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Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Bars

posted by Liz Berg on March 27, 2013 (updated 8/18/23)

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Bars are a chocolate, peanut butter cereal treat with 3 irresistible layers! Reese’s fans take note. Peanut butter-laden Rice Krispies are topped with a chocolate peanut butter layer, then a chocolate layer!

Wow, this is a Scotcheroos Recipe on steroids!

2 scotcheroos on a small white ceramic plate.

Table of Contents hide

5 Frequently Asked Questions

6 You May Also Like

7 Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Bars

Why You Must Make

There are THREE layers versus the typical 2 layers in peanut butter rice krispie treats or scotcheroos!
They are a twist on the classic Scotcheroos made with corn syrup, Rice Krispies, and a melted chocolate chip or chocolate and butterscotch chip topping!
They are a fun treat for any peanut butter dessert fans!

I made this Chocolate Peanut Butter dessert for the 3 peanut butter chocolate lovers in the household. When home from college breaks many eons ago, I remember rushing into the kitchen, even before unpacking, to make either pumpkin bread or peanut butter Rice Krispie Treats. I wonder what nutrients my body was missing for me to have such intense cravings?? Maybe my diet of popcorn and Diet Cokes wasn’t nutritionally sound??? I adore the classic Scotcheroos made with peanut butter, corn syrup, Rice Krispies with a topping of melted chocolate chips (my mom’s version did not contain butterscotch chips), so I was dying to try these babies as much for myself as two of my children.

PB Rice Krispie Treats Ingredients with labels on a metal sheet pan.

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Water, Sugar, Butter
Rice Krispies – I used Kellogg’s brand, but a generic brand will work well. Do not use a puffed rice cereal as it is not interchangeable.
Corn Syrup – Light, not dark corn syrup.
Milk Chocolate – I use Ghirardelli Bars, chopped. Chocolate chips will also work, but you’ll need to weigh them.
Semisweet Chocolate – Ghirardelli Bars, chopped.
Creamy Peanut Butter – I used Jif brand.

How to Make

Recipe Tips

Well, these did not disappoint. You Reeses fans MUST try these.

A candy thermometer is necessary to make the base…but this cook’s tool can easily be found at the supermarket. Rice Krispies are mixed with hot sugar syrup to form the base, then a mixture of peanut butter and milk chocolate form the middle layer, and a creamy topping of melted semi-sweet chocolate completes this trifecta of deliciousness.
Don’t pack the rice krispie layer too firmly. You want it level but not overly compressed.
To make perfect, clean-cut squares, first, chill your bars. Then take a large sharp knife and run it under very hot water, wipe it dry, cut, wipe, reheat, and repeat.
Store in the refrigerator so the chocolate doesn’t get too soft.
If you want to stack your bars in a container, place a piece of wax or parchment paper between layers.

When Tom was over for one of our Sunday night family dinners, I told him he could take some of these home. Katie’s look of exasperation said it all…she did not want her brother to abscond with HER bars. So you might want to break out the 9 x 13 and make a double batch. They are totally delectable and capable of starting a family feud…though my two oldest agreed to split the remainder of these bars 50-50. Whew.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats on a narrow white tray.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do Rice Krispie Treats Get Hard?

If you pack the Rice Krispie mixture with a heavy hand when adding it to the pan, the compressed RKTs can be hard to bite into. Also, with this version, if you overcook the sugar syrup, the bottom layer could possibly reach the hard crack stage, making it brittle when it cools, but this is less likely.

Can you make this in a 9 x 13-inch pan?

Yes, but you’ll want to double the recipe.

Are Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats a good pre-workout snack?

Regular Rice Krispie Treats are made with rice krispies, butter, and marshmallows, so they’re packed with simple carbohydrates. So a snack like the traditional RKTs would provide almost instant energy if eaten before working out. This version has more fat from the chocolate and peanut butter, so they’d take a little longer to digest and not as helpful to for eat pre-workout as a source of energy.