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Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats topped with melty chocolate peanut butter cups are an easy spin on classic homemade Rice Krispie treats! They’re sweet, chewy, and full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor.

If you love chocolate peanut butter treats like Scotcheroos, wait until you bite into one of these!

Gooey Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats 

This recipe for peanut butter Rice Krispie treats is an oldie, but a goodie! I’ve been making them this way forever and it’s such a simple hack. These homemade Krispie treats are filled with peanut butter, topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and a drizzle of melted peanut butter chips. It’s the best way to have your peanut butter fix AND satisfy a craving for chocolate, too. These bars are chewy, gooey, and irresistibly peanut buttery with a thick layer of chocolate as a bonus. Too good!

Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

  • Chocolate and peanut butter. Need I say more? Ok, you’ve twisted my arm. These peanut butter Rice Krispie bars are DELICIOUS. The peanut butter cups get just the right amount of melty against the warm marshmallow filling. Swoon.
  • Easy to make. Who can forget making marshmallow treats growing up? This is a fun twist on a classic Rice Krispie treats recipe, and it’s just as easy to make.
  • No baking. Give your oven the day off and make these chewy Rice Krispie treats using only your stovetop or the microwave. You can even get the kiddos involved.
The ingredients for peanut butter rice krispie treats topped with peanut butter cups.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Below is a short run-down of the ingredients you’ll need to make these chewy peanut butter Rice Krispie treats. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts and instructions.

  • Crispy Rice Cereal: Whether you buy name-brand Rice Krispies or your favorite generic version, you’ll need about 8 cups of crispy rice cereal.
  • Marshmallows: I like to use mini marshmallows as they melt down quicker and smoother. Feel free to use full-sized marshmallows if that’s what you have on hand (I recommend chopping them up into smaller pieces).
  • Butter 
  • Peanut Butter: Stick with shelf-stable, creamy peanut butter, like the kind from Skippy or Jif. Natural peanut butter tends to separate, and the oil will keep the bars from hardening.
  • Peanut Butter Cups: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, or an off-brand version. I use Reese’s, and I bought the snack-size cups, which are slightly smaller than regular-sized peanut butter cups. They lined up perfectly in the pan! Full-sized Reese’s cups will also work, you just might need to trim them to fit.
  • Peanut Butter Chips: You’ll melt these down to drizzle all over the finished Rice Krispie treats. You can also use regular chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.

How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

I usually make this recipe on the stove, but the microwave works just as well to melt down the butter, marshmallows, and peanut butter. Just make sure that you don’t overheat the marshmallows! Let’s make some peanut butter treats:

  • Line a pan with peanut butter cups. Unwrap your peanut butter cups, and arrange them facing downward in a greased and lined 9×9 pan.
  • Make the marshmallow mixture. Over low heat, combine marshmallows with melted butter. Once fully melted, take the marshmallow mixture off the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Finally, gently fold in the Rice Krispies cereal.
  • Fill the pan. Scoop the rice krispies mixture out into the prepared pan. Press the mixture into an even layer over the peanut butter cups. Leave the peanut butter Rice Krispie treats to cool in the pan.
  • Cut into squares. After 15 minutes, flip the treats out of the pan. Drizzle melted peanut butter chips all over the top of the Krispie treats. Once the drizzle has set, cut your treats into squares and dig in!
Overhead view of peanut butter rice krispie treats cut into squares next to partially unwrapped Reese's peanut butter cups.

Tips for Success

Who else is suddenly craving a peanut butter cup Rice Krispie treat? While you whip up this easy no-baked dessert, keep these tips in mind:

  • Use creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter might separate, resulting in greasy bars that won’t set.
  • Don’t overcook the marshmallows. Overheating the marshmallows can cause them to burn, and your Rice Krispie treats may turn out rock hard. Resist the urge to turn up the heat to make the melting go quicker. Make sure to melt the marshmallows slowly over low heat.
  • If your kitchen is quite warm, consider letting your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats set up in the fridge for a bit. Just don’t store them in the fridge – they’ll get way too hard. See below for detailed storage directions.

Common Questions

How do I keep my Rice Krispie treats from getting soggy?

Make sure to measure out your butter and marshmallows correctly. Too much marshmallow and melted butter can lead to sticky, soggy Rice Krispie treats.

How long should Rice Krispie treats cool before cutting?

Be sure to wait at least 15 minutes for your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats to cool before removing them from the pan and slicing.

Overhead view of assorted peanut butter rice krispie treats drizzled with melted peanut butter chips, next to a peanut butter cup.

Variation Ideas

Here are some easy peanut butter Rice Krispie treat variations:

  • Try chunky peanut butter. If you prefer the extra crunch of chunky peanut butter, go ahead and use it. Just make sure it’s the shelf-stable kind and not natural chunky peanut butter.
  • Add more mini marshmallows. After taking the marshmallow mixture off the heat, stir in the peanut butter and cereal, along with whole mini marshmallows. They’ll make little pockets throughout the treats, and the texture will be even more ooey-gooey!
  • Chocolate drizzle. Instead of melted peanut butter chips, drizzle these bars with melted chocolate, colored candy melts, or chocolate ganache.
  • Use different cereal. In place of regular Rice Krispies, try Cocoa Rice Krispies. Or, make these marshmallow treats with another type of cereal, like Cocoa Puffs, Corn Flakes, or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
A stack of three peanut butter rice krispie treats on a countertop with more krispie treats in the background.

How to Store

  • To Store: Peanut butter Rice Krispie treats are always best on the day they’re made! But you can keep any leftovers airtight on the counter for up to 3 days. Use sheets of parchment paper between any layers. Do not store rice krispie treats in the fridge! They’ll become too hard.
  • Freezer: You can keep these peanut butter Rice Krispie treats in the freezer for up to 2 months. Store the cooled Krispie treats in an airtight container with parchment between layers. Defrost your squares in the fridge before bringing them to room temperature.

More Rice Krispie Treat Recipes to Try

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Overhead view of assorted peanut butter rice krispie treats drizzled with melted peanut butter chips.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

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  • Author: Shelly
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cooling Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats topped with Reese’s peanut butter cups are gooey, chewy, and full of peanut butter and chocolate. An easy spin on classic Rice Krispie treats!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 cups puffed rice cereal (Rice Krispies)
  • 1 (10.5 oz) bag mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 21 peanut butter cups unwrapped
  • 1 cup peanut butter chips (melted)

Instructions

  1. Line a 9×9 pan with foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
  2. Place your unwrapped peanut butter cups face down in your prepared pan. (You might need to cut some in half to make them fit nicely.)
  3. Over low heat melt your butter.
  4. Add your marshmallows to the melted butter and stir until marshmallows are melted.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in your peanut butter.
  6. When the peanut butter is incorporated stir in your krispies.
  7. When combined dump the krispie mixture on top of the peanut butter cups and press evenly in to pan.
  8. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to cool and then flip the pan upside down releasing the krispie treats.
  9. Peel foil back off krispies.
  10. Drizzle your melted peanut butter chips on top of the krispie treats and let set before cutting into squares.

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69 comments on “Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats”

  1. Why can’t I pin this??? Not only does the recipe look freaking amazing but I laughed so hard I got funny looks from my family reading your letter to Kate. I’m with you on this. Pantyhose are just ridiculous. It’s inevitable you will get a run in them within the first hour.

  2. Oh, this recipe sounds wonderful! But, I don’t have the full size Reese’s cups. I only have the mini unwrapped ones in the 8oz. bag. So, how many of those would I use for this same recipe? I want to be sure I have enough, before I’d start making it. Sounds yummy & can’t wait to make it! 🙂

    1. Probably about 2-3 cups of minis…They just need to line the bottom of the pan. You could even coarsely chop them up to cover the bottom too!

  3. Lily @ Sugar and Slice

    gimmegimmegimmegimmegimme
    this is literally a combo of all the tastiest things in the world

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