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A stack of three Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Prep Time15 minutes
Chill Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9 bars

Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Layer

  • 2 ½ cups crispy rice cereal
  • ½ cup salted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

For the Chocolate Layer

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter

Instructions

  • Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment on all sides and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugar and rice cereal. Mix until combined. Add in the peanut butter until the mixture is even in texture and well combined.
  • Scoop the peanut butter mixture into the baking pan and press down and evenly. Pack it down so that it is nice and smooth and as level as possible.
  • In a microwave safe bowl, add in the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring in between until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is well combined. It should have a shininess to it. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth out evenly. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. 
  • Remove from the pan by lifting up the parchment and slice the bars into 9 pieces or 16 small pieces. Enjoy!

Notes

  • When choosing peanut butter for this recipe, make sure to use one that is combined, like Jif. Avoid the kinds that separate and have the layer of oil that needs to be stirred together.
  • If you like crunchy peanut butter, we bet these would taste really good with some extra crunch.
  • If you only have unsalted butter, that will work too. Just add in a little bit of salt to add that delicious salty/sweet combo.
  • These taste so good when they are chilled in the freezer. They are a little bit firmer and easier to eat. They can get messy otherwise. We would not leave them out on the counter for too long.
 
Variations and substitutions:
  • The classic bars have graham cracker crumbs in them, which can be added instead of the crispy rice if you prefer not to have that extra crunch.
  • Almond butter or cashew butter or any kind of nut butter would make for a pretty good flavor too. Going half and half of different nut butters would be really tasty.
  • Adding in some chocolate chips into the peanut butter layer could make for a nice addition.
  • Topping the bars with a sprinkle of flakey salt, like Maldon salt, would be really nice, too.