanut butter rice krispie bars held together with peanut butter and honey instead of marshmallows, with chopped nuts through the base and a dark chocolate top finished in flaky sea salt. Makes 8 bars in a loaf pan.

no bake chocolate peanut butter rice krispie bars with flaky sea salt

No marshmallows, no powdered sugar, no corn syrup. Peanut butter and honey do the whole job of holding these together, and the base gets chopped peanuts and almonds stirred through it so you get actual crunch instead of just cereal texture. Then dark chocolate over the top and flaky sea salt, which is the part I will not let you skip.

No bake chocolate peanut butter rice krispie bars are crisp rice cereal bound with peanut butter and honey, pressed into a pan, and topped with melted dark chocolate. This version adds chopped nuts and mini chocolate chips to the base, makes 8 bars in a standard loaf pan, and sets in the fridge in about 30 minutes.

I make these in a bread loaf pan on purpose. Most versions of this recipe fill an 8×8 and give you 12 to 16 squares, which is a lot of bars sitting in my fridge asking me questions. Eight is the right number.

If you like the no bake chocolate situation, I’d also make my Homemade Nestle Crunch Bars, 4 Ingredient Vegan Rice Krispie Treats, and Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars.

peanut butter and honey mixed with crisp rice cereal and chopped nuts

Ingredients You’ll Need

(Amounts are in the recipe card below. These are my notes on why each one is in there.)

For the base:

Creamy peanut butter: use a regular commercial creamy peanut butter, the Jif or Skippy kind. Natural or drippy peanut butter has too much separated oil and the bars will not set firm enough to cut. This is the single most common reason these fail.
Honey: the binder. Honey is what makes these hold together without marshmallows, and it’s stickier and firmer-setting than maple syrup, so it’s worth keeping as is.
Crisp rice cereal: any brand works. If you need these gluten free, grab a certified gluten free crisp rice cereal, because standard Rice Krispies contain malt flavoring made from barley.
Chopped nuts: I use a mix of peanuts and almonds. This is the part most versions of this recipe skip, and it’s the difference between crunchy and just crisp.
Mini chocolate chips: stirred into the base so there’s chocolate all the way through, not only on top.

For the chocolate layer:

Dark chocolate chips: semi sweet or milk chocolate work too, and a dairy free brand keeps the whole thing dairy free. Dark cuts the honey sweetness best.
Coconut oil: thins the melted chocolate so it pours in a smooth even layer instead of sitting in a thick slab that cracks when you cut it.
Flaky sea salt: not optional in my kitchen. These are sweet, and the salt is what keeps them from being one-note.

chocolate peanut butter rice krispie bars pressed into a parchment lined loaf pan

How to Make No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars

Warm the peanut butter for about 20 seconds so it stirs easily, then combine it with the honey in a large bowl until completely smooth.
Stir in the crisp rice cereal, chopped nuts, and mini chocolate chips. Fold until every piece of cereal is coated.
Line a bread loaf pan with parchment and press the mixture in firmly. Pack it down hard with the back of a measuring cup, because loosely packed bars fall apart when you slice them.
Put the pan in the freezer while you do the chocolate.
Melt the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil together in 30 second bursts, stirring between each one, until smooth.
Pour the chocolate over the chilled base, tilt the pan to spread it to the edges, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes until set, then cut into 8 bars.

dark chocolate layer on peanut butter rice krispie bars topped with flaky sea salt

Tips So They Don’t Crumble When You Cut Them

Regular peanut butter, not natural. Worth repeating because it’s the thing that goes wrong. The oil in natural peanut butter keeps the base from firming up and you’ll end up with a crumbly pan you eat with a spoon.
Press harder than feels necessary. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup and lean into it. Air pockets in the base are where the bars break when you cut them.
Score before it fully hardens. At about the 25 minute mark the chocolate is set but not brittle. Score your cut lines then, let it finish setting, and slice along them. Cutting fully hardened chocolate cracks the top.

chocolate peanut butter rice krispie bars with flaky sea salt

How to Store These Bars

Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, with parchment between the layers so they don’t stick to each other. They soften fast at room temperature, so pull them out right before you want to eat one.

They freeze well for up to 3 months and taste better cold, straight from the freezer. Cut them into bars first, then freeze, and let them sit out a couple minutes before eating.

side angle of delicious chocolate crunch bites with flaky sea salt

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No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars

Prep Time10

Chilling Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: bars

Calories: 297kcal

Author: Bailey Campbell

Ingredients

FOR BASE

⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup honey
1.5 cups rice crispy cereal
½ cup chopped nuts
⅓ cup mini chocolate chips

FOR CHOCOLATE LAYER

½ cup dark chocolate chips
1.5 tsp coconut oil
Flaky sea salt

Instructions

To a medium mixing bowl, add the melted peanut butter and honey. Combine well.
Add in the crispy rice cereal and the chopped nuts. Can also add mini chocolate chips here if desired.
Line a bread loaf pan with parchment paper and transfer the mixture into it, packing down lightly into a flat layer in the pan.
Put in freezer while you get the chocolate mixture ready.
In a separate bowl, add the chocolate and coconut oil. Melt in 30 second increments in the microwave or use the double boiler method over medium heat.
Remove the bread loaf pan from the freezer and evenly pour melted chocolate over top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Add to refrigerator for 30-40 mins to set. Cut into 8 bars once set and enjoy!

Nutrition

The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.

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