Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Crispy Bars

When you need something crunchy yet chocolatey, this is your play.

I’ve made versions of this off and on over the years and have found the right combination of ingredients. This ratio of chocolate to peanut butter to crunch is just what you need when you need a sweet treat. These are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. They take not even 10 minutes to put together, don’t require any baking, and are SO good. Keep reading for the easy how to.

Ingredients:

For the bars:

• 3/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 3 cups puffed rice cereal (I love this no added sugar brand!)

For the chocolate topping:

• 4-6oz chocolate chips depending on how “thick” you want the bar to chocolate ratio to be

• flakey sea salt for sprinkling

Method:

• Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper

• Melt the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and sea salt together in a large pot. Keep whisking it continuously to not “burn” the mixture and get rid of any lumps.

• Add in the rice cereal and mix evenly

• Pour and pat the mixture down into your pan

• Melt the chocolate in a small sauce pan - be careful not to burn the chocolate. Alternately, you can use a double boiler

• Pour and spread the chocolate all over the bars

• Finish them off with flakey sea salt

• Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes

• Take them out and cut into 16 equal squares

• Keep them in the freezer until you’ve enjoyed them all!

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I hope you love these as much as we do! Sometimes I mix up the nut butters depending on what I have in my pantry. These are a great “after school treat” for my son without being too sugary. If you make these, be sure to tag me on Instagram @AshleyPattenPilates and/or comment below!

xx, Ashley