Dark Chocolate Peanut Crispy Bars: Crunchy No-Bake Treat

A note to those with peanut allergies in the house: you can easily prepare these with sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, or almond butter — they’ll be just as delicious!

Usually I’m annoyingly healthy. I credit lifelong germophobia for that — frequent handwashing and staying in when everyone else is sick have kept me out of trouble. But when I do get sick, I regress into a big baby. Right now I’m bundled in front of the woodstove with a wastebasket of tissues and a steady stream of hot tea. Proper meals are optional; what I crave are comfort treats and the kind of care only a mom could provide. Since the roads are nasty and Mom has a life, I make my own treats.

As kids, our sick-day ritual included a stop at the corner gas station after the doctor’s visit: Spaghettios and chocolate malt ice cream cups. To me, those tasted just as healing as the day-glo amoxicillin.

The requirements for a true “sick treat” are simple:

It must be easy — no sifting, no fancy knife work.
It should be made from things already in the pantry or fridge.
It has to taste good.
It should make a lot, because treats are best when they’re abundant.

Rice Krispie treats practically shout “childhood,” and these peanutty crispy bars are a grown-up twist on the classic. They skip the marshmallows and lean into peanut butter for a chewy, crispy bar with a rich nutty flavor. They’re incredibly simple — I bet you have everything you need in your cupboards right now. You can leave them plain, or scatter chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips over the hot bars so the chocolate melts glossy; a quick swipe with a spatula smooths it into a shiny coating.

That glossy chocolate melt is a good sign — you know it’s going to be good.

Some tips for working with these bars, chocolate-topped or not:

When pressing the hot cereal mixture into the pan, use a lightly oiled silicone or rubber spatula. The mixture sticks to wooden spoons and it’s too hot to handle with bare hands.
Line the pan with parchment paper that covers the bottom and at least two opposite sides so you can lift the uncut slab out easily. This makes slicing much simpler than trying to cut the bars while they’re still in the pan.
After chilling the bars to firm them up, let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cutting. Cut them too cold and they’ll crumble or tear — trust me, give them time.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Fair warning: they rarely last that long.
The recipe makes a large batch because it uses a full 12-ounce box of crispy rice cereal (about 12 1/2 cups). You can halve the recipe easily if you want a smaller amount — roughly 6 1/4 cups of cereal for a half batch. Or make the full batch and share (or not) with friends, mail carriers, or anyone who deserves a treat.

I’m off to stoke the fire and eat a few more bars in the name of recuperation. Sweatpants and a ponytail are part of the package.

*sniffle*

Peanutty Crispy Bars | Dark Chocolate Covered Peanutty Crispy Bars

Rebecca Lindamood

These chewy, crispy, peanut-forward bars are a fun twist on classic Rice Krispie treats. The texture and flavor may win you over even more than the original.

Ingredients

1 12 ounce box crispy rice cereal or 12 1/2 cups (like Rice Krispies)
2 cups honey or light corn syrup
2 cups granulated or raw sugar
1 cup butter
2 cups peanut butter creamy or crunchy

Optional:

3 cups well-chopped dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Line a 13″ x 18″ half-sheet pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper extends up at least two opposite sides so you can lift the slab out easily. Set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot, melt together the butter, honey or corn syrup, and sugar over medium-low heat. When the butter is fully melted, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute. Remove from heat and quickly stir in the peanut butter until the mixture is smooth. Immediately add all of the crispy rice cereal and gently but quickly combine until each piece is evenly coated and there are no pockets of liquid. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and use a lightly oiled spatula to spread and press it evenly, pushing it into the corners before smoothing the top.

Optional:

If you want a chocolate topping, scatter the chopped chocolate or chips evenly over the warm bars as soon as they’re pressed into the pan. Let stand at room temperature until the chocolate looks glossy and melted (about 5–10 minutes), then spread it evenly with an offset or silicone spatula.
Refrigerate the pan for at least an hour to let the bars set. Before cutting, allow the slab to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to make slicing clean and easy.
Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. For precise nutrition facts, calculate using the exact ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition tool.