Sweet, crispy, chewy, and gooey, peanut butter, crisped rice treats need no introduction. And this nutty version is as simple to make as the original. The recipe is designed to work with both natural and processed peanut butter. But for a better treat, opt for peanut butter without any added sugar or oil. As always here, there are tips on substitutions for paleo, vegan, and the GAPS diet. Top the squares with melted chocolate or mix in dark chocolate chips. Or both.
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The Story
Crisped rice treats, or what most of us call Rice Krispies treats, are not healthy. Period. Kellogg's even paid out big bucks for advertising such a false notion, and more than once. But when it comes to dessert, who cares about fiber and nutrients? Moderation friends, so you can enjoy what gives you that fuzzy feeling.
The bottom line is that crispy rice cereal makes for a simple dessert. Especially when stirred into a mixture of melted butter and marshmallows. The idea for the gooey, crunchy marshmallow square is thanks to Iowan Mildred Day, and a colleague of hers, Malitta Jensen. The two worked at the food corporation as recipe testers from the late 1920s to the early 1930s.
Historical accounts suggest Day worked in the Home Economics Department. Creating an incredibly delicious, approachable, now mainstream recipe that sells even more Rice Krispies, of course. I do tip my chef hat to Day for being decades ahead of her time in food science. Information is scarce on who first added peanut butter to the marshmallow squares. My best guess is another clever recipe tester. But one who worked at a peanut butter brand.
Simple Equipment
For ease of mixing these sinfully addicting treats, I find the bigger the pot the better. Aside from that, a large, flexible spatula and landing pan are all you need. More of Mildred Day's brilliance (although it's not likely she had specialty tools in 1930).
To cook an average-sized batch of marshmallow treats, I reach for my Dutch oven. The ceramic coating also makes cleaning up a bit easier. Any large pot will do. If you don't own a rectangular baking pan, eight or nine-inch cake pans work. You'll simply end up with thicker treats and perhaps a few quirky shapes.
The Ingredients
Ingredients for peanut butter crisped rice treats are the usual suspects, plus peanut butter. I prefer natural peanut butter. And I don't notice any negative effects on the flavor and texture. If anything, natural peanut butter brings more peanut buttery deliciousness since it lacks added preservatives, hydrogenated oils, and sugar.
The Method
Any kind of treat you can dream up is quick and easy to make. Do keep the heat low. You don't want to scald the delicate marshmallows. Or cause any separation in the peanut butter.
The Steps
If you like finding the occasional intact mini marshmallow in your treats, set aside one additional cup for mixing in at the end. Don't take away from the amount in the recipe, but measure an extra cup and set it aside. Please enjoy the process shots, it took quite the photography effort.
To Cut
The shape of your treats is a personal preference, of course. Squares are classic and festive or seasonal shapes can be a fun project for kiddos armed with a cookie cutter. It helps to spray the insides of any cookie cutters with spray oil. If your treats are destined for a bake sale, or you are persnickety about exactness, a ruler comes in handy.
If you pressed the mixture into a 9" x 13" pan, the unmolded block of treats will be about 8" x 12". You can then use your measuring tool to cut squares based on what size or quantity you're after. To easily unmold the whole kit and caboodle, flip the pan over onto a cutting board lined with parchment paper. Then lift the pan off, and cut to your liking. I find cutting into the treats from the bottom with a large knife preserves the beauty of the tops. Please enjoy another process montage:
Storage
Store the squares at room temperature in an air-tight container. Or freeze for a few months (yeah, right). If you coat them with chocolate, top each row in a container with parchment to prevent a mess. Or the chocolate from one bar is likely to smudge up its upstairs neighbor. Not that this would be a huge problem.
Dietary Substitutions
- Paleo or GAPS Diet. Grain-free cereals, when pulsed briefly in a food processor, can replace crisped or puffed rice cereal. Then in place of marshmallows, whip up a triple batch of homemade marshmallow fluff using honey. Mix in the vanilla extract, peanut butter, and cereal while the fluff is still warm, and proceed as usual. If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the cereal by placing it in a plastic storage baggie and smacking it with a rolling pin or a pan. If there is a will, there is a way.
- Vegan. Swap in your favorite brands of vegan butter and mini marshmallows. You can also replace the butter with coconut oil. Vegan marshmallows are not as hard to find as they used to be.
- Peanut Allergy. To replace the peanut butter, try cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, and almond butter. In that order. If the peanut-allergic partaker can eat cashews, they offer the next best, creamiest replacement. Sunflower seed butter can be a secret weapon in peanut nut-free baking since the texture is creamy and the flavor is unassuming. Almond butter works in a pinch but will bring its signature flavor and a grainier texture.
Edible Epilogue
Please don't be fooled by online recipes with "Best-Ever Rice Krispie Treats!" or "Perfect Rice Krispie Treats!" titles. We are talking about marshmallows and crispy rice cereal. Not much can go wrong. Outside eating the entire batch of chocolate-laced, peanut butter squares over the course of 24 hours.
Seriously, don't say I didn't warn you.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Crisped rice treats loaded with peanut butter are sweet, nutty, gooey little delights! Top the squares with melted dark chocolate for an especially rich confection. Substitutions for vegan, paleo, and the GAPS diet are in the Notes section.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 24, 2" squares 1x
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or butter, for the baking pan
- 4 ounces or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter, salted or unsalted
- Pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon)
- 10 ounces (1 standard package) of marshmallows, mini recommended
- ½ cup of peanut butter, natural recommended
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 5 cups of crisped rice cereal
Optinal Garnishes
- 1 cup of mini marshmallows, for mixing in
- 1 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, for mixing in
- 1 cup of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips, for melting and topping the finished treats
Instructions
- Prepare. Grease the baking pan(s), and if you have any, line the bottom with parchment or wax paper. It makes the removal of the finished treats easier.
- Measure. Measure out all of your ingredients. I like to spray cooking oil into the cup I measure the peanut butter with, as it releases more easily.
- Melt and mix. In a very large pot over low heat, melt the butter and allow it to brown slightly (but not burn). You don't have to brown the butter, but it adds complementary nuttiness. Add the marshmallows and a pinch of salt to the pot and melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Add the peanut butter, and stir until it is incorporated and the gooey mixture is smooth.
- Add the cereal and any mix-ins. Off the heat, add the vanilla extract and stir to incorporate. Add the puffed rice cereal in several additions, mixing each time until the grains are completely coated. If you measured out extra marshmallows, mix them in along with the cereal. Likewise, if adding chocolate chips, mix them in as you go
- Pour into prepared pan and cool. Scrape the mixture into your baking pan(s), then gently smooth and press the top flat. Cool completely, at room temperature. Fight the urge to cool the treats quicker in the refrigerator, as this will toughen the texture.
- Optional: Chocolate topping. To top with chocolate, melt chocolate chips or chopped chocolate in a double boiler, or the microwave. To melt in a microwave, heat the chocolate in thirty-second bursts, stirring between each one. If using a double boiler (heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water), keep the heat low and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted. Spread the melted chocolate evenly across the top of the cooled treats in the pan.
- Cut and serve. Use a knife or offset spatula to lift the treats out of the pan. I like to run an offset spatula around the edges to loosen the sides. Then you can flip the entire block out onto a cutting board lined with parchment or wax paper. With a large knife, cut the treats into your preferred shape. You can also use cookie cutters to create shapes, which is a fun little project for kids.
Notes
Dietary Accommodations
Paleo or GAPS Diet. Grain-free cereals, when pulsed briefly in a food processor, can replace the crisped rice cereal. Then in place of marshmallows, whip up a double or triple batch of homemade marshmallow fluff using honey. Mix in the vanilla extract, peanut butter, and cereal while the fluff is still warm, and proceed as usual. If you don't have a food processor, you can crush the cereal by placing it in a plastic storage baggie and smacking it with a rolling pin or a pan. Truly, friends, if there's a will, there's a way.
Vegan. Swap in your favorite brands of vegan butter and mini marshmallows. You can also replace the butter with coconut oil. It adds medium-chain triglycerides if those are important to you.
Peanut Allergy. To replace the peanut butter, try cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, and almond butter. In that order. If the peanut-allergic partaker can eat cashews, they offer the next best, creamiest replacement. Sunflower seed butter can be a secret weapon in peanut nut-free baking since the texture is creamy and the flavor is unassuming. Almond butter works in a pinch but will lend its signature flavor and a grainier texture.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container. Or freeze for a few months (yeah, right). If you choose to top your treats with chocolate, take care not to stack them in the storage container without lining the top of each row with baking paper. Or the chocolate from one bar is likely to smudge up its upstairs neighbor.
Nutrition Information
The Nutrition Information below is based on the recipe as written, with all garnishes listed.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2" Square Treat
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 13.5 g
- Sodium: 140.4 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.9 g
- Protein: 2.4 g
- Cholesterol: 10.9 mg
Keywords: peanut butter rice krispie treats, chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats, melting chocolate, gluten free rice krispie treats,
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