crispy peanut butter bars

What happens when you marry a Reese’s peanut butter cup to a classic rice crispy treat? Crispy peanut butter bars are born! And these little gems are SUCH a good time!

why crispy peanut butter bars

Just when you think it can’t get any better, they are much healthier than the aforementioned treats! These low calorie bars are made with dark chocolate, natural peanut butter (or almond butter), sprouted brown rice crisp cereal, vanilla, honey and coconut oil.

I got really excited when I discovered brown rice cereal because I saw it’s potential in recipes. It’s a healthier version of its white counterpart and it adds the perfect crunch! I immediately started thinking about all of the crunchy sweets I could create!

Btw, not sure what it says about a person who gets really excited over brown rice cereal.

These crispy peanut butter bars take 7.6 minutes to throw together.

Alright, I didn’t actually time it but it’s very quick. You can swap out the peanut butter for almond butter if there’s a peanut allergy in the house and they’ll be just as good.

preparing the peanut butter bars

To make the peanut butter part, warm the honey and peanut butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds so that it’s easy to spread. I used homemade peanut butter which isn’t as thick as store-bought so I didn’t even need this step. If you find your peanut butter is easily spreadable, go ahead and skip heating it. Careful not to over cook – the point is to simply make it spreadable. Add that with the vanilla to the brown rice cereal.

Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper and place the rice cereal combo into the bottom of the pan and push down. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes to help it set.

making the chocolate topping

Now, prepare the chocolate! You can use a double-boiler or keep it simple and microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30 seconds intervals. Make sure you stir after each 30 seconds. Do not overcook – just get to a point where it’s smooth and spreadable. Spread onto the rice crispy top.

Put back in fridge to set. After it hardens, about 10 minutes, cut into squares. It’s best to keep these refrigerated so chocolate doesn’t melt.