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Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats are an easy no-bake dessert you can stir together with just 4 simple ingredients. They taste better than the kind made with marshmallows! 

peanut butter rice crispy treats cut into squares on white parchment.

Just like making homemade granola bars, you can also customize these rice crispy treats by melting some dark chocolate chips and spreading the melted chocolate on top.

I also like to add a sprinkle of sea salt to make the flavor pop!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Crispy rice cereal gives these bars their famous crunchy texture. Rice Krispies cereal is slightly lighter and crispier than brown rice cereal, so you may prefer the texture of these treats when you use the popular name brand.

However, that particular cereal is NOT gluten-free because it’s made with malt flavoring. (Which is derived from barley.) If you need a gluten-free recipe, choose another crispy rice cereal that is labeled gluten-free. 

Paired with creamy peanut butter, honey, and salt, these treats are easy to prepare. Feel free to use any other nut butter you prefer!

crispy rice cereal sitting near peanut butter and honey on a marble surface.

How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

This recipe moves fast, so be sure to measure everything out before you get started. 

Prepare an 8-inch square baking dish by lightly spraying it with cooking spray, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom. The oil will hold the parchment paper in place, so it won’t wiggle around as you work. This will make the bars easy to remove later.

Add the cereal to a large mixing bowl, so it’s ready to go for the next step. Have the ½ cup of peanut butter measured and the salt nearby, too.

Then add the honey to a small saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop, and bring it to a boil. As soon as you see bubbles around the edges of the pan, set a timer for 1 minute.

It’s okay if the honey bubbles significantly, but turn down the heat when the bubbles start to rise toward the top of the pot. You don’t want it to boil over!

honey boiled in white saucepan with peanut butter stirred in.

When the timer goes off, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in the peanut butter and salt with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

Pour the hot peanut butter mixture over the cereal in the mixing bowl. Stir well, until the cereal is evenly coated.

Work quickly, as the peanut butter mixture will start to harden as it cools, and will become more difficult to stir. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly until the bars are in a flat even layer.

peanut butter stirred into cereal and pressed into pan.

To make chocolate peanut butter rice krispie treats, melt 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (either in the microwave or in a double boiler on the stove) and spread the melted chocolate over the top. It will harden as the bars cool.

Sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the top, if you’d like.

melted chocolate spread over rice crispy treats.

Let these healthy rice crispy treats cool completely by placing them in the fridge or freezer. It usually takes about 1 hour in the freezer, or 2 hours in the fridge for them to cool completely.

Slice the cooled peanut butter rice crispy treats into 16 bars and enjoy. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. (But I doubt they will last that long before you eat them!)

Peanut butter rice krispies treats will become softer when you store them at room temperature, so for the firmest results, keep them chilled.

Safety Tip

When serving these peanut butter treats to a crowd, please label them for those who may have peanut allergies to avoid a tragic story like this one.

peanut butter krispie treats sliced on parchment paper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are rice crispy treats vegan?

This recipe is already dairy-free, but it’s vegan-friendly if you use maple syrup instead of honey. You can also use brown rice syrup, as an alternative sweetener. The brown rice syrup tastes the most like classic rice krispies treats made with marshmallows.

Can I make this with puffed rice cereal?

If you are looking to make a healthy recipe, I don’t recommend using puffed rice (or puffed quinoa) cereal, as it doesn’t turn out crispy. The texture isn’t nearly as pleasant when compared to the classic crispy rice cereal we have all come to expect.

Can I make it nut-free?

If you’d rather not use peanut butter, you can use tahini or sunflower butter as a nut-free alternative. If you just need to avoid peanuts, you could also use almond butter or cashew butter.

Looking for more healthy desserts? Try Flourless Chocolate Cake, Banana Mug Cake, or Freezer Fudge for more delicious options.

peanut butter rice crispy treats cut into squares on white parchment.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

4.70 from 55 votes
Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats are made with just 4 simple ingredients and taste even better than the original. No marshmallows required!
prep14 mins cook1 min total15 mins
Servings:16 bars

Ingredients
 
 

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

  • 3 cups crispy rice cereal
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

Optional Topping:

Instructions

  • Spray an 8-inch square pan with oil and press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan. The oil will hold the parchment in place, so it won't wiggle around later. Since this recipe moves quickly, go ahead and add the measured cereal to a large mixing bowl, so it's ready to go later.
  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the honey to a boil. As soon as it's bubbling, set a timer for 1 minute and let it boil until the timer goes off. Turn down the heat if the honey starts to bubble towards the top of the pan.
  • When the timer goes off, remove the honey from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and salt. As soon as the mixture is smooth, pour it over the cereal in the large mixing bowl. Stir well, until the cereal is well coated. It will start to thicken up as it cools, and will be very sticky.
  • Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and press firmly to pack the cereal into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the fridge or freezer, so the bars can cool completely. When they are totally cool, they are ready to slice and serve, unless you'd like to add the chocolate topping below.
  • For a chocolate-topped bar, melt a 1/2 cup (or more for a thicker layer) of dark chocolate chips in the microwave, or over a double-boiler. When the chocolate is melted, spread it over the top of the bars and place the pan in the freezer briefly, just until the chocolate is hardened. Then the bars are ready to slice and serve.
  • Leftover rice crispy treats can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, but they will become slightly softer over time. For the crispiest results, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 16 bars, without the optional topping. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Gluten-Free Note: Rice Krispies® cereal is not gluten-free because it includes malt flavoring. Look for a certified gluten-free cereal if you need these bars to be gluten-free. (The brown rice cereal I used in the photos above is labeled as gluten-free.)
Use a different nut butter: Almond butter or sunflower butter will also work in this recipe if you prefer.
Make it Vegan: replace the honey with maple syrup.
Update Note: This recipe was updated in June 2024 to use slightly less cereal and improve the overall flavor and texture. You can find the original recipe here.

Nutrition

Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 55mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: peanut butter rice crispy treats

If you try this Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. These are easy and delicious! The only thing I noticed is if you use the metric measuring the amount of cereal differs from the cup measuring and you will need to add more cereal.

  2. Thanks Meagan 🙂 made these for the second time this month now. I used about 1/3 honey and the rest maple syrup and liked the taste/sweetness better this time. They cut and hold shape well if kept in the fridge.

  3. This is our go-to dessert almost weekly. It’s so easy and yummy! I use all the ingredients recommended, including the 365 rice cereal. It’s definitely the best I’ve found (better nutrition label than Trader Joe’s brand of the same). Favorite peanut butter is Kirkland organic. Just peanuts and some salt as ingredients. I use Nestle organic dark chocolate chips. We keep this in the refrigerator and the kids love it as their treat!
    Seriously, one of my most favorite recipes for years.

    1. Oops! I meant to say I’ve been using the version with 4 cups of rice cereal for years. With 3 cups, it’s more gooey, and with 4 cups more crispy, which my family prefers.

      1. I have definitely used less honey, but not down to 1/4 of a cup. This is a very forgiving recipe, so you could try it! I think it could work well enough to enjoy it.

  4. I know there’s a note about swapping out the honey for maple syrup, but has anyone tried agave?? I’m making these for a large vegan audience and agave is just much cheaper 😉 Thanks for any advice.

    1. I haven’t tried these with agave, but my guess is that it would work. Please report back if you try it!

      1. This is just soo good. I’ve been making it almost weekly for my kids for a couple of years and they would happily eat it every meal. It’s delicious, super easy to make and usually have all ingredients on hand. Total winner! (As are all your recipes I’ve tried. Thank you!)

      2. Made these today and they turned out great! Thank you for linking the Rice Krispies that you used. I was hoping to add freeze dried strawberries next time!! Has anyone tried this? If so, please include how much!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe!

  5. I just slid 2 smaller baking pans into the freezer. I melted dark chocolate. Stretched it thin the cover all the krispies mixture. Can’t wait for the hour to pass. Yay!