These Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats are full of rich chocolate and sweet marshmallow flavor, with an irresistibly chewy, fudge-like texture. It’s an easy bars recipe that’s made with only 5 ingredients – perfect for all your casual gatherings, from watching football with friends to a picnic at the park!
Easy Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
I’ll never turn down a traditional Rice Krispie bar, but this chocolate & peanut butter variation has been my absolute favorite since I was a kid. I adore this Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats recipe!
This recipe is super duper easy to make, and you only need 5 simple ingredients. The flavor and texture of these chocolate rice krispie bars is outstanding, considering the small amount of effort that goes into making them. They’re always a hit – they disappear FAST!
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Rice Krispie Treats
The next time you’re craving a rice krispie treat, try adding some chocolate and PB! Here’s why you’ll love these chocolate rice krispie treats:
- An easy no-bake dessert. You only need a pot and a few minutes on the stovetop to melt the ingredients together. No oven or baking required!
- Irresistible flavor and texture. I’m always amazed by how 5 simple ingredients can taste so good and be so crazy awesome fudgy-chewy!!
- Always a favorite. Rice Krispie treats are a classic, beloved by practically everyone. And the peanut butter and chocolate add a whole new delicious, even chewier dimension!
- Great for making ahead. You can make this treat up to a day in advance.
- Sturdy and packable. These treats are a great take-along dessert option as they are sturdy and portable – perfect for picnics, tailgating, or any casual dessert buffet.
Recipe Origin
All credit for this recipe goes to my aunt June, who calls these “Yum Yum Bars”. She’s been making these treats for as long as I can remember, and I hate to think of my life without them!!
When our daughters were younger and we’d take them to the zoo, I’d pack these bars for us to enjoy when we were wanting a snack. I still can’t make this recipe without thinking about those zoo days with our girls!
What You’ll Need
Here’s a short list of the ingredients you’ll need for this chocolate rice krispie bars recipe.
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter, but if you’d like to add some additional saltiness, go ahead and used salted butter.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Use good-quality chocolate chips. I’m a big fan of Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Mini marshmallows – Always use a fresh package of mini marshmallows, for the best, softest texture.
- Peanut butter – Choose a creamy peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy brand.
- Rice Krispies cereal – Use the classic Rice Krispies.
How to Make Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
It’s so easy to make these chocolate rice krispie treats! Here’s how to do it:
- Prep. Lightly spray a 9” x 13” pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Measure out the Rice Krispies and set aside.
- Melt the ingredients. In a large pot over medium-low heat, gently melt the butter, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and peanut butter. Stir periodically, until just combined.
- Add the Rice Krispies. Remove the pot from the heat and fold in the Rice Krispies. So ooey-gooey-yummy!!
- Spread mixture into pan & let cool. Spread the mixture into your prepared pan, gently pressing to create an even layer. Let cool at room temperature and then cut into squares.
Tips for Success + Variations
If you’ve made rice krispie treats before, you know the drill. They’re not hard to make, but I do have a few tips that will help you:
- Want easy, clean cuts? If you want especially clean cut lines, line your pan with parchment paper and then lightly butter the parchment. Once the bars have cooled, use the parchment overhang to gently lift it out of the pan, and then cut the bars into squares.
- Use fresh ingredients. A fresh bag of marshmallows is especially key in this recipe! They will melt more easily, taste better, and have a softer texture. Also make sure that the rest of your ingredients are fresh. Old butter does not taste good, and neither does stale cereal!
- Use large marshmallows if needed. If you can’t get mini marshmallows you can substitute 20 ounces of large marshmallows. They’ll just take a bit longer to melt down, so ensure that your heat is lower so they don’t scorch.
- Use a butter wrapper. I always save the butter wrapper and use the buttery side when pressing the mixture into the pan = no sticking!
- Throw in some more add-ins. Dress these rice krispie treats up even more with add-ins! You can mix in some mini m & ms, chopped peanut butter cups, Reese’s pieces, or chopped-up candy bars.
Serving Suggestions
Here’s how I like to serve these chocolate rice krispie bars:
- As part of a dessert buffet. Make a casual sweets buffet with other treats like microwave caramel popcorn, caramel apple bark, or chewy chocolate chip cookie bars. Or choose one of my other bars and brownies recipes.
- As a fruit and chocolate lunch combo. Serve these bars with a fruit-packed fruit sando or add some sliced watermelon and strawberries for a simple snack.
- With cookies. I have so many amazing cookie recipes on this site, from apple peanut butter cookies to peanut butter blossoms to citrus poppyseed cookies. Any one of these recipes would be fun with chocolate rice krispie treats.
- For football watching. Offer slow cooker chili, some tender pulled pork or carnitas, or chopped cheese sandwiches along with a big platter of chocolate & PB rice krispie bars for a fun and tasty football gathering.
- Pack them for outings. These are great for packing up, on the go. Take them on picnics, to sporting events, or “up north to the cabin” as we say here in Minnesota!
How to Store Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars
Store chocolate rice krispie treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you have layers of bars, separate them with parchment paper.
Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips I recommend Guittard
- 20 ounces fresh soft mini marshmallows
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Instructions
- Lightly spray a 9'' x 13'' pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Measure out the Rice Krispies and set aside.
- In a large pot (a large nonstick pot, if you have one) over medium-low heat, melt the butter, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and peanut butter. Stir periodically, making sure the mixture isn’t scorching on the bottom of the pan, until just combined.
- Remove pot from heat and add the Rice Krispies, quickly folding to evenly combined.
- Spread mixture into prepared pan, gently pressing to create an even layer. I like to save the butter wrapper and use the buttery side when pressing = no sticking! Take care to not press too hard, to compact the bars, as this can make them too firm. Let cool at room temperature and then cut into squares.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
More Rice Krispie Treat Recipes
- Extra-Marshmallow Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Bars
- Extra-Marshmallow Rice Krispies Bars with Confetti
- Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies and Marshmallow
- Marshmallow Caramel Rice Krispies Puffs
- Oreo Fluffernutter Rice Krispies Treats
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Made mine a bit thinner and put in a cookie baking sheet
Abby and I just made them!! They look great
Hi Lisa! I’m picturing your sweet girls in the kitchen. I’m glad you liked them. But…did you leave some for the boys?!?!
My girls and I had so much fun making and eating these bars today! Yum YUM!!! :) Thanks for the fun and tasty recipe!
And it is Auntie June’s birthday today too!
Yum!! These sound wonderful and easy! I’m going to make them today. Thanks for sharing, Brenda!