Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are perfect in so many ways. They’re a no-bake treat that’s simple to make. And you’ll love that they’re great for a picnic or a potluck.
Just like with indoor s’mores, these peanut butter rice Krispie treats are sure to bring back a bit of childhood nostalgia. And if your kids are like mine, they’ll adore the modern update using colorful, rainbow chips.
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The recipe inspiration
The short story is that the challenge for last week’s reddit 52 week baking challenge was gelatin. And while I entertained the idea of an avocado aspic, I elected to make the homemade marshmallows recipe from King Arthur baking. And once I had a pan full of marshmallows, I needed to do something with them.
I thought about s’mores bars. Then I realized that this week’s challenge was “picnic.” And what could be better for a summer picnic than something that doesn’t require the oven, are sturdy enough to get bounced around in a picnic basket, and won’t melt or risk giving everyone food poisoning. That’s pretty important when you’re an infectious disease doctor.
Ingredients
This peanut butter Rice Krispie treats recipe is adapted from the recipe on the box. My homemade marshmallows were made with sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla. They have a softer, smoother texture than store-bought marshmallows.
Feel free to use a bag of store-bought marshmallows in this recipe, but I would encourage you to make your own marshmallows at least once.
Kiddo, of course, wanted to add color, so we tossed in some rainbow chips. I like Wilton rainbow chip crunch sprinkles because they’re a bit larger and don’t melt as quickly as regular sprinkles.
Variations and substitutions
- Vary your marshmallow flavor!
- Use any rainbow sprinkles in this recipe. Just work as quickly as possible to incorporate them into the mixture before they melt.
Recipe tips and tricks
Melt the peanut butter and butter together over low heat in a medium to large pot. Then add the marshmallows and stir until they are melted.
There is nothing complicated here. Just be sure to keep the pan on low, and stir to prevent everything from sticking to the bottom.
The next step is the only tricky part.
It’s important to work quickly to combine the peanut butter-marshmallow mixture and the rainbow chips with the cereal before it all cools. You’ll add the rainbow chips at the very end of the mixing to prevent them from melting too much.
Transfer the mixture into the buttered pan, and use a spatula or your hands to spread the mixture evenly into the pan, pushing down on it gently. Let cool, cut, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Right? It’s a made up word, so I think anything goes. Kellogg’s calls them Rice Krispies Treats (TM), but I think that’s hard to say.
Sure. Here are the original instructions. Just add peanut butter.
You can use natural peanut butter in most baking that calls for peanut butter, but you will often get a different texture. You also may need to adjust the salt and sweetness to your liking.
You’ll want to keep them at room temperature, either in the pan and covered tightly with plastic wrap, or in an air tight container with a piece of wax paper in between layers.
Someone on Facebook recently shared a request for recipe posts to show the mess that has to be cleaned up after you make the recipe. I’m guessing the post was intended to be a joke, but I think it’s a great idea. So many recipes underestimate how much time it takes us from start to finish, and none account for the time it takes to clean up!
Related cookie recipes
Check out other Ugly Duckling Bakery easy cookie recipes like:
Or, if you are a peanut butter lover, you should check out:
- Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies or an almond flour peanut butter cookie
- Peanut butter chocolate drip cake
- Waffles with peanut butter
- Peanut sauce for a tofu noodle bowl
- The Peanut Butter Manhattan
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.
Recipe
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with rainbow chips
Ingredients
- 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter not all-natural
- 3 tablespoons (43 grams or 1.5 ounces) unsalted butter plus more greasing the pan
- 10 ounces marshmallows, homemade or store-bought
- ½ cup rainbow chips or sprinkles
Instructions
- Butter a 9"x13" Pyrex or other baking pan.
- Measure out cereal into a large, heat-proof bowl.6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- In a medium to large sized pot, melt the peanut butter and butter together over low heat.½ cup smooth peanut butter, 3 tablespoons (43 grams or 1.5 ounces) unsalted butter
- Add the marshmallows and stir until melted.10 ounces marshmallows, homemade or store-bought
- Quickly stir the peanut butter-marshmallow mixture into the cereal.
- Once it has been mostly mixed, add the rainbow chips and quickly mix.½ cup rainbow chips or sprinkles
- Transfer the mixture into the buttered pan, and use the spatula or your hands to spread the mixture evenly into the pan, pushing down on it gently.
- Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
- Store at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for one week.
Notes
- It is important to work quickly to combine the peanut butter-marshmallow mixture to the cereal before it cools.
- The rainbow chips are added only at the very end to prevent them from melting too much.
Nutrition
These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats were first posted August 15, 2021. The post was last updated May 11, 2023.
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Previous challenges:
Week 1: New Year new recipe – blueberry galette
Week 2: seasonal – Smitten Kitchen’s grapefruit pound cake
Week 3: Great British Bake Off – Kate’s sticky toffee apple caramel cake
Week 4: Australia – sausage rolls
Week 5: bite sized – bite-sized cookies
Week 6: Chinese New Year – mushroom bao
Week 7: new tool – baguette baker
Week 8: chocolate – chocolate peanut butter bonbons
Week 9: timed bake – under 1 hour! chocolate chip scones
Week 10: allergy/diet restriction – macarons
Week 11: quick breads – kale bread
Week 12: signature bake – purple cow bread
Week 13: enriched breads (kale and cheese babka fail)
Week 14: childhood favorite –fudgy triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting
Week 15: decorating challenge – purple velvet cake
Week 16: crispy crunchy – bacon cheddar popcorn
Week 17: p52 of a favorite cookbook, or your favorite blog – chocolate peanut butter drip cake
Week 18: pâte à choux – bacon cheese puffs
Week 19: veggies turned sweet – red velvet beet waffles
Week 20: plating – mini chocolate chip cookies
Week 21: Birthday Party! – chocolate orange cake
Weed 22: Scandinavian – Swedish apple cake v sourdough apple cake
Week 23: Layers – Pecan apple oat bars (post is pending)
Week 24: Tarts – rainbow fruit tart
Week 25: Bagels and donuts – maple donut cake
Week 26: Surprise inside – surprise heart yeast bread (pending)
Week 27: Local favorite – Rainier cherry crisp
Week 28: Seasonal ingredients – blackberry lemon bread
Week 29: French dessert – peanut butter banana clafoutis (a classic with non-classic flavors!)
Week 30: Savory baking – Ooni pizza dough recipe
Week 31: Unusual ingredient – juniper lime drizzle cake
Next week: Brunch
