Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
These chocolate peanut butter crispy bars are like modern-day scotcheroos! This recipe is SO easy to make with wholesome pantry ingredients (no corn syrup).
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 25, 2024
164Comments
Jump to recipe
These chocolate crispy bars are a modern, abstract rendition of scotcheroos—the treats printed on Rice Krispies boxes in the 1960s. If you squint a little bit, the pecans might remind you of butterscotch.
You could call these sort-of scotcheroos, or mostly-naturally-sweetened scotcheroos, or just plain delicious. Somehow, I landed on Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars.
I always get a hankering for Reese’s peanut butter eggs around Easter time. They’re my favorite. This crispy-crackly, honey-sweetened, peanut butter-and-chocolate recipe is fully satisfying my Reese’s craving.
These no-bake treats are easy to make, and they’re ready after a two-hour rest in the refrigerator. If you have a box of brown rice crisps (or Rice Krispies, for that matter), you’re in luck!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bar Ingredients
You’ll only need 5 ingredients to make this simple recipe:
- Brown rice crisps (found in the cereal aisle)
- Pecans (or another nut, or none at all)
- Creamy peanut butter (or almond butter or sunbutter)
- Honey (or maple syrup)
- One 9-ounce bag of chocolate chips (at your preferred sweetness level—I used semisweet)
I top my bars with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt (or kosher salt) for some irresistible, salty crunch!
Craving some more pantry-friendly treats? Try one of these:
- Monster Cookies or Peanut Butter Oat Cookies
- Amazing (Vegan!) Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Mini Peanut Butter Cups
If you own my cookbook, Love Real Food, try the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 203) or Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (page 204).
Please let me know how your bars turn out in the comments! I hope they brighten your day.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
These chocolate peanut butter crispy bars are like modern-day scotcheroos! This recipe is easy to make with wholesome pantry ingredients, and it’s naturally sweetened with honey instead of corn syrup. Keep in mind that these no-bake treats require 2 hours in the refrigerator to set. Recipe yields 16 small treats from one 8-inch square pan (or double the recipe to fill a 9 by 13-inch pan).
Ingredients
- 3 cups brown rice crisps*
- 1 ¼ cups whole pecans, chopped, divided
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (plus a pinch of salt if your peanut butter is unsalted)
- ½ cup honey
- 1 ½ cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips*
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square baking dish with a strip of parchment paper, cut to fit neatly across the base and up opposite sides. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown rice crisps and 1 cup of the chopped pecans (reserve the rest for sprinkling on top). Set both aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter and honey. Warm the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring often, until it’s steaming or you catch a bubble or two forming on the bottom, about 5 minutes. (We don’t want this mixture to come to a boil or the peanut butter could scorch.)
- Pour the warm mixture into the bowl of rice crisps. Using a rubber or silicone spatula, stir until the mixture is completely combined. Transfer it all to the lined baking dish. Press down with the spatula to spread it fairly evenly, then switch to a large, sturdy glass with a flat bottom (maybe a working jar or mason jar or what-have-you) and press down firmly all over, including the corners. You really want to pack it down (it’s ok if you hear some crunching noises). Lastly, use your hands to ensure that it’s evenly compacted.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring after each one. Don’t overdo it. The chocolate is done when it’s about 90% melted—keep stirring off the heat and the pieces should completely dissolve. (Alternately, you can use melt it in a heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.)
- Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter-crispy mixture. Use a clean spatula to spread it evenly all over. Make some pretty chocolate swooshes if you’d like. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top, followed by the salt.
- Place the baking dish in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to a day. To slice, carefully grab both sides of the parchment paper and lift it out of the baking dish. Use a sharp chef’s knife to make 4 even columns and 4 even rows—to minimize the risk of cracking the chocolate, carefully apply even pressure from above the knife to press straight down, rather than sawing from one edge across.
- These bars will keep well at room temperature for up to 1 week, or for several months in the freezer. Store in an air-tight container either way.
Notes
*Ingredient notes: I used Whole Foods 365 brand of brown rice crisps (found in the cereal aisle) and Guittard’s 46% semisweet chocolate chips. I usually love dark chocolate, so I was surprised that bittersweet chocolate seemed a bit too intense here.
Make it gluten free: Double-check that your ingredients are certified gluten free.
Make it dairy free: Use dairy-free chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand.
Make it vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate chips, such as Enjoy Life brand, and substitute maple syrup for the honey.
Make it nut free: While I haven’t tried, I believe you could substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter, and omit the pecans.
Change it up: You could substitute maple syrup for the honey, substitute another type of nut for the pecans, or omit them altogether. You could also use almond butter or even pecan butter instead of peanut butter. If you love salty chocolate, you could double the amount of salt provided.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
These were delicious! I used about 2/3 honey 1/3 maple syrup and 70% chocolate. I didn’t find dark chocolate too intense here, although I didn’t have enough (roughly 0.5 cup short), so maybe that’s why. I didn’t have a square pan and so used 2 standard loaf pans, and it turned out great!
These are so yummy! The salt on top definitely adds some depth of flavor. I always worry with vegan rice crispie-style treats that they’ll be rock hard. These stay nice and chewy! So easy to make my 4yo helped with each step.
I’m delighted you think so, Meredith! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Made these to share with family on this beautiful Christmas Day! After the melted chocolate layer, I topped them with Butterscotch and White Chocolate morsels, with a sprinkle of chunky salt!I can hardly wait!!!
The flavours in these are great! I’ve made them twice now but, despite significant effort compacting, the base still crumbles when cutting and moving to a storage container. Any tips to help with this? Also, I would aprreciate ideas on what I can use instead of honey to make them a little less sweet.
Thanks!
Hi! Sorry to disappoint about the sweetener, but changing that will impact how they hold together. As for them falling apart. Are you pressing them down firm and letting them chill long enough?
Thanks for the reply. I’m definitely pressing them down firmly, very firmly. I also let them chill overnight before cutting. I guess using the honey is the best bet so I will stick with that. They are incredibly yummy so thanks for sharing this recipe!
This is the first cookie & kate recipe that wasn’t a slam dunk for me. The end result was very crumbly and really couldn’t be eaten as a bar. I ended up using it as a topping on yogurt, which was delicious, just not what I was looking for. The only sub I made was to use natural almond butter (peanut allergy). I wonder if that made it less sticky? I was sure to press down very hard in the pan and chilled as directed. I probably won’t make this one again.
I’m sorry to hear that, Gretchen. The almond butter shouldn’t have been an issue. Did you mix it well prior to using it? How large of pan did you use?
What the heck..??? These are phenomenal! I was looking for a quick and easy dessert option and these seemed like a good fit. They have a lovely peanut crunch. The sea salt and pecans are a perfect addition. I toasted the pecans first for a little more richness. WOW! YUM! I will definitely make these again.
I forgot to rate last time. I just made these again…perfectly sweet and scrumptious…so I give 10 STARS..!
Thank you for coming back, Dave!
These are really tasty!
I was so excited to see this recipe! I made it almost immediately. I did find the cutting part to be a bit difficult to do – do heed Kate’s advice with the even pressure on the knife so the chocolate doesn’t crack.
Of note, I tried this with maple syrup because my honey was running low. The bars were a bit crumbly even though I did press firmly and multiple times with a glass. I’m wondering if the crumbling was due to the maple syrup, which does appear to be less viscous than honey.
Anyway, I love all your baking recipes because they aren’t buttery/oily and make me feel good even though I’m having something sweet :)
Thank you for sharing your experience, Amanda! I appreciate it.
Unfortunately this recipe didn’t work for me at all. I used natural creamy peanut butter and it just wouldn’t melt to the consistency needed, so I had clumps of peanut butter and rice crisps.
Hi Mot, I’m sorry to hear that. Was there any oil that needed to be mixed into your peanut butter? I find it can settle out sometimes if not mixed well.
I loved this sweet treat! As a former sugar addict I always gauge and compare the healthy versions like this one to the versions I ate as a kid and young adult. This did NOT disappoint! The only thing I did differently is I used Adam Natural Peanut Butter Crunchy and it turned out great! Thank you for satisfying the sweet tooth with this one. It is a keeper for sure. :)
I’m glad you loved them, Griff! I appreciate your review.
Hi Kate,
Would crunchy PB mess with or enhance the recipe, in your experience or opinion?
I see pecans are not toasted…the ones on top will become toasted, of course, but do the ones in the batter have as full a flavor or as nice a texture if not toasted in advance?
Finally, what size pan do you recommend if doubling or tripling the recipe!
Thank you for being such a go-to for great sweets and savories!!
Hi, I recommend creamy for the right texture and consistency. I prefer this recipe as written, but toasting the pecans may still work. See the recipe notes for doubling, 9×13 will work.
Made these for my chocolate – peanut butter obsessed Niece two weekends ago. They were delicious , but too crumby. I had too many crumbs left at the bottom of the pan (which were still devoured after the bars were eaten). I imagine I didn’t press down hard enough when I was making them (but I thought I did!) It may have been that my organic peanut butter did not have enough oil in it, as I store it upside down. So next time I’ll make sure I have enough oil in my peanut butter. I also only had a quarter cup of honey so I used half honey and half maple syrup. I may add a little bit more honey next time if I find it’s not moist enough. My niece LOVED them so much (actually everyone did!) that I will make these again and wrap them up for her as a gift for Christmas! Thanks Kate. Loved having this healthy alternative for her when she visited! Ps couldn’t find brown crisps, used Trader Joe’s organic rice crispies.
Hi Karen, I’m sorry you found them crumbly. Let me know when you try them again! I’m glad you were still able to enjoy them.
Just bought some rice crispies and was looking for a low sugar option, yum, made these for my daughter and her friends, but could not stop eating them myself :) I found them a tad sweet so may cut back on maple syrup next time. Thanks Kate!
Any tips on not having the bottom get a touch soggy when storing in the fridge?
Hi Lisa, I’m sorry to hear they are getting soggy. That wasn’t my experience. Are you adding too much honey or is your peanut butter really oily/not mixed well?
Amazing!
Will these freeze well?
It should freeze ok, although I haven’t tried it. Let me know what you think if you try it!
I made these bars as a Christmas treat and they were delicious! My husband loves chocolate peanut butter balls but they are made with cocoa Krispies and lots of powdered sugar, both of which I try to stay away from, and my husband felt these bars hit the spot. I have to agree with Kate in regards to the type of chocolate to use. Kate suggested semi sweet chocolate but I love dark chocolate and felt that it would offset the sweetness of the bars, however the dark chocolate is too rich. Next time I make these I will use Guittard’s semi sweet chocolate chips. Yummy simple recipe! Thanks Kate
These were AMAZING!!! I cannot thank you enough for this recipe – I am entirely useless as a baker, but was able to make these and they just blew us away. Thank you so much from your new followers and biggest fans in Norway!
You’re welcome, Johanna! I appreciaTe your review.
I will never make them any other way! I also put some candied pecan halves on top as I had some left over! So yummy! Thank you!
WOW. These are incredible.
I toasted the pecans in an air fryer first, and I substituted 1 cup of FiberOne cereal for 1 cup of the rice crisps. These may be my new go to dessert for my Whole Food appreciating friends!
That’s great to hear, Helen!
My husband and I love to have one of these in the evenings with a glass of milk. I’ve made them so often that I pretty much have it all down. Pull out the ingredients, line the pan with parchment, warm peanut butter and honey, warm chocolate chips in double boiler, etc. Last night I made them after dinner. By 9 o’clock, we each had one. :-) The hard part is not getting a second one. So far, we’ve maintained our honor. Thanks alot.
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
So good, and not too sweet! We toasted the pecans and used bittersweet chocolate, which we prefer. Thank you!
Oh my, these are AMAZING! I couldn’t find brown rice crispies, so I used plain Rice Crispies (I will search them out next time). They were super easy to make. Tight packing into the pan is the key to prevent crumbling…I spent more time packing the edges/corners and had a few crumble when I cut the center. TIP: I did find that if I cut one column and remove it from the batch before cutting that into squares, they cut easier/cleaner. Didn’t matter to me, I would lick them off the counter if necessary – they are that good.
❤️❤️❤️
I used dark chocolate chips- sugar free
ThaNk you
You’re welcome!
My chocolate did not turn out. All still tasty but not a pretty presentation.. will have too eat them by myself
I microwaved chocolate chips on high- is that correct?
I add a little water~ problem?
I may just your prepared chocolate frosting next time~ opinion?
The overall taste of the bars.
Hi! Adding water would impact your results. I hope you try it again.
I really wanted to love these, but unfortunately they fell apart.
Hi, I’m sorry to hear that. How long did you let them set up?
Wow. This recipe was an awesome base! I used what I had: subbed puffed millet and quinoa for puffed rice, used half and half honey and maple syrup and replaced peanut butter with tahini to make it nut free. I also omitted the pecans. The result was still great! Thank you!
I make this recipe regularly(sans pecans) for my coworkers and my Dungeons & Dragons group, and it’s a big hit with both!
First of all, congratulations Kate (and to your hubby as well) on your baby girl! I hope you are enjoying the roller coaster ride which is motherhood and fatherhood.
I love your recipes because they are not too sweet. These crispy bars are fantastic! The second time I made them, I mixed things up. I substituted half puffed rice and half puffed millet, I used a whole cup of homemade almond, walnut and pecan nut butter, I used 1/2 dark and 1/2 semisweet chocolate and sprinkled roasted pumpkin seeds on top. These are so addictive that I cut them up and froze them so I would not eat them all. I grab one out of the freezer when I head out for a hike.
Thank you, Susan! I’m so delighted you are enjoying my recipes.
Could I use puffed quinoa? That’s what I have on hand and I kinda want to make these right now. Thanks
These are great (and addicting)!
These are SO good, they were a big hit with my family! They remind me of scotcharoos but seemed easier to make. I’ll definitely be making these again. I used regular Rice Krispies since that’s what I had.
I made these squares twice so far and enjoyed them very much. The second time I added dried cherries. MMmm! You and Cookie’s bond in the kitchen reminds of beautiful memories making canine safe versions of meals and treats for my favorite little dog – you two have a beautiful story! I always enjoy your recipes!
Thank you, TL!
We had these at cookbook club and didn’t even wait for the refrigerator part. We loved them just as they were. It meant they didn’t stick together as well at first but we ate them with a spoon. Amazing!
Great to hear, Michelle!
Hi! Make the chocolate crispy bars during a horrendous thunderstorm! Took my California mind off the lightening. I did have to top off the honey with maple syrup ’cause I ran out, and since all I had was crunchy peanut butter, I didn’t add pecans. topped it with tiny bit of kosher salt and Heath toffee bits! Will try to find brown rice crisps when we travel to the city next time–none up here in the boonies! They are quite tasty and planning on making a double batch in the future for a weekend writers conference I am going to in October in Ashland Oregon! Thanks!
I’m glad it turned out, Sharon! I appreciate your review.
This is literally one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. I did a coarse grind in the food processor on toasted pecans instead of chopping. SO GOOD.
Really liked this updated recipe for scotcheroos. Not as sweet as original recipe & definitely more healthy. The salt garnish was perfect to offset sweetness.
Thank you for your review, Peg!
Oh! Oh, my! I do believe I may have to try these out very soon! I don’t eat many sweets, but…this is kind of like a cheater sweet. Not gonna lie. I’m kinda excited now!!! lol
They were delicious but a little crumbly and the chocolate layer was hard to cut…any suggestions? Maybe more peanut butter or add some marshmallows? I tried heating the knife and that made it a little easier to cut, but the crispy part was still crumbly.
I’ll definitely hang on to this recipe! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Ellen!
I love getting your monthly updates. I love your recipes and more importantly, I have loved your tips which I have told many others about. I especially love your “Seriously Good Vegetable Soup”! It’s amazing and quite honestly, it turns out all the time. Now I have to try these fabulous recipes – can’t wait. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome, Joan!
This is a great, flexible recipe. I use regular rice cereal, my store doesn’t carry brown rice cereal. I have made with pecans, walnuts or peanuts for the nuts and like to use a mix of them. I use dark chocolate but only half the amount and it’s plenty bc the dark chocolate is strong. Flipping and cutting from the cereal side will give you clean cuts. So easy! Would be great to bring to a party
Thank you for sharing how you were able to make these, Blythe!
I read a prior comment about using chocolate hazelnut spread as the topping and wanted to “second the motion.” I made these early one morning before work (we had a refrigerator in our department to handle the 2-hr chilling). As a time-saver, I microwaved a 13-oz jar of the spread at 50% power for about 30 seconds to make it more spreadable, then used an offset spatula to add it on top. Quick and easy. A bit sweeter than my first batch made with semisweet chocolate chips. My coworkers kept cutting off more squares!
I’ve made these bars 3 times & the first time they turned out best. Your instructions specify to cook peanut butter & honey on medium heat for 5 minutes. Cooking for 5 minutes is way too long. The first time I cooked until a few bubbles formed & then I removed from heat. I don’t know how long I cooked but probably only 1 1/2 to 2 minutes tops & I reduced heat to low after a first minute. The last two times I followed your instructions & cooked longer on a low heat. Cooking more than a few minutes caused the peanut butter to clump. I have a gas stove top and use quality pan so I think the amount of time is the issue.
I made these without the honey and the sweetness was just right! Great recipe!
Great to hear, Judy!
I was looking for some quick and easy recipes for the Super Bowl and these looked like a great option. Well, they are INCREDIBLE! I think I just found my new favorite shareable dessert. Thanks, Kate!
You’re welcome, Logan!
These are amazing! I used adams peanut butter, kirkland honey and kirkland non dairy semi sweet choc chips, brown rice crisps the first few batches and rice krispies the last batch. No nuts or salt. I think these taste so much better than the karo syrup version. I took some to a friend recovering from injury the first time I made them and now take them to her when i visit each week. She loves them as much as I do! They are one of the best things I have ever eaten and so easy. I cut them when the chocolate is just set and they cut very nicely and not a crumble.
I always read comments before trying a recipe and wonder if the crumbing problem a few people had is from not combing the ingredients completely so that all the cereal is completely covered? Anyways …..that was just my thought….
I would give these 100 stars if I could!
That’s great to hear, Tami! Thank you for sharing.
Seriously good! I made these for a Memorial Day get together…along with a cherry pie. I am left with ZERO bars and 3/4 of a pie! That should tell you something. Keepin’ this recipe!
Made these yesterday and tried them today. They’re delicious, thanks for showing me this recipe!!
Can you sub broken up brown rice cakes for the crisps? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. I don’t know how well they would stick together.
These are AMAZING! My only complaint is that I want to eat the whole pan, they’re so good!
Great to hear, Colleen!
I was looking for a no-bake treat to make and found these. YUMMY!! The hubs is a peanut butter addict so I knew they’d be a hit.
I made a couple of tweaks…I used peanuts because I didn’t have any pecans and I used a small cookie/sheet baking pan instead of the square one because I wanted the bars to be thinner.
This is a great recipe. Super easy. Perfect for summer when it’s too hot to turn the oven on.