Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

This is hands down the best Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats recipe. This vegan twist on classic rice krispie squares starts with an addictively soft and chewy base smothered in a thick layer of chocolate peanut butter on top! Quick and easy - it's the perfect dessert recipe for beginners!

Nostalgia incoming! I've been making this peanut butter Rice Krispie recipe for many decades, we call them Sweet Maries (some people call them Scotcheroos). One of my family's Christmas traditions is at the beginning of December everyone chooses a favorite cookie or dessert they want for Christmas. Without fail, my son picks these peanut butter rice crispy squares. Luckily, it was an easy recipe to make vegan with zero flavor or texture change from the original recipe.

Ingredients You'll Need

Chocolate and peanut butter lovers rejoice! You need only 7 ingredients (no marshmallows!) to make these ridiculously delicious, chewy, crispy, chocolatey, peanut butter rice crispy squares:

• Rice Krispies: Rice crispy cereal (not puffed rice).
• Peanut Butter: Peanut butter adds creaminess and a decent amount of protein too! I use the Kirkland Signature Natural Creamy brand from Costco. See tips below for mixing and storing natural peanut butter!
• Chocolate Chips: I like the semi sweet Kirkland brand from Costco (vegan), but there are many Brands offering vegan chocolate chips now (Enjoy Life is good!). And there are lots of options to choose from - for example, semi sweet, 'milk' chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate chunks and mini chocolate chips.
• Brown Sugar: Use dark brown sugar or golden sugar to keep the base soft.
• Corn Syrup: Corn syrup (or Agave) gives the Rice Krispie snacks their soft and chewy texture.
• Butter and Coconut Oil: I use Becel plant based butter. The coconut oil is scoopable and comes in a tub (like Nutiva - it's refined so there is no coconut flavor). Helps everything melt smoothly and creates a perfectly glossy finish on the chocolate!
• Salt: To balance out the flavors. A sprinkle of flaky salt on top adds a beautiful sweet-salty contrast (optional).
• Extra Protein Option: If you're looking to boost up the plant protein and fiber in these rice krispie bars, add up to a ¼ cup hemp hearts.

How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

The fastest and easiest, holiday recipe for beginners (one pan, no baking)! These chocolate peanut butter rice crispy squares are so simple to make, and everyone devours them! Here's an overview of the instructions:

1. Mise en place: Have all your ingredients measured out and ready to go - this recipe goes fast!

2. Make the base: Warm the peanut butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a medium to large size saucepan until it's runny and the sugar is dissolved (~2 minutes). Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter. Add the rice krispies* to the mixture in the pan and stir to coat completely. If the mixture is too gooey for you, add up to ¼ cup more crispy rice cereal (but not more).

3. Transfer the mixture to an 8x8 baking dish and press into an even layer (including the corners). No elbow grease required! Just gently press the mixture into place. Let it chill in the fridge while you make the topping.

4. Make the chocolate peanut butter layer: Melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and coconut oil in the microwave. Heat in 20 second intervals (stirring between) until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Alternatively, you can melt the ingredients in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat.
   Pro Tip: For a firmer (but less indulgent) topping, you can skip the peanut butter.

5. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the rice krispie base. Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt (if using).
6. Chill and serve: Chill in the fridge until set completely before cutting. Remove from the baking dish and cut into any size you want. Enjoy!

Pro Tip: Make the bars (and topping) thicker by using a smaller baking dish or some silicone shapes.

Shape Variations

These vegan rice crispy treats are perfect for molding. We love to make holiday shapes like trees or snowmen, flowers, pumpkins or easter eggs. Here's how:

Make the chocolate topping first. Once melted, pour a layer into the bottom of your silicone mold (as thick as you want) then place the mold(s) in the fridge to chill.
While that's chilling, make the rice crispy base. Add the cereal base to the mold, press gently into place. Back into the fridge or freezer until fully set.
Then just pop them out and enjoy!

FAQ & Tips

• Are rice krispie treats vegan and gluten free?: If you use vegan (gluten free) crispy rice cereal and dairy-free butter, they are vegan and vegetarian! Kellogg's Rice Krispies use an animal source for Vit D3 so they are not certified vegan; however, there are other options that are vegan, eg. Nature's Path, Barbara's, and Whole Foods 365. Just type into your phone, "Is (brand name) cereal vegan or gluten free?" and you'll have your answer.
• Why did my rice krispie treats turn out hard? These won't! With this combination of ingredients and instructions, they should be soft and supple every time. However, if you boil the base ingredients or add more rice krispie cereal than recommended, you could run into a texture problem. Don't do it!
• Natural peanut butter MILLION DOLLAR TIP: I use natural peanut butter for this recipe (and everything else). I HATE mixing natural peanut butter - it's a messy job - I don't like messy jobs. HOWEVER, I've found a method for mixing and storing natural peanut butter that's pretty efficient! Here's how I do it:

1. Store your newly purchased peanut butter jar upside down in the pantry right away.
2. When it comes time to open a fresh jar, I use my 11" Wilton spatula to slowly mix the peanut butter together. I've tried shorter spatulas and also a butter knife, but they're too short so it's messy (and you know how I feel about that).
3. Store the peanut butter in the fridge or pantry upside down. Easy peasy!

Storing, Gifting, Make Ahead Tips

• Fridge: I keep my Sweet Maries in an airtight container in the fridge. My family LOVES them slightly chilled. They'll maintain their soft, chewy texture don't worry. You can store them on the counter for up to 3-4 days (but they don't usually last that long!).
• Freezer: These rice crispy treats freeze beautifully. Cut them into squares, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer them to a large freezer-safe container with parchment between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months. I call this storage method 'self preservation' (although I have learned to love them frozen too 😬).
• Make ahead: Don't try to juggle everything the day of your big event. Make these peanut butter crispy treats several days in advance then store them in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Cookie platter: Beautiful (and popular) addition to a Christmas cookie platter especially if you make holiday shapes rather than squares or bars. They are the perfect teacher gift or hostess gift because EVERYONE loves them!

More Vegan Cookies that Impress

• Ginger Molasses Cookies: Soft and chewy with a crispy edge.
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies: Best chocolate chip cookies ever!
• Snickerdoodles: Epic, classic, holiday cookies - vegan version.
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cups: Decadent, classic flavor pairing.
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies: Family favorite!

If you make these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats for a holiday party or get together, let me know in the comments below how they turn out! Enjoy!