No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Updated recipe is better than ever! 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! Substitute any nut/ seed butter you love.

no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars easy gluten free dessert recipe
No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Easy recipe for a No Bake Gluten-Free Dessert with the best sweet & salty crunch!

Update April 2023: I just updated the recipe for these No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars and they are better than ever!

They are a healthier version of a Rice Krispy Treat, made with peanut butter (substitute your favorite nut or seed butter) instead of marshmallows and topped with an amazing layer of chocolate… soooooo yummy!!

Perfect peanut butter flavor, great satisfying crunch and a chocolate layer that is the perfect finishing touch!

They have been a HUGE hit with my family and all my taste testers!

no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars easy gluten free dessert recipe

 

Oh, and they happen to be gluten-free, vegan, no bake and take only 15 minutes to prep!

They were originally 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:

Creamy Peanut Butter (we love natural creamy peanut butter)

Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (Rice Krispies brand aren’t gluten-free in the United States)

Honey or maple syrup

Vanilla extract

Coconut oil

Chocolate chips (we used Enjoy Life semi-sweet but dark chips would work well too).

no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars gluten free #glutenfreerecipes www.healthygffamily.com

So let’s make the No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars!

They come together quickly in just a few steps:

First, simultaneously melt the peanut butter, coconut oil & honey/maple syrup, and the chocolate chips and coconut oil until both are smooth and creamy.

Pro tip: If you opt for natural peanut butter as we do, try to avoid the bottom of the jar which can be harder and doesn’t “melt” as well. You want the peanut butter itself to be quite creamy so that it combines well with the other ingredients to form one liquid-y, peanut buttery mixture.

Then pour the peanut butter mix over the Brown Rice Cereal and mix to combine so that all of the crispy rice cereal  is well coated.

Pour the entire cereal mixture into the pan and using the the back of a large spoon or spatula, firmly press the mix into the pan. Do not worry if you hear a some of the cereal crackle, you want to make sure the cereal is coated and firmly pressed down so that it helps the bars stick together.

And pour the melted chocolate over the cereal, tilting the pan as needed to make sure it is evenly spread across the bars.

 

Then set in the refrigerator to set, preferably for an hour (or more).

If you want to top with coarse salt, remove from fridge after about 15 minutes so that the chocolate has cooled a little and sprinkle with kosher or coarse sea salt.

The salt does add the yummiest finishing touch!

no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars easy gluten free dessert recipe

 

 

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 enjoy!

no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars easy gluten free dessert recipe

And there you have it! An easy, 6 ingredient treat with the best sweet and salty crunch!

Tips for making sure they hold together well:

  • Use creamy peanut butter and avoid the bottom of the jar if using natural peanut butter.
  • Coat all the cereal well with the peanut butter mixture.
  • Firmly press the cereal mix into the pan.
  • Let the bars set before cutting into them.

Hope you love them as much as we do!

Click here for  more easy and amazing No Bake Treats

Some favorites include:

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

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Scroll down for recipe and leave a rating/ comment if you try.

Recipe

 

no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars easy gluten free dessert recipe
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4.67 from 3 votes

No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Updated recipe is better than ever! 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! Substitute any nut/ seed butter you love.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack, Cookies/ Bars
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan Nut-Free optional
Keyword: easy gluten free dessert recipe, no bake crispy peanut butter chocolate bars, easy no bake gluten-free dessert, peanut butter chocolate dessert
Servings: 16 squares
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Crispy Base

  • 3 ½ cups gluten-free brown rice crispy cereal note: Rice Krispies brand are NOT gluten-free in the United States.
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (or nut/ seed butter of choice) If you opt for natural peanut butter as we do, try to avoid the bottom of the jar which can be "harder", you want a creamy consistency.
  • cup honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • large pinch salt

Chocolate Topping

  • 1 cup chocolate chips or dairy free chocolate chips we used semi-sweet but dark chocolate would be great to
  • 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
  • Maldon salt or any Coarse 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, honey or maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and pinch of salt stirring often until well combined, smooth and creamy.
  • 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 the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Using the backside of a spoon or a spatula, press the mixture firmly into the pan, so that it is even and smooth (don't worry if you hear some of crispy rice cereal crackle)
  • 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 an air tight container for 3 days or the refrigerator for a week.

Notes

Tips for making sure they hold together well:
  • Use creamy peanut butter and avoid the bottom of the jar if using natural peanut butter.
  • Coat all the cereal well with the peanut butter mixture.
  • Firmly press the cereal mix into the pan.
  • Let the bars set before cutting into them.
Tried this recipe?Mention @HealthyGFFamily or tag #HealthyGFFamily!

 

10 thoughts on “No Bake Crispy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

  1. 5 stars
    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 4 stars
    I made these peanut crispies today & they were delicious but I think I put too many gluten free rice crispies as the peanut butter & maple syrup didn’t seem enough to hold them together. Still loved them. Thank you

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