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Peanut butter cup rice krispie treats are chewy, crunchy, and loaded with that classic chocolate-and-peanut-butter combination.
Rice krispie treats are so much fun to make, especially with kids. Whether it’s a batch of classic rice krispie treats, chocolate rice krispie treats, or brown butter rice krispie treats, they’re a treat that kids love to make and kids and adults both love to eat.
With Halloween coming up, I wanted to have some fun and play around with a decadent chocolate version of this crowd favorite. I saw someone on TikTok use peanut butter Cap’n Crunch to make cereal treats recently and knew what I needed to do.
So here are peanut butter rice krispie treats! They’ve got two kinds of cereal and tons of peanut butter and chocolate for a treat that everyone will love.
DECADENT PEANUT BUTTER CUP RICE KRISPIE TREATS
These peanut butter rice krispie treats are the definition of over-the-top decadence. But I dunno about you, but I think that is kind of expected leading up to Halloween.
These treats have peanut butter and chocolate packed into each step.
The marshmallow base has creamy peanut butter melted in, the cereal is a combination of Cocoa Krispies and peanut butter Cap’n Crunch, and the topping is a combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
See? I told you they were decadent. They are also the perfect mix of chewy from the marshmallows and crispy from the Cap’n Crunch.
I topped them with a bag of mini peanut butter cups, but if you’re serving these at a Halloween party, you could take a page out of my Halloween rice krispie treats and top them with seasonal sprinkles instead.
If you love that classic pairing of peanut butter and chocolate, these are the krispie treats for you!
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER CUP RICE KRISPIE TREATS
Like so many of my krispie treats recipes, these peanut butter rice krispie treats are so easy and fun to make. Kids really love helping to make these!
Ingredients you’ll need
This recipe uses a few more ingredients than my standard krispie treats, but they all help add that peanut butter and chocolate flavor.
You’ll need:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 packages mini-marshmallows
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
- 5 cups Cap’n Crunch’s Peanut Butter Crunch cereal
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
- 1 bag Reese’s Minis Unwrapped
Cocoa Krispies and peanut butter Cap’n Crunch are both available year-round, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them no matter what time of year you decide to make these.
Look in the baking aisle by the chocolate chips for the peanut butter baking chips. I typically find the Reese’s Minis Unwrapped in the candy aisle.
Feel free to use other brands of peanut butter baking chips or mini peanut butter cups if you like; I just happen to like the Reese’s brand because I know my store always has it.
Making this recipe
For a lot of my krispie treat recipes, I recommend using a 9×9-inch pan for thick, bakery-style treats. For this recipe, though, I recommend using a 13×9-inch pan because the treats are easier to eat when they’re a little bit thinner.
To prepare your pan, line it with foil or parchment paper and then spray that with nonstick spray. This will help when it comes time to remove the treats from the pan.
Next, grab a large pot. I like to use my big dutch oven for this so I have plenty of room.
Melt the butter, then add all but 2 cups of the marshmallows. Set the 2 cups of marshmallows aside for later.
Stir until the marshmallows are melted, then add the peanut butter and stir until the mixture is smooth.
Now take the pan off the heat and add the salt and vanilla, then gradually add the two cereals. Once the cereal is well coated, fold in the reserved marshmallows. Some may melt down a bit, but others won’t melt much at all – that’s what we want.
Now use a buttered spatula or greased hands to gently press the mixture into your prepared pan. I try not to push the bars down too firmly; I like to keep my peanut butter rice krispie treats more gooey than brick-hard.
For the topping, add the chocolate chips and the peanut butter chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at half power in 30-second increments, stirring after each. Repeat until the mixture is melted and smooth.
Spread the melted chips over the treats and immediately top with the mini peanut butter cups.
Cool completely before cutting and enjoying.
FAQS
Are these peanut butter rice krispie treats gluten free?
As written, these peanut butter rice krispie treats are not gluten free. This is because Rice Krispies (and Cocoa Krispies) cereal contains malt, and Cap’n Crunch contains oats that are not certified gluten free.
For a true gluten free version, look for gluten-free certified versions of chocolate crispy rice cereal and peanut butter puffs cereal. Check for these in the natural foods section of your grocery store.
Depending on the severity of the gluten intolerance or allergy you are baking for, make sure your other ingredients are certified gluten-free as well.
Why do you recommend using Jif or Skippy creamy peanut butter?
When I’m making recipes like these peanut butter rice krispie treats or peanut butter balls, I like using Jif or Skippy creamy peanut butter because I think it’s the smoothest and incorporates the best with other ingredients.
I don’t like using natural peanut butter here because it tends to be too grainy. The no-stir natural versions of both Jif and Skippy are fine to use, though.
How should you store these treats?
Store peanut butter rice krispie treats at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 packages mini-marshmallows 10-ounces each, divided use
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
- 5 cups Cap’n Crunch’s Peanut Butter Crunch cereal
For the Topping
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter baking chips
- 1 bag Reese’s Minis Unwrapped 7.6-ounces
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large pan, melt butter over low heat. Set aside 2 cups of marshmallows. Add the rest of the marshmallows to the pan and stir until completely melted. Add in the peanut butter and stir until the peanut butter is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sea salt and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Gradually add in the cereal; stirring until well coated. Fold in the reserved 2 cups of marshmallows and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Using a buttered spatula or clean, buttered hands, gently press the mixture into the prepared pan. Don’t push too firmly or you’ll lose a bit of the ooey-gooey factor that we’re looking for.
- Combine chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chips at 50% power in 30-second intervals; stirring after each 30-second interval until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Spread this mixture over the peanut butter cup rice krispie treats and immediately top with the bag of Reese’s Minis Unwrapped cups.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is so Delicious
THESE PRECIOUS BABIES ARE A DELICIOUS TREAT. ANYTHING CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER, YOU KNOW IS GOING TO BE YUMMY.
So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback.
-Jamie
Great Recipes Thanks For Sharing God Bless You & God Bless America lll
Hello-
So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving y our feedback. Have a great day and happy baking!
-Jamie