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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Dessert

    Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

    Published: Dec 9, 2022 by Susie Weinrich · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

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    pin image for pb rice krispie treats

    These are the chewiest and most delicious Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats you will make! The secret here is that you don’t use marshmallows or butter in the mix, like traditional Rice Krispie treats. Instead using sugar and light karo syrup allows the peanut butter flavor to SHINE.

    a stack of rice krispies with a glass of milk

    A similar recipe you will love are these Classic Scotcheroos. The Peanut Butter Rice Krispies are topped with a chocolate and butterscotch frosting! It’s a classic Midwestern treat.

    Table of Contents hide
    1 No Marshmallows Required
    2 Ingredients
    3 Step by Step How To
    4 Recipe Tips
    5 More Delicious “Bar” Desserts
    6 Did you make this recipe?!
    7 Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Recipe

    No Marshmallows Required

    You are in luck if you are fresh out of marshmallows, you can still make these peanut butter treat bars!

    A marshmallow is basically made of sugar, gelatin and corn syrup. So instead of using the marshmallows we really only need the sugar and light Karo syrup, that combined with the peanut butter is enough sticky binding ingredients to pull everything together.

    Ingredients

    Just 4 simple ingredients are needed to make Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats. Here are a few tips on 3 of the ingredients:

    4 ingredients to make peanut butter rice krispies treats
    Clockwise: puffed rice cereal, creamy peanut butter, sugar, light Karo Syrup

    Karo Syrup: this is basically a sweet corn syrup. Make sure you purchase the “light” it will be clear in color. You will find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

    Peanut Butter: You will want to purchase creamy peanut butter. I would stay clear of the “natural” style peanut butters that sometimes have the oil and nut butter separated. This is a good time to buy Jif or Skippy or the similar store brand.

    Puffed Rice Cereal: The brand name for this is Rice Krispies, but the store brand or off brand, sometimes called Puffed Rice Cereal, will work just fine!

    Step by Step How To

    This treat will come together super quick! Ready:

    1. Prep an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with non stick spray.
    2. Place a large pot over medium-low heat.
    3. Add the karo syrup and sugar. Let it melt over the heat but not boil!
    4. Stir in the peanut butter until it melts completely.
    5. Stir in the puffed rice cereal.
    6. Turn out into your prepared 8×8 pan.
    7. Press them into the pan.
    peanut butter rice Krispies pressed in an 8x8 pan

    Recipe Tips

    • Start with a large pot so you can add all 6 cups of cereal in with the peanut butter, this will limit the number of dirty dishes!
    • Prep your pan with non stick spray.
    • Don’t let the Karo Syrup and Sugar mixture boil, that will turn your Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats into rocks!
    • Wet your hands when pressing the treats into the 8×8 pan, this prevents the sticky treats from sticking to your hands!
    • These are pretty sweet little treats, cut them into smaller squares than you would a traditional Rice Krispie Treat.

    More Delicious “Bar” Desserts

    • Frosted Banana Bars
    • Foolproof Chewy Scotcheroos Recipe
    • Cherry Pie Bars
    • Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Susie Weinrich washing produce

    Did you make this recipe?!

    If you make this recipe I would love to hear your review. Pop down to the comment section and connect with me.

    Then sign up for our Weekly Newsletter so you never miss a new recipe!

    Rate This Recipe
    a stack of peanut butter Rice Krispie Treats

    Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Recipe

    Super chewy and sweet Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats. No marshmallows or butter required for this recipe!
    These are very similar to Scotcheroos.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Cooling: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 16 bars
    Calories: 232kcal
    Author: Susie Weinrich

    Equipment

    • 8×8 baking dish

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup light Karo Syrup
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup (heaping) creamy peanut butter
    • 6 cups puffed rice cereal (ex. Rice Krispie Cereal)
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you are cooking!

    Instructions

    • Prep an 8×8 (or 9×9) pan by spraying with non stick spray. Set aside.
    • Place a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the Karo Syrup and sugar.
      1 cup light Karo Syrup, 1 cup sugar
    • Let that melt together but do not let it boil!!
      Pro Tip: if this mixture boils it will turn your bars into rock hard treats!!
    • Stir in the peanut butter until it melts in completely.
      1 cup (heaping) creamy peanut butter
      karo syrup, sugar and peanut butter in a pot
    • Now stir in 6 cups of puffed rice cereal. It may be hard to stir.
      Pro Tip: Make sure you are stirring all the way to the bottom to get all the peanut buttery deliciousness!
      6 cups puffed rice cereal
    • Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Press it into an even layer all the way to the corners of the pan.
      Pro Tip: Wet your hands before pressing the sticky treats, this will prevent them from sticking to your hands.
    • Let the bars cool and set for about an hour before cutting.

    Cutting

    • You can cut them one by one out of the pan.
      OR
      You can run a knife around the edge of the pan and then turn it out. Cut into squares and then store in an air tight container for up to week.
    • These are a very sweet treat, cut them into 16 squares. (4×4 in your pan)

    Freezing

    • You can also freeze these bars in a freezer baggie. They will be good for up to 3 months.
      Thaw at room temp before serving.

    Notes:

    SCOTCHEROOS: if you love these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie you may also like this recipe for Scotcheroos. It is a similar rice cereal treat, but it is topped with a chocolate and butterscotch frosting.
    Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!
    Jump to Comments
    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.5mg

    If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.

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    About Susie Weinrich

    Susie Weinrich is the recipe developer, food photographer, and content creator behind Mom's Dinner. She has over 20 years experience in the food industry. Currently, Susie shares all her recipes and food knowledge on Mom's Dinner. You will find her recipes are easy to follow and full of tips and tricks to make sure the recipe you are making turns out perfect!

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