Gluten-free, vegan and no bake, this healthy-ish treat will satisfy your sweet tooth! Just the right amount of peanut butter, a satisfying crunch and a perfect layer of chocolate. Plus it's just 6 ingredients and 15 minutes to prep!
No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Indulgent tasting, satisfying and yummy!
Update April 2020: We first made these a few months ago and they’ve quickly become a regular in our house since staying home and having 4 people constantly looking for snacks!
Minimal ingredients, minimal effort (as in 15 minutes and no bake!) and so yummy!
What’s not to love? Peanut Butter (sub your favorite nut or seed butter), Chocolate and Crunch! So satisfying!
Hope you love them too!
Original post…
So excited to share these New No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars with you!
They are a healthier version of a Rice Krispy treat, made with peanut butter (substitute your favorite nut or seed butter) instead of marshmellows and topped with an amazing layer of chocolate… soooooo yummy!
They have just the right amount of peanut butter, a satisfying crunch and a chocolate topping that is the perfect finishing touch!
They have been a HUGE hit with my family and all my taste testers!
Oh, and they happen to be gluten-free, vegan, no bake and take only 15 minutes to prep!
They were inspired by Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips that we used to make all the time from Alicia Silverstone’s The Kind Diet. These were made with Brown Rice Syrup however which we can no longer readily find. So we’ve been playing around with different sugar/ liquid substitutes and found a combination we love!
All you need is 6 ingredients: Natural Peanut Butter, Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (Rice Krispies aren’t gluten-free in the United States so we used Barbara’s Organic Brown Rice Crisp Cereal), maple syrup, vanilla extract, coconut oil and chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life semi-sweet but dark chips would work well too).
And they come together quickly!
We simultaneously melted the peanut butter, coconut oil & maple syrup and the chocolate chips and coconut oil.
Then we poured the peanut butter mix over the Brown Rice Cereal and mix to combine.
Pour or spoon the mix into a parchment lined pan and use the back of a spoon or spatula to press it down so it forms an even layer. This will also help the crispies hold together.
Then pour the chocolate over the top. Using a spatula to spread evenly or gently tilt the pan from side to side until the chocolate topping is evenly coating the peanut butter crispies.
Then set in the refrigerator to set, preferably for an hour (or more). If you want to top with sea salt, remove from frige after about 10 minutes so that the chocolate has cooled a little and sprinkle with kosher or coarse sea salt.
Remove from fridge and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting so that the chocolate isn’t so cold that it cracks when slicing squares.
And there you have it! An easy, 6 ingredient treat with the best sweet and salty crunch!
Gluten-free and vegan, this healthy-ish treat has just the right amount of peanut butter and chocolate and a satisfying crunch! Just 6 ingredients and 15 minutes prep time!
1 cup creamy natural peanut butter (or nut/seed butter of your choice)
⅓ cup + 2 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
1 cup chocolate chips or dairy free chocolate chips (we used sem
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt for topping (optional)
Instructions
Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Pour brown rice cereal into a bowl and set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, heat peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla stirring often until well combined, smooth and "liquid-y".
At the same time, in a small saucepan, heat chocolate chips and coconut oil on low heat, stirring frequently until melted and well combined.
Pour peanut butter mix over cereal and mix well until all the brown rice cereal is well coated. Pour or spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using the backside of a spoon or a spatula, lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan.
Pour melted chocolate over the peanut butter crispy base. Tilt pan side to side a bit or spread with a spatula to make sure it's even.
Let cool in the refrigerator for an hour (if you can wait!). If you want to top with salt, remove from fridge after 15 mins when chocolate slightly cooled and sprinkle with salt, return to fridge OR top with salt after removing from fridge after the hour, but salt may not stick as well.
Remove from refrigerator and let bars rest at room temperature for about 5 minutes before cutting. If they are too cold, the chocolate may crack a bit when cutting.
Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container.
I have a soft spot for Rice Krispie treats and peanut butter, and these are so much better than the original. Thank you for yet another hit!! FYI by about day 4 in the fridge the rice is not as crispy.
Great question! I’m honestly not sure… coconut oil has unique properties in that it hardens when it cools so not sure the bars will hold together with avocado oil…
Is the maple syrup mostly for the sugar content or the flavor? I absolutely hate maple flavor and was wondering if something like Karo syrup or golden syrup would work. Look great otherwise.
Hi! My name is Karen, and I’m the mom in our Healthy Gluten-Free Family. My posts and pictures here and on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter are labors of love that allow me to share a very personal journey with you, one our family has taken together — learning, experimenting and sharing how to raise a healthy happy gluten-free family. Read more ...
Delicious and EASY!!!
Great! Happy you loved them!
I have a soft spot for Rice Krispie treats and peanut butter, and these are so much better than the original. Thank you for yet another hit!! FYI by about day 4 in the fridge the rice is not as crispy.
I prefer them too! Happy you love them! And thanks for the heads up — Ours have never lasted that long lol
Excited to give this recipe a try! Can I sub avocado oil for coconut oil?
Great question! I’m honestly not sure… coconut oil has unique properties in that it hardens when it cools so not sure the bars will hold together with avocado oil…
Is the maple syrup mostly for the sugar content or the flavor? I absolutely hate maple flavor and was wondering if something like Karo syrup or golden syrup would work. Look great otherwise.