People, these things are nothing but trouble, so whatever you do, don’t do this:
Do not start with a bowl of vaguely healthful and intensely fortified bowl of Snap, Crackle and Pop.
Do not boil some sugar, because obviously unsweetened cereal will not do.
(Try not to do this to your lens, either, when you take a picture.)
Do not mix the caramel with the Krispies and press them into a pan.
Definitely don’t melt some chocolate and peanut butter together.
Or do this.
And this.
Then this.
Or sit back and scratch your head as they disappear, because there’s only two of you at home. Just don’t, okay?
I’m sorry, are you still there? I figure that by now, half of you rebels have already run to the grocery store to buy your first box of Rice Krispies in half a lifetime, and the other half of you are appalled, simply appalled, at the syrupy, overindulgent, processed and fattening “treats” we Americans are so fond of.
Well, here’s a warning to those of you in the latter camp (those of you in the former one already know this): these bars will win you over. I wholly admit that as awesome as they sound, I really made them because I live with a 3rd grader 34 year old that has only one reaction to the suggestion of chocolate and peanut butter: WANT.
But when I first tried them, I was a little taken aback. The crispy layer crumbled to the point that I couldn’t get a clean cut and I thought the peanut butter layer was too thick and sweet. Were I a more patient cook this week–you see, I am quietly considering partaking in this NaBloPoMo madness again this year, because I never learn, which would mean that I should preserve my cooking energy–I might have tried it over again with a few tweaks…
But a day or two later now, they’ve completely won me over and I now realize why the Baked boys say that this is, hands down, the most popular refrigerated bar they make at the bakery. Curious about the others? The Raspberry Breakfast Bars and Baked Brownies weren’t enough for you? (And how could they be, with as yet un-auditioned recipes for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies and S’more Nut Bars and Butterscotch Pudding Tarts?) You’ve got to get your own copy.
Chocolate and peanut butter, previously: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake, Peanut Butter Brownies and Peanut Butter Cookies
One year ago: Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
Two years ago Bretzel Rolls
Peanut Butter Crispy Bars
Adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
These bars are sticky and indulgent and not good for you in any way, so before you even ask, perhaps you can make them with organic, low-fat peanut butter, whole grain bio-crisped rice cereal or a sugar substitute but you shouldn’t. Nobody likes a party pooper.
For the crispy crust
1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted (their recommendation) or salted (what I used, and liked) butter, melted
For the milk chocolate peanut butter layer
5 ounces good-quality milk (their recommendation) or semi-sweet (what I’d use next time) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter
For the chocolate icing
3 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72 percent cocoa), coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted (their recommendation) or salted (what I used, and liked) butter
Make the crispy crust: Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan.
Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan. Gently add the sugar and corn syrup (do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 degrees F.
Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.
Make the milk chocolate peanut butter layer: In a large nonreactive metal bowl, stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.
Make the chocolate icing: In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread (actually, I found it easier to just roll it around until it coated smoothly, avoiding the risk of picking up any of the peanut butter layer with it) into an even layer. Put the pan into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the topping hardens.
Cut into 9 (they say, I say 16, at least!) squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.
Quel formidable!
This bar reminds me of one I used to eat from a natural food store, except it had hazelnut and chocolate praline mixture.
The chocolate mixture would also be good to try with hazelnut butter. Miam!
“perhaps you can make them with organic, low-fat peanut butter, whole grain bio-crisped rice cereal or a sugar substitute but you shouldn’t. Nobody likes a party pooper.”
So true, if you’re gonna make a bars with sugar, rice krispes, peanut butter and chocolate, don’t try and get around the fact that it’s not good for you (but good all at the same time). I also live with a man, who could live on peanut butter alone. I think I might have to make this.
I saw pictures from this recipe show up on your flickr stream and I about flipped! I love scotcharoos and I was literally repeatedly refreshing your blog in my anticipation for the recipe. They look amazing and I can hardly wait to make them, thanks!
My husband is a peanut butter fanatic and happens to have a birthday coming up…looks like I’ll be forced to make these unhealthy and delicious looking treats. ;-)
Oh. my. goodness.
i have died and gone to chocolate-peanut butter heaven.
what are you doing to me? I’m drooling over here at my desk which isn’t very attractive. :)
Those look AMAZING.
For some reason, where I grew up (Ontario), these were called Molly bars.
mmhhh i saw the pumpkin whoopie pies last week on martha! i was so excited since I usually don’t watch (except when one of my favorite food bloggers is on [sorry im a suckup]) and that I randomly tuned into something I really wanted to see was a pleasant surprise.
I think I need to buy canned pumpkin in bulk because I have way too many recipes I want to make this year!
oh and of course those bars look GREAT.
I don’t know anyone in the latter group – and if I did I would wag my finger at them for shame! ;)
WANT.
Yeah, I’m totally making these bad boys and SOON!
Oh Deb. What are you doing to me??! I avoid corn syrup like the plague with a single exception for my bourbon pecan pie during the holidays. You are sorely tempting me to add another exception…oh it’s all downhill from here!
Oh man. I MIGHT have to go buy a box of ‘crisped rice cereal.’ Deb, you are an evil temptress of the highest order.
just when I was thinking I’d stop baking in time for that winter beach holiday I’m taking…. these look simply scrumptious.
I tried these already and they were super yummy :-) Maybe they had a slight variation cause they contained a mashmallow layer :-) yummy just the same
WANT…WANT…WANT…
I just happen to have every single ingredient in my home, including half a box of stale crisp rice.
mmmm…like scotcheroos…with more peanut butter…mmmmmmm
i so wil not not be making these.
Ok, so I had a dream over the weekend where I was craving those exact things – and then I woke up and had one nagging question — BUT HOW??? I think it’s safe to say that this book is en route to my apartment as I type this — so much for discipline in not buying anything that isn’t essential. :-)
Looks lethal! :D
My goodness, who can resist chocolate and peanut butter? I never buy boxed cereal, but I’m thinking it will end up in the grocery bag next time I am at the store. Stunning.
but you make them look so classy!!! :) sounds tasty but gosh, too fiddly for me in my norway kitchen! layers?? when I am in my home kitchen, I bet I will think differently.
OMG, what a fantastically “dirty” treat! Ever so scrumptious! What killer bars!
Cheers,
Rosa
definately not going to make these… yup
Oh, this is too good. I want to make it so badly, but boilinmg sugar scares me. Can I just leave my family and move in with you?
Debra,
You are killing me with all these baking posts!!!!
I can’t wait till spring for some salads?????? (maybe not!).
Stacey
You are the devil incarnate.
you can’t do this b/c i just made the chocolate peanut butter brownies you posted awhile back. dang.
If I were a swearing woman, I’d swear right now.
These look like a variation on my hands-down favorite bar Scotchies, which is Special K cereal mixed with the sugar-y corn syrup then slathered thickly with choco-pb icing. They are cookie/bar crack…..no one can eat only one and before you know it you are nauseatingly over-stuffed and jonesing on the sugar buzz.
But, really…..who cares when they are THAT good?!
I’m doing NaBloPoMo this year…..yes, I know I am crazy.
yum! we used to make a variation of this in college, with special K cereal. I’m certain butterscotch chips were also involved. mmm…
OMG, Deb. You answered all my pregnant dreams today. I think I love you.
ok. so I ran out the door so fast that I forgot my keys….LOL! Just grabbing keys…Bye.. Hello Rice Krispies~~
Wow! Those are naughty. I think I might make them this weekend while the kids are all home with friends. They will be gone in a matter of seconds. =)
I just got my Baked cookbook! My boyfriend keeps making fun of me because I read it before bed like a novel. But seriously, I can’t wait to make every single recipe in there – especially the Malted Milk Ball Chocolate Cake (or whatever it’s called).
If Alex likes these, try Scotcharoos. Those things are almost the same, but they put the p. butter in the krispies and then do a mix of choc/butterscotch chips on top. Ten times better. Just as simple.
See, what will happen if I make these is that the whole pan will be devoured within three days. And no, I wouldn’t share them, they’d solely be engulfed by yours truly. So, if I make these, should I send you my doctor’s bill because I’m sure my arteries will be clogged with all things fatty? And, I should probably send you my bill for new jeans since my butt won’t fit in to my old pairs…
That’s funny, I actually did that to my camera like 5 minutes ago.
These look awesome! I know what I’d doing tonight…
I can’t tell you how much I love your writing and food porn-esque photos. These sound like pure evil, a pure evil that I would very much like to consume. Thanks for entertaining me/fattening me up!
Oh my Lord, why are you so mean? Now of course I can’t think about anything else.
When I made these, I found the rice crispy layer was really hard to bite through. Did you have that problem?
Deb..now you’re cookin! I love crispy bars. These look like…SOON!
I have to tell you (I should be ashamed. and I sorta am, but not really) I made my 3rd (yes, 3rd) batch of the caramel sauce from the recipe you provided. I mixed some of it with some peanut butter and piped it on some apple slices and sprinkled them with finely chopped peanuts. OooMG..too good. Now that I see this recipe, I realize it would have been even better with a drizzle of chocolate. But not much!
Give me a break! These are so healthy. Especially with dark chocolate, which I love and “they” have now decided is really good for you, plus peanut butter – very nourishing and rice cereal. The little bit (only 3 tablespoons + 1/2 teas.) of corn syrup and only 1/4 cup of sugar, is quite moderate, I’d say, especially when divided over 16 bars. Hey, I’m going to make and ENJOY, without ANY guilt. So there.
Please please please go for NaBloPoMo! I’m already deep into some sort of baking and cooking haze and I would see it as my own personal challenge to try and keep up with the recipes you would provide. God bless all that wonderful Fall, pre-holiday energy!
OMG these would be gone in two seconds in our house. These are a must make on a Sunday and bring all leftovers to the office first thing Monday morning to prevent obscene amounts of weight gain!
These are soooo going on my list of Holiday goodies to bake and give away in December! My friends, landlord & boss are gonna be happy (and fat) this year!
Oh.My.Word…….
I did a TERRIBLE thing about a month ago. I purchased Baked, Sky High, and Baking From My Home To Yours all at the same time. If you don’t hear from me again soon, I’m in a sugar coma!
Your posts are always so wonderful and so are the pictures…tisktisk for putting your lens over boiling sugar!!!!!!
Claudia-
A friend of mine told me that a cacao bean is a legume…we can all rest easy!!!! (I hope there is some truth to that or else I am in real trouble!!!!)
These look fantastic! I have to make them for my husband! “Crispy rice treats” always, always, always had a couple of tablespoons of peanut-butter mixed in with the marshmallow which ruined my chance of ever enjoying the “standard” growing up. Also insuring that i can eat an entire 9×13 pan by myself.
My daughter says, “it’s good, it’s for me…it’s good for me!” I can’t wait for this to find its way to my mouth. Also, you are a cook after my own heart. I have no use whatsoever for unsalted butter. None.
My grandma always makes these for christmas! Her mother always called them “scotch-a-roos” they are devilishly delicious, and highly addictive.
I looked at that first picture as the page loaded and said, out loud, “holy crap.” Those have all the qualities of a perfect decadent food.
Irene, good idea on the using these for holiday treats! Now I have another reason to make them! Or maybe for that Halloween party…. *drools*
I can see my kids and husband liking me a whole lot more if I make these for them. Everything that I have made from your site has been a HUGE hit. Thanks.
Damn your reverse psychology! I will make them…..you can’t tell me not to! Aaaaargh.
This looks amazing! I love peanut butter and chocolate together. I’ve made something similar to this before and it was so addicting!
um, yeah! that’s what I’m talking about. it’s getting cold and it’s time to get fat. and happy. woohoo!
Please, pppppppppplllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeeeeee NaBloPoMo! You don’t have to post recipes every day…
Hi TCros — Yes! The base is quite hard in some places. I have questioned whether adding a tablespoon of cream at the end (a la caramel sauce) would keep it from getting overly hard, but this is just another of the notions I haven’t gotten to retesting before posting this. In the end, I think they’re good enough (more than!) but I would like to try a few adaptations next time.
I will eat anything that has peanut butter, chocolate, sugar & RK. Mine are done a bit different. I should try this recipe someday because these looks so yummy.
just checked out your appearance on martha (my first time on her website after about a year of loving yours). you looked fabulous, and though i like looking at cute things, i definitely would have cut out cute overload to hear more about your blog. that said, do you think these would ship well, like, to austria? non-express?
ps. the best part was when perez hilton asked martha if her earnings numbers were accurate. ha!
mouth.watering…thanks! :)
OH EXTRA YUMMY! I have been looking for this kind of a recipe for a very long time. I made almost an exact dessert when I was 19 years old and going to church camp and never really bothered looking for it again and here it is but with rice crispies added! Thank you. :)
Michelle
A simpler version mixes sugar & the syrup, bring to a boil, add the pbutter, then the rice crispies. Pat into a buttered pan. Melt chocolate & butterscotch chips together and spread over the top. Chill to firm. Hide from my Farmer or there will not be any left for anyone else.
I’ll be making some tomorrow to give him energy while he’s harvesting corn.
Regarding the hard crust. Brittles use baking soda in them to foam the syrup so that it incorporates some air to lighten the candy. So..maybe adding 1/2 tsp of soda might work? Oh, and don’t pack the mixture into the pan too firmly might help too. Learned that the hard way. No pun intended!
OH, peanut butter…one of my favorite foods. Mixed with sugar and chocolate? How can you go wrong with that. Really, how can you?
Goodness me… peanut butter and chocolate… plus caramel… plus crunch. Mmmm… Americans have such a knack for pulling loud flavours together so very harmoniously! After living in the States for 2 years but now back home in Australia, I am missing my weekly (ok daily) peanut butter fix – time to go rebel too!
Deb,
I think it is funny that you referred to your husband as a 3rd grader. It was just yesterday that I asked my husband why I am married a third grader. (He’s 38!) They are perpetually 8 years old. : ) It can be endearing, then again…..
These look terribly good. I might have to wait to make them so that I can share with others. Christmas isn’t too long to wait. Thanks for the sinful recipe!
Yum yum yum yum yum
(evil grin)
That was the first recipe I dialed in on in that book. I was going to use my precious stash of Rice Krispies to try it, but when I measured out the peanut butter that I was saving for a (very) special occasion, that I was keeping in my fridge, I was dismayed that it was off my just a tiny smidgen, so I couldn’t make them.
I guess I should blame my house guest who swiped a taste. Or her husband.
oooooh deb, thank you so much for posting this recipe.
like others, I have been lusting after them since they appeared on flickr :O)
i really wish the baked cookbook didn’t have to mail from america or i’d have got a copy a loooong time ago. (well, i suppose after it was released which wasn’t that long ago).
i shall be trying this one this evening :O) xx
DEB!!! THE PHOTOS AREN’T LOADING!!! :0(
Wow! (As I wipe off the drool.) This may be what I take to to a potluck party Saturday. Thanks, Deb!
Hmmm? These are already gluten free. No messing with substitutions. You ARE an evil temptress!
Every time you post pix of chocolate and peanut butter I swoon. Oh these bars look amazing!
I am a HUGE fan of Peanut Butter and Chocolate, but I found out a year ago I was getting more and more allergic to peanuts! (Horrible, I know…) but is there a way to make this with cashew butter or something else? Would the chocolate by itself be ok? ? Thanks!!!
Is anyone having trouble with the photos loading?
Glutenfree — Sweet! Perhaps I will update these with my almost never-used gluten free tag.
Susan — That is great advice. I always put a pinch of baking soda in brittles or I find them tooth-breakingly unpleasant.
Kristen — I am sure you can try it with another type of nut butter; I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but of course, let us know how it goes. I am sure there are other peanut allergies out there.
Goodness these look delicious. Sometimes I think the most crumbly, fall-apart things turn out to be the best tasting!
Deb – there are days where I click on “you” on my favorites bar, and as the first glorious photos start to load, I say out loud “Oh dear Sweet Jesus!” Today is one of those days. And then I get embarrassed because everyone in my office thinks I’m praying or something, and I’m totally NOT, I’m wasting time on the internet! Could you please put some of these yummies in a box and ship them north? express?
Deb, I think I have gained 5 pounds just by looking at these bars. Uh, uh… Make it 10. :)
Wait a minute!! Just checked back – they’re loading properly now (phew!!). And now I’m about to faint, since those photos are the EPITOME of food porn!! :-D
I see a game night snack in my future!! My husband will die over these, he is also a 3rd grade chocolate peanut butter freak! ;)
Not for me…too rich, but obviously 82 other people disagree. I loved your inclusion of the ‘fogged’ lens photo because it has happened so many times to me. The worst is at a dimly lit restaurant where you may not realize it till you’re home, the meal is digesting happily in your belly, and your upload looks like morning mist coming over the mountain.
We’ve made a similar version of these in our family for years…they are like crack-coated rice krispies. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the husband doesn’t like them…which means more for me!
WANT! I’m definitely making these for a Halloween party. I hope nobody there likes peanut butter lol
I see we had similar ideas yesterday…different execution, but similar ideas. The taste of my bars were phenomenal, but they weren’t the most photogenic bars I’ve ever created. Also, my peanut buttery-chocolatey-crispy rice mixture was the topping instead of the base.
In whatever form these ingredients take, all variations of these bars are delicious and dangerous to the waistline!
I love love love your photos, deb!! I always end up fogging up my lenses when I’m taking a photo of something that is boiling too. =) These look amazing!
These look Dangerous. I can’t wait to make these.
Thank you, Deb, for your spectacular brownie/bar recipes!! I owe you — I made the Spiced Up Baked Brownies for my company’s brownie contest — they were hands down the best brownies I’ve ever made. And I won Most Original! (Credit, of course, to Baked).
A colleague made brownies similar to these PB Crispy Bars, but with an added layer of marshmallow fluff. YUM.
Oh, and I made a gluten-free, egg-free version of the Spiced Brownies last night for a GF friend — used buckwheat and white rice flours, and Ener-G egg replacer…Wonderful results. You are the best!
I simply loved you blog. Your recipes and photos are stunning!
I’ll be back soon :)
Oh.My.God. Another chocolate/peanut butter treat. It just might cure my cold! Or at least feed my soul.
OMG! I’m off to get the rice crispies NOW! Can’t wait to try this.
I swear, sometimes you just read my mind! I am throwing a Halloween party and decided I will bake some goodies. I was looking at a recipe that is ALMOST identical to this one except with marshmallows added for extra gooeyness.
Have any ideas how I can incorporate marshmallows into this recipe??
Instead of making the caramel base, I suspect you all could make a thin layer of rice krispies treats as the base instead. I would do a half (for full thickness) or quarter of the standard recipe (for a thickness closer to what you see above). Plus, you could entirely avoid using a candy thermometer!
sweet baby jesus.
Deb, you forgot to mention “Do not lick your computer screen while viewing these amazing pictures.” Surprisingly unsatisfying, even with something so obviously delectable.
So last night, after two rigorous volleyball games (which we LOST), my husband wanted brownies. I couldn’t help but oblige, but when I got to my laptop (whose home is on my kitchen counter so I can easily refer to all things Smitten and Illustrated) I remembered these little devils. I only had milk chocolate chips, a 9×9 pan and about zero patience, so the crispy layer is pretty thin and the second two layers pretty much became one – but…oh la la! SO. FREAKIN’. GOOD! We ate half the pan last night and I snuck 2 more bars out of the freezer this morning before leaving for work!
Your blog is really dangerous for me. oh my gosh, those look fantastic. Now, I’ll have to make them. So much for trying to lose the baby weight!
I loved the raspberry breakfast bars (that P.S. never actually made it to breakfast), so the highly amped peanut butter and chocolate bars must be killer. And, oh my goodness, you too with the November daily blogging thing? In falling in line with this post, DO NOT post delicious recipes everyday. DO NOT post photos that automatically add five pounds to the thighs that are already going into hiding before Thanksgiving rolls around. DO NOT eliminate my need to buy a new cookbook because you’re going to give me 30 recipes before the holidays. Don’t do it, Deb!
Deb, I bought the cookbook and love it, but I don’t like peanut butter. Do you think Nutella would work in place of peanut butter? Thanks!
My sister in law makes them with Special K and they are delicious. I highly recommend that variation and add some butterscotch chips to it too. It makes them wonderful!
So …. please ….. “don’t” do it all over again and then send them to me so I can very discretely get rid of them for you. Don’t you like helpers like me?
Oh, these are some of my favorite treats! Looks absolutely divine. I’d like to swim in that chocolate honestly.
I just gained 5 lb. reading the recipe! I will be making these this week because I have no will power this time of year!Chocolate and peanutbutter, yum!
evil! But I must make them and alas due to nut allergies in one of the kiddos will make it with sunflower seed butter. Oddly enough I do have some brown rice fake crispies because hubby buys the junky stuff for himself and will find the organic equivalent for the kids so I don’t give him the evil eye.
GAH! just when i started to go back on my diet, you post a beautiful recipe like this. with beautiful food porn.
oh well, i guess i was never meant to be skinny! :engage nommage:
Yes please use the gluten-free tag more! I’ve been helping a friend find gluten free recipes today and just sent her everything that came up on that tag.
These are pretty much like scotcharoos only a with the ingredients separated out a bit more from each other. My husband absolutley loves scotcharoos so they are my treat to him every now and then. I’m sure many know this recipe already, but I still thought I’d share because it’s so easy!!!
6 c rice krispies
1 c sugar
1 c corn syrup
1 c peanut butter
6 oz chocolate chips
6 oz butterscotch chips
dissolve sugar into corn syrup and add in peanut butter. Mix together until blended. Add peanut butter mixture into rice krispies into a lasagna size pan and mix together until a rice krispy treat consistency. Melt down chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in a small saucepan, remove from heat and frost the top of the rice krispies with the chocolate/butterscotch. Let set and cut into many pieces of mouthwatering goodness.
Combining the peanut butter in with the rice krispies would also solve your krispies crumbling as you mentioned in your post.
You beat me to it! I had this recipe flagged in the Baked book…that along with the pumpkin whoopie pies which I will give a go later in the week (I baked and pureed the pumpkin for them last night). However, I must say, overall I was a little disappointed with their book. Many recipes take on similar theme and they just seem so unhealthful (corn syrup everywhere!). That being said, it does still have a few winners. It arrived on the same day as Rancho Gordo’s Heirloom Beans book, which if you don’t already have, is fabulous. I have to thank you for turning me on to his beans–they’re wonderful! Just made the most heavenly fall dish for dinner last night…Borlotti beans in tomato sauce with creamy polenta…
A plea for non-dessert recipes, please! With the colder winter, cooking stews, soups, etc is nice — and also would love to see more tips on cooking full meals (these bars are fun, but if I spent my time making them, my family wouldn’t get dinner!)
as soon as I saw these, I knew I just had to make them. Oh my are they good, and I don’t think I will tell anyone in my family about them. These recipes sure can get you in trouble, but I just don’t care. Love, love them.
OMG. When I was in elementary school… a mom used to make this treat and bring it to the classroom for the students. I used to devour them and have not eaten one ever since. Thank you for posting this. I’ve always wondered how to make it and now I know :) You’re awesome!
This is sort of off topic, but did you and Alex trade apartments last week with David Lebovitz? He keeps leaving these sly comments on your blog. Oh it’s too funny! I like his blog very much. It’s you, him and those ridiculous lolcats that make my day every day. The comments are as much fun as your blog, anyway.
The next off topic subject is what are you going to do for NaBloPoMo? Any chance of revisiting some of those topics several people asked for help with way back when? Remember the pie chart? Fried chicken? Soups? Crockpot meals? BTW, do you think crockpots are a crock? I dunno how to use one and I don’t think a can of Campbell’s soup is gonna help anything that gets heated for over 4 hours. But I would love to know once and for all.
I thought of scotcharoos, too.
The peanut butter/chocolate and rice crispy treat part is tempting, but I do remember that, even in my college days, the scotharoos were a bit too sweet. Perhaps there’s a compromise…
Deb, I think you have a recipe that can give Alex’s birthday cake a run for it’s money. And, feeding on your “don’t” theme. Don’t mail me a box of those. Don’t. Okay, if the reverse psychology didn’t work, go ahead and mail them to me.
Ok so I just showed my husband this post. His response…”So you’re not done making them yet?”. LOL!!!
Oh my. How can I convince my husband to eat these too, so I won’t have to wear the entire batch on my hips?!
Oh holy mother of God… It’s not enough that the photos are soooo gorgeous, you had to gild the lily of sweetness with chocolate AND peanut butter… The husband is running the NYC marathon this weekend… I wonder if I can convince him that this is an energy bar?? You are KILLING me!!!
I am absolutely certain that if I made these my 15 year-old daughter and her friends would be texting other 15 year-olds and their friends, and the bars would be gone in a flash.
I THINK I’M IN LUV!!!!!
These look very much like the old Halloween standby around here:http://magpieeats.blogspot.com/2007/10/blog-post.html
It’s hard to beat the crunchy chocolate peanut butter mixture!
I just made these last week and totally agree with you…these are AMAZING and way to ADDICTIVE!!!
no no no no no. and also, YES!
my roomie is in love with reese’s. i think she’d die if she came home to this!! can’t wait to try it out!
beautiful receipe
have a nice day
val from france
i am not a huge fan of peanut butter.. but they sound so crispy here just lookin’ at them that i think i would not resist from trying them! love your “preparing the bars” photos! sunny greetings from padua
THis was my mother’s signature dessert when I was a kid – but we actually add the peanut butter to the sugary goop. Take the sugary goop off the heat, add the peanut butter (it will melt into the sugary goop) – then add the crispies. Then top the whole thing with chocolate. I LOVE these things. Seriously, I can’t make them cuz I will eat the entire pan myself.
I am in love with your blog! I am off to do some exploring!
My mom also made these when I was a kid…Scotcheroos is what she called them. I’m allergic to peanuts nowadays, but I do make these with Sunbutter and they turn out fabulous. Soybutter *DOES NOT* work. Something about the moisture content in it seriously screws up the recipe.
Also – we always froze ours and gnawed on the squares out of the freezer. I still prefer them this way. :)
These look absolutely scrumptious!
wow! I can’t wait for this pregnancy to be over so I can eat yummy things like this!
Hi, just wanted to say that these aren’t gluten free unless you use gluten free krisp rice cereal. Rice Krispies has barley malt which has gluten, not much but gluten just the same (some of us eat it anyway).
My daughter made this recently and we LOVED it. She simply used cocoa pebbles instead of rice krispies-cocoa pebbles are gluten free.
(Long-time lurker, first-time poster here)
These are the upscale version of something I loved as a kid (and still do!): Scotcheroos.
Basically, you mix the peanut butter component into the Krispie component, and then add butterscotch chips when you are melting the chocolate for the topping.
do you have help holding the camera for these shots?
Yes, my ever-helpful husband held the camera for the pouring shots. However, it could have been rigged up with a tripod and timer or clicker, or by carefully holding the bowl in one hand and taking a picture with the other but this is highly unadvised (even though I do it all of the time) as one is just begging for the camera to face-plant in the chocolate sauce. And why should the camera have all of the fun?
These are amazing. I just whipped up a batch and my co-workers are very greatful.
I did cheat a little though. I used my high tech microwave (very watched) to do the melting of all the chocolate steps and I lined my pan with tinfoil to make them easier to get out.
After a night in he fridge they were delightful!
Going to make these, they look great. BTW have you seen the measuring cups for things like peanut butter? It’s a tube and you pull down the inside to how much you want then push it out – way better than using a measuring cup for things like peanut butter or ketchup, etc. Just thought I would share.
IMPORTANT for high altitude candy makers: since water (and everything else) boils at a lower temperature, you need to recalculate the temp for candy. At 5000elevation (Denver) I use a temp of about 226 degrees for softball stage. That is all, thank you very much :)
Similar flavors, but easier prep. Melt in saucepan or double boiler over low heat 1 package chocolate chips, 1 package butterscotch (or peanut butter) chips. Stir in 1 can Chinese noodles and 1 can salted peanuts. Mix all together well and drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Cool. These may be kept in refrigerator or freezer.
those look absolutely scrumptious! and what a great combination of flavors.
I like this…I like this alot. I think I’m in big trouble.
This. Looks. Incredible! The pictures are more appetizing than any recipe I’ve seen in a while. You can never go wrong with those two ingredients, they catch the eyes of everyone. I agree with you, I will not be making these for fear of major stomach aches and belly expansions.
DO you hace a a pecan pie recipe that you can post?
This recipe looks fantastic and im printing it out so we can make it!
I made these last night for a friend’s Halloween party tonight. Of course my husband and I had to taste incase they were, you know, poisoned or something and WOW so so so so good! I added a tablespoon of cream to the sugar for the base and it was nice and chewy, not too hard at all.
Did you had to use the pastry bush and water to clean the sides of the pan during the boiling of the sugar process?
Is it stressful working with the soft-ball crispy material? You said to work quickly, but how fast do you need to be?
I didn’t use a pastry brush.
It needn’t be stressful, but it does need to be worked with quickly. If you check out Nicole M’s suggestion (three comments up) of a tablespoon of cream, this might cut down on the crunchiness of the candy/cereal layer and perhaps give you an extra minute’s leeway.
Okay~ I live in Amsterdam and finding Rice Krispies and corn syrup was no easy (or cheap) task, but I did it! No one appreciates the tastes of chocolate and peanut butter together like Americans! Yummy!
Regarding how quickly to work: The softball stage is still very liquid. The point of working quickly it to get all the cereal coated evenly. It won’t really stiffen until it cools completely. Maybe work it in, in third proportions of each.
I’m making a double batch of this right now for a Halloween party (the second layer has been applied, it’s in the fridge cooling), and I found getting the sugar uniformly integrated into the cereal completely painless. I just gave it a bunch of good stirs in a nice big bowl and it was all set. I was expecting it to be really difficult (especially since I was doing twice the amount), but it wasn’t at all. It stayed very warm (hot) and pliable until after it was in the pan, and I pulled the syrup right as it hit 235 on my digital thermometer. So go for the soft ball stage, peeps!
Oh…my…god…how fantastic do those look. I watched the Baked boy make the pumpkin whoopie pies on Martha, and that chocolate pie and now this. I need that book, in the meantime – I’m totally making these. Yum.
Oh my goodness. My grandma used to make these way back when and they were my favorite thing ever. Yum!
Adore! Like crown up special K bars….. YUM
Made these for Halloween potluck (what better than killer bars?!) and they were well received, with a couple left over — perfect. I broke my new candy thermometer on the first batch of crisps, so did the “drop in a cup of water” method on the second try. They were a little past soft ball, but matched up well with the rest of the bar, since I used organic peanut butter which had little bits of coursely ground peanut in it, and scharfenberger dark choc with nibs on top. One fine bar! Thanks, Deb.
Deb, I have never:
a) melted chocolate over hot water, which now seems ridiculous, or
b) made caramel, or anything that required a candy thermometer (or, for that matter, c) purchased a candy thermometer)
but I tried these last night and they came out excellently, and were so much easier than I’d anticipated! Thank you for helping me make a good thank you dish for my new landlords (my sister and her husband)!
add a layer of marshmallows somewhere in there.
oy vey didn’t mean to do that. marshmallows, somewhere in the middle or on top, it’s delicious. i made a version of that using muffin tins when i was in middle school.
Wow these are amazing! I brought them for a party and they were gone as soon as they were cut!
I love your recipes!!
Absolutely amazing! Like several others, I made this for a potluck @ work. Everyone loved them. As far as serving sizes, I cut them into 1 inch x 1 inch squares. Considering their richness. This was perfect. Thank you. Of, course I gave you credit:>)
Perfect treat for husband returning home from big-man hunting trip! These will make him want to come home every time. I’ll start that diet after I make these (seriously).
I made these and I felt that there was too much peanut butter taste in them for them to be any good, I couldn’t taste any of the chocolate. I should mention that I don’t really like peanut butter though. This is the second out of three recipes that I haven’t liked so far from the Baked book. The Pear and Plum Crisp was really good though.
These bars are pure win in a pan!
Here’s the recipe I make for pb chocolate rice krispie treats. No layers, but amazingly delicious. They go super fast every time I make them. Plus the wheat germ makes them practically health food.
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 bag semi-sweet choc chips
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
6 cups Rice Krispies
Wheat germ (I think we buy it already toasted?)
Put the sugar and corn syrup over medium heat and cook until sugar dissolves. Turn heat to low and melt in the peanut butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and then Rice Krispies. Press into a 9×13 pan and sprinkle with wheat germ. That’s it! The wheat germ is an unexpected touch, but it makes sort of a crunchy top that’s super yummy.
seriously though, now I need to head down to the sweet shop to get a fix!!! Or you could could just drop some of these bars off at my place in Collinsville.
Shine on,
~Tim
Definitely do not read this post either. Your mouth will be watering and you will be going to the store to buy the snap, crackle, pop and the other ingredients!
I entered dangerous territory when I read this recipe!
Thanks!
Consensus around the office today was baking beats election jitters. I’m half way through preparing this most wicked treat ever to hit my dishes to add to the other baked indulgences tomorrow. Each bowl and pot has tasted more delicious and after sharing the recipe today there is much anticipation to enjoy this outrageously wicked treat tomorrow along with the others. Thank you, Deb! =)
I’m going to call these Goldilocks Bars. When I visited the store to buy the book, this was the thing I HAD to have and gobbled one right then and there. It was PERFECT. Then I went home and cooked this, and the first time the bars were too hard. The second time? Too soft. But the third time… Well, the third time they were still too hard. Worse, I asked the author of the cookbook what I was doing wrong, and I still messed up with his advice. If I ever make these again, the bottom layer will be a straight-up rice crispy treat. Maybe even from the package.
So, I’ve now made these two times in as many days. Each time the plate has been licked clean!! Once for a baby shower with cute little sweetart baby rattles on each square and another batch for my local cake club meeting (These people know sweets!). They keep coming back to make sure I’m not holding out on them. Geesh. Wonderful recipe. My vegetarian friend was thrilled to find out that the rice krispie part was not made with the usual marshmallows! Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s definitely a keeper. I doubled the recipe to make a full 9 x 13 pan. I would have had a mutiny on my hands if I’d have only made an 8 x 8.
My husband is a TV/Video production teacher at our local high school, so a small group of kids stayed after school last night to do live TV election updates every half hour. I made these bars along with some baked ziti and caesar salad and got a marriage proposal because of the bars! lol Everyone loved them, they were amazing. (notice the past tense) I have a feeling they’ll be requested often.
My mother used to make these on at least a once-per-month basis, and we honestly never got sick of them. I’d never come across anyone else with the recipe until now. Thank you for bringing back such a wonderful (and tasty) memory!
thanks for a terrific blog! im a new, but faithful, if generally silent, follower.
i made these and was actually slightly disappointed! i agree with alli above (108) that the classic scotcheroo recipe she posted is far superior in taste, ease, and speed of making. i do it the same way minus 1/2 cup cereal to make them slightly more moist. and they dont need refridgeration!
but these are still good, and nearly all gone already… and i have to add that after making at least a dozen of your recipes since discovering you 3 weeks ago, this is the only one i felt could be improved upon…
thanks again for a terrific site.
Well they look good to me, on my way to buy the ingredients. I will comment back when I try the finished product.
Love these! My grandma and I used to make them when I was a kid.
Turned out great, but I would use milk chocolate next time.. a little to bitter with the semi sweet (I used Giradelli semi sweet bars). Overall, super!
These are delicious but if I made again I would double the rice crispy & peanut butter layer. Perhaps my square pan was too big…not sure but there weren’t enough rice crispies to cover the bottom completely & the peanut butter layer was only about 1/16 to 1/8 inch deep. Still delicious none the same. Thank you for a great recipe’.
I just made these – used semi-sweet and 70% dark chocolate. But the Rice Krispie layer is totally soggy. I double-checked the recipe, but it looks like I didn’t make any errors that I can tell. In fact, after pouring the sugar mixture in, it looked like there was too much liquid, so I added Krispies to soak it up. When taking them out of the dish, half the cereal stayed behind. Grr.
Has anyone else had this problem? Did I do something wrong? Otherwise, it tastes heavenly.
OK I bought the darn book because of you and this post, Deb, so now I have finally got around to making them.
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My changes: I added salt but used unsalted butter and I lined the pan with foil and I sliced them before the hardened/chilled completely. Mine sliced very cleanly.
Thanks goodness I made these with a guest in town so they will not be sitting and calling MY name all day long for too long.
I made these yesterday and they are delicious! Thanks!
The recipe I have for these, passed on from a friend, has only 2 layers: the crispy and the icing. The crispy layer has pb mixed in to it which I think helps the texture & spreadability of the bar. The icing is butterscotch chips & semi-sweet chips melted together. Certainly not as decadent as this recipe, but it gets done quicker, meaning I’m eating them sooner! (Unfortunately, my recipe makes a jelly roll pan of them!:))
I love the idea someone mentioned of incorporating that lovely hazelnut spread in lieu of the pb or butterscotch…I think I have to go experiment now!
Thanks for reminding me of a long-time favorite!
Is there anything one can substitute for the corn syrup? I have searched high and low in Australian food shops and supermarkets, but cannot find it anywhere, alas!
If you can find golden syrup, I have heard that is a good replacement. (But haven’t tested it.)
I adapted this recipe a bit, based on reviewers and my allergies to Wheat and Dairy. I made the rice layer with a softer caramel by adding soy milk and vegan margarine. I made a different middle layer from natural peanut butter, icing sugar, soy milk, and vanilla. The top layer I kept pretty much the same. Why mess with a good thing! You can see my allergy free redux at The Mini Canteen Blog.
ps. the caramel as it is originally directed gets softer after a few days!
Coming to this late, but want to tell those who are not in the US but have access to UK foods– golden syrup does substitute nicely for corn syrup. In NL, you can use keuken stroop, which has a slightly different (but perhaps better!) flavor.
Uuuuummmm…ya I defintely will not run to the store after work, pick up those items and make it. I definitely will not overindulge tomorrow sometime around midnight. I certainly will not share. Just so ya know! ;o)
I work for a giant organic foods purveyor (which will go unnamed) and will PROBABLY be making these with natural pb, vegan butter, and agave nectar instead of corn syrup. Clearly it is now a health food, right?
Easy to veganize and gluten-free? My co-workers with their myriad of dietary restrictions thank you.
These are so wonderful! I have to hide them from my kids and ration carefully.
I (so sorry–a quintessential party-pooper) actually used the organic brown rice crisps and brown rice syrup (for the sugar and corn syrup) and dark choc. chips but regular p.b. and unsalted organic butter. Mine aren’t as pretty as yours–the dark choc. masks the pb color but they are fantastic and I justify my gluttony because they have uh, protein, antioxidants, brown rice, natural fats and natural sugars,…
:-) Oh, and I used coconut oil to grease my pan. MMMMMMMM
I made these last night. (I was wanting to make the Snickerdoodles you just published, but my other half said..”I’m 59, not 9.”) So..I made these and he’s a happy man! They are really, really good. My base was a bit loose and it lost some of the crispy quality once cooled. I think next time I will cool and beat the caramel mixture to thicken it so it will set, much like a fudge or praline, before adding the rice crispies. It will make a creamier, sturdier base. I also mixed milk chocolate and semi sweet chocolate chips (50/50) for the peanut butter/chocolate layer. That flavor was perfect. I used 70% chocolate for the frosting and it added just enough bitter edge to balance the sweet base. This will definately be made for my holiday candy tray. Thanks, Deb.
Oh, one more thing..I used the Lyle’s Golden syrup in the base caramel mixture. It it perfect for this recipe and it’s just a cane sugar syrup..no high fruitcose corn syrup at all. It’s a bit pricy, but it sure has great flavor when syrup is called for in caramel or butterscotch flavor based sweets.
We made these cookies this morning as part of our Christmas baking. They are delicious! We didn’t have a candy thermometer so we had to use the “soft ball” test (I guess that’s what you call it) and the crust turned out perfectly. We microwaved the pb/chocolate mixture as well as the dark chocolate icing instead of using a double-boiler, stirring every 30 seconds, and that worked out great too. These are very yummy but also very rich so I think we will probably cut them into smaller portions. Can’t wait to share them with friends and family! They will surely be impressed! :)
Hi, Deb! Thought I might share the simple recipe my family has always used for Scotcheroos: bring to a boil one cup each corn syrup and sugar, plus one tablespoon water. Pull it from the heat and whisk in one cup of peanut butter, then pour quickly over six cups puffed rice cereal. Stir quickly and pack lightly into a greased (9×13) pan. We use a mix of semisweet chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (ratio is your choice, and about a scant cup of each), melted, for the top. Mom’s side of the family frequently requests that she bring a pan to family gatherings, but as I’m just one person in my household (for now), I make them perhaps once a year. They are just too dangerous to have around, even though I bring them to work.
Quick question – made them tonight – the top two layers were delicious – I added 1 T of cream, which made the crispy layer too wet. But – I got the syrup to softball stage, but it didn’t caramelize at all – should I have let it go a little longer? The liquid was still completely clear…
I had these at Tazza Bakery in Brooklyn last week and they were ADDICTIVE!
THANKS :)
Sally — It could have been the cream, which was a theory I never got to test out, unfortunately though it’s hard to say if 1 tablespoon could really make anything that wet…
Thanks Deb! Another quick question – should the sugar/corn syrup/water mixture be caramelized when it gets to the softball stage, or still clear?
Thanks again!
These are amazing! I made them this weekend, but my rice krispie layer turned out a bit on the soggy side…did I not boil the sugar long enough or should I just add more rice krispies next time? LOVE them!!
The krispie layer as in baked is too thin. On the second try, I made 1.5 times as much as they suggest. I also brought my sugar to hard ball, not soft, and used Kerrygold butter (the fat and water percents of it and land-o-lakes differ by less than 1%, contrary to popular belief, but the Kerrygold is more delicious anyway) and this time they came out perfect.The butter may or may not have helped, cooking the sugar longer and making a thicker layer definitely did. Hope it helps.
These were fantastic. Like a Reese’s pb cup on a rice crispy treat. The kids raved. I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan, and got 40 nice squares.
Oh my goodness this looks amazingly yummy!! def going to have a go at this one :)
I’m thinking crunchy peanut butter would be KILLER in this…… YUM!!!!!
I want to adapt that chocolate/peanut butter filling from those peanut butter crispy bars that you mentioned, for this recipe’s filling. O M G!
Whoops…I meant adapt this filling it for the Pop Tart recipe..(sheesh, that’s the recipe I thought I was on!..LOL!)
I made these last night and they came out perfect! I followed the suggestion of another poster who said to do half semi and half milk chocolate and it came out PERFECT~
I also cut them into 42 bite-sized pieces and they were great for sharing.
<3
PB/Chocolate combinations are my weakness. Quite possibly my favorite thing in the world… so today when I finally got around to making these babies (ahm, checked the Baked book out from the library & returned it a month late) I was beyond ecstatic try one.
I patiently waited for the top layer to harder and ran errands to keep my mind off the deliciousness that was cooling in my fridge… Only to come home and find that the ENTIRE pan had been devoured by my 3rd grader of a boyfriend & company. Oiye. At least I know they were good. C’est la vie.
Thanks for keeping my households bellys smitten (:
These are absolutely terrific! They may not be good for your body, but they are definitely good for your soul. (And even if they somehow make your soul fat as well, they’re worth it). Yummy!
OH MY GOD. Everything in me is screaming that I need to consume this delectible combination comprised of two of the most heavenly substances on earth. I think I even have rice krispies!
I’ve made these twice and both times they were delicious. But, the 2nd time I made them I used regular PB (not natural) and the pb layer stayed kind of mushy, even when chilled. I think the natural pb makes them much better.
I just discovered your blog and made these and the browned butter crispy treats. I’m making you my honorary new cyber-bff… both were outrageously good! There really should be some disclaimer that you should share them with a lot of people though. I can barely button my jeans now! Couldn’t stop eating them!
Made these yesterday. Used semi-sweet chocolate and thrilled I did because they were definitely sweet enough. The final product was excellent, i did not have any problems with the crisp layer crumbling as other reviewers had. I may up the thickness of the crisp layer next time for a little more texture. I cut the squares into bite size pieces as they were very rich. BTW: I finally bought the cookbook after reading such rave reviews here and after making multiple recipes posted on smitten. The sour lemon scones, YUM! Next millionares shortbread :)
Lordy, these look good. I really wish my husband was not allergic to peanuts.
*sigh*
my mom made a variation on these EVERY SUMMER and we always had a 13 x 9 pan of these with us on camping trips (or at least for the first day or two). her variation has the same general ingredients, but the biggest difference is in the layering scheme:
(1) the syrup is just corn syrup; no butter, water, or sugar
(2) the PB is melted in with the syrup (once it’s just starting to boil; no fancy candy thermometers at mom’s house!) and that’s what’s used to coat the krispies
(3) the chocolate icing is a mixture of semi-sweet and butterscotch chips; no dark chocolate layer (mom is the only one in the family who likes dark, so the rest of us won out)
they’re super quick, super simple, and super delish! i love making these with the super chunky PB, that way you get little bits of peanutty goodness with your krispies!
just saw this and had to make them. they are very yummy. but i would increase the amount of rice cereal for the bottom layer.
I made these once not paying attention to the sugar syrup. It overcooked to caramel brown, so I used it any way but did not stir in the butter (oops!). The base was delicious!! Albeit a bit too crunchy to cut attractively. I did not have as much chocolate as I thought I had in the cabinet, so I cobbled together some milk and semisweet chocolate for the peanut butter layer and some bittersweet for the top. Overall, tasty, but not too pretty, and clearly my fault.
The second time I made the crust correctly, but I did cook the sugar syrup to a caramel color. I used the natural peanut butter from Trader Joe’s with milk chocolate. The layer was a bit soft. I think that I would go with semi-sweet as suggested next time for a bit stiffer layer. I adjusted the ratio of butter to chocolate in the top– 4 oz bittersweet to 4 T butter. I think that I would drop the butter a bit more if I were going to try to bring them anywhere and wanted to stack them. Absolutely delicious though. They will get made again (and again and again)
Hmmm…I 1.5’d the Crispy crust, added maybe 1.5 tsp. of cream to it and had zero problems with sogginess or too-much-crunchiness. I added a pinch of salt in addition to salted butter, used Skippy creamy peanut butter (yes, I had the “All Natural Roasted Peanuts and Salt” pb from Trader Joe’s but was afraid it’d be too thick or not sweet enough) and 72% chocolate (another Trader Joe’s purchase). These were easy! The assessments from all who tried them were varied, but the consensus was: the middle layer was too thick, the middle layer needed something crunchy, the thickness of the bottom layer could’ve been even thicker if keeping the middle layer the same. They were easy, they were good, but I won’t necessarily RUSH to make them again. They did keep a surprisingly long time, covered and refrigerated, and cutting them into AT LEAST 16 bars sounds mizerly but they’re too rich to cut larger. For as easy as they are this recipe is worth keeping — but I’ll make Scotcharoos again for comparison — purely research, obviously — purposes.
Quick question! Do these freeze ok? I’m thinking about when I need to make them so they’re good for Christmas. Thanks!
Jenn — I haven’t tried but I don’t see why they wouldn’t…
I can not even begin to tell you how good these are. I can’t imagine them sticking around long enough to have to freeze them! My kids and husband and I devoured them within a day.
I love that the krispies are held together with a simple syrup instead of marshmallows. It really allows the focus to be on the peanut butter. Fantastic!
I had the cooking itch yesterday so I made these! Oh my I’m glad I timed this so I could share these with some friends tonight because otherwise I’d eat the whole pan… which I’m sure would be bad but I would have a hard time convincing my taste buds of this.
I went with one of the suggestions earlier in comments and instead of making the simple syrup I made the bottom layer with marshmallows instead (1/4 the normal rice krispie recipe). (Mostly I did not want to go out and buy a candy thermometer.) I must say it turned out wonderfully! I think the bit of chew the marshmallow gives is a nice contrast to the soft chocolate/peanut layer. I used semisweet chips for the peanut butter layer (and JIFF peanut butter) and then 60% dark for the chocolate icing and unsalted butter. It came out quite nice though the bite of the darker chocolates did come through which I wasn’t really expecting. If you are a huge fan of milk chocolate I would say go with that for the peanut butter layer for a more subtle flavor.
I made these last night and they are amazing. i followed the original baked recipe. I am obsessed with chocolate and pb combination – for me the combination of pb, milk and dark chocolates was fantastic. Rich and satisfying. For those who found the crispy crust too “crispy” – I think two things may have happened 1/you were expecting for of a marshmallow rice krispy square, which this is not and 2/you may not have cooked your sugar to soft ball stage. Mine is “crispy” but not hard. SO GOOD! Thanks for a winner, Deb! LOVE smitten kitchen!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I finally got around to making these bars on the weekend. They were excellent!! Very rich but at least they weren’t too sweet. I followed your chocolate recommendations, and they were wonderful. If I were to make these bars again, I’d make the bars have a thicker bottom layer and a thinner middle layer.
What ever brilliant person decided to try chocolate a peanut butter together deserves a big fat kiss!! I can’t wait to try this, and by the way since i have been cooking from your website, my husband is such a happy camper and I have found a new love for cooking that I never knew could exsist inside me. :0)
Thanks!
These were a big hit at work and earned you some more loyal followers. Love your recipes!
I just made these, and am anxiously waiting for the hour to be up so we can try them. I love your blog, and it’s the first place I go to when I need inspiration or a recipe. :)
These are so yummy! While generally I am a dark chocolate fan, we actually preferred a semisweet topping on these instead of dark.
The instructions seemed a lot of work so I did all the steps in the microwave and they turned out great! Yummy ~ making these again!
Instead of Rice Krispies can you use cheerios and sort of break them up? (If you can’t seem to find Rice Krispies)
I made these exactly as listed on the recipe and they turned out amazing! I brought them into work and they have all disappeared (note to self- must make more next time!).
Thanks so much for an awesome recipe. I love that I didn’t have to turn on the oven in the warm weather. What a great bar. Thanks again!!
I made these this afternoon with my kiddos. I used golden syrup (cane sugar rather than corn sugar) because I had been itching for a reason to buy some (and then cleverly have some on hand when pecan pie season came about…). I think it gave the crispy part a great flavor! I added a splash of half and half to help with the hardening issue I’d read about. We loved it!
Something horrible happened to me when I made these. I don’t know. They never set, and when I cut into them, liquid oozed out. The rice krispies weren’t set and were soggy. I must have screwed up somewhere. Thanks for the recipe though! Maybe I’ll try it again.
Amazing and impressive. Thanks, Deb.
After making these once, I have been told by my boyfriend they are my signature dish and I must bring them to every function I attend; of course he also plans on attending and thus eating all of the ‘magic-chocolate-nutter-butter-bars’
I just tried to make these and had the same problem as Nikki above. The rice krispies base is too runny. I don’t have a candy thermometer so just brought it to a boil. I used unsalted Land O Lakes butter. Any suggestions?
I just made these and they are great! The description of these as a Reese’s cup on top of a Rice Krispies treat seems pretty spot on.
To DE– did you make sure that your water, sugar, corn syrup mix got to the soft ball stage of boiling? I didn’t have a candy thermometer either, so I just periodically dropped a bit of the boiling liquid into a mug of cold water. If it forms a softish ball once it hit the water, then it is good to go! Otherwise, keep boiling. I am sure there are other more descriptive directions on how to judge the soft ball stage online.
I am about to package the rest of them up to send to my friend serving in Afghanistan, I am absolutely sure he and his buddies will love them. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Deb!
Thanks for this recipe. I’ve just made it for the third time (in the space of two weeks). My son has coeliac disease and I was looking for an alternative to plain crispy cakes. He, and everyone else who has tried it, have loved it. I made some for our Comic Relief bake sale and they vanished in minutes with requests to supply more.
I made it in a Swiss roll size tin and added a lot more rice crispies to the syrup – about 3-4 cups as it seemed too wet otherwise. I used golden syrup but I don’t think it makes much of a difference. Extremely moreish!
Just made these but subbed 2 1/2 cups Cap’n Crunch for the Rice Krispies, because that’s what I had in my cabinet, and they were great! Basically tasted like a Butterfinger. Lots of oohs & aahs.
Oh dear… I’ve made another terrible mistake here…
I went and made a full (actually, oversized) recipe of marshmallow krispie treats, then did this on top of those. That is to say, I smothered them with the peanut butter and chocolate layers of this. I’ve actually made these for sale to the public at a local coffee house, and in the month I’ve been baking cakes, muffins, brownies, bars, etc. for them, I’ve managed to not eat any of the products (except for the bits of raw batter that didn’t make it into the oven). And then these happened, and I couldn’t help myself. I died a little today when I ate one; such bliss in my mouth. The only sadness is that I will never again have that *first* taste of heaven that is marshmallow-krispie-peanut-butter-chocolate. Just like the first time you ever experienced ice cream, or sex. Sigh…
These taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups with a touch of crispiness and were a huge success with my friends. Thanks!
I saw these on Unique Sweets again last night and decided I absolutely have to make them. Thanks for posting (and giving us that extra evil nudge by urging us NOT to make them…)
Hi Deb,
I made these bars and they were divine. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful recipe. I found that after putting these bars on the counter for 2 or 3 hours in the room that does not have AC, the chocolate icing started melting so I put them back in the fridge to firm up.
Is there any way I can do to thicken the chocolate icing and prevent it from melting next time? Thank you very much!
they could be gluten free – cereal puffs made from rice?
Slaney — Many brands of rice cereal are available that are labeled gluten-free (i.e. not processed in a facility where contamination is a risk; rice cereal is naturally gluten-free).
Looks….amazing. I live in Europe so was wondering: when you say good quality semi sweet chocolate (for the pb), can you please be more specific?is there a brand or a cacao number that you prefer? I notice you have chocolate chips in the photos could we simply use regular choc chips like those in toll house cookies? Thanks!!
la shy — Use any kind of chocolate that you like to bake with and you’ll be fine. Semi-sweet here is usually 60 to 72 percent.
These came out very well. I will be making these again. However, I will double the rice krispie base layer in the future. I’ll add a bit of sea salt to the mixture, as well. I’ll also add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the peanutbutter layer, and, perhaps, a pinch of salt, too. I think a sprinkling of nuts on top would be lovely. Great recipe, I enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing!
how do you print the just recipe?
At the DO MORE: under the recipe, there’s a printer icon (second from end) that will take you to a print template that only contains the recipe.
Hi Deb–I’m confused about your comment. You said the crispy layer was too crackly and the peanut butter too sweet, then you later decided it was great. Does that mean it needs to sit in the fridge for a couple of days before serving? Or did you modify the recipe to address these issues? I wasn’t sure how you got from not liking it to liking it…
First, it’s worth noting that this is one of Baked’s more popular recipes; everyone loves it. For me, I was expecting something else — more of a crispy treat (softer, stretchy) base and a less-sweet peanut butter filling so my dislike was reactive, the recipe works fine. But a couple days later I tried them again and found their charm; they’re really good, just not what I’d expected them to be.
Curious why these are considered refrigerator bars. Do they really need to be kept in the fridge? If so, what is the reason.
Thanks so much!
I find them too soft at room temperature, also it will keep longer in the fridge. But otherwise you can keep it out if you wish.
Would other liquid sugars do in place of the corn syrup (I have golden syrup and maple syrup)? I don’t know that I can quite justify buying the Karo for 3 T. (Not so much from a cost perspective, but a waste one.)
Golden syrup almost always works (and tastes better). Enjoy!
These were delicious and not as sweet as I feared they might be. I used creamy Trader Joe’s peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips for the middle layer and 72% chopped chocolate for the topping and finished it with some flaky sea salt.
My crust turned out a little oddly soggy. Any ideas? Is the water supposed to boil off? I thought I followed the instructions to a T.
I’ve made your buckeyes for my Christmas cookie tray the past few years, but was looking for something new to try to fill the chocolate/peanut butter slot that doesn’t require tempering chocolate (I know the buckeyes don’t REQUIRE it but something in me does). These seemed like just what I was looking for. However, my first batch just did not turn out. The crispy crust wasn’t just soggy like other comments mentioned; it was wet. It was not a crust. (I blame this entirely on the new infrared thermometer gun I bought, and not trusting myself when I knew that the sugar mixture hadn’t cooked long enough despite what the gun said.) The chocolate and peanut butter layers were so perfect though that I had to try again. I also learned between batches 1 and 2 that my partner “hates Rice Krispies” (what), so I took a completely different tack and made a batch of the excellent graham cracker crust from Momofuku Milk Bar (on their website). I used the whole batch of crust in the 8 in pan for a nice thick, sturdy base, baked at 350 for 10-ish minutes, then once it cooled put the peanut butter and chocolate layers on top just like in this recipe. The result is completely wonderful and I need to tell people. I haven’t eat these crispy bars as intended yet, but even if you love them, I’m telling you: GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST. DO THIS.
Just made these for the second time. The first time the crust was too brittle and thinner then I would’ve liked so the second time I doubled the recipe for the krispy layer and added 1/4 cup of heavy cream (as Deb suggests in an earlier reply) in place of the Karo syrup. I also swapped cream for syrup in the ganache and added a little flaky salt. So good.
can this be doubled? into a 13×9 baking pan?
Absolutely.
Well, I think this is the first SK recipe I’ve ever made where I failed so hard! I had the same problem as a few others, the crispy layer was just plain wet when I mixed it. So I added more rice crispies to try to soak up the wetness, but now after layering everything and chilling it, the bottom is still wet and not really holding together. The top two layers taste like magic, but the bottom is a soggy mess. I did worry that I didn’t quite get my caramel to soft boil level but my thermometer was sitting at the same temp forever and it was starting to get golden so I pulled it. Ah well! Next time I’ll try the move of doubling the crispy layer and subbing cream for karo. But the bake sale is tomorrow so probably not tonight, ha!
Hi, what Is a good sub for corn syrup? It’s not available where I live. Thanks!!!
I made this with salted butter, and I thought it came out great. I let the sugar/corn syrup come up to 235 and it wasn’t too liquidy, in fact made a perfect rice krispie treat base. So much so that my husband and daughter said they wished it had a deeper base layer – more krispie treat! Personally, I felt the middle layer was perfection (made with 3/4 semisweet and 1/4 milk chocolate, because that’s what I had). But everyone agreed that the dark chocolate glaze was the bomb. I will make this one again. Thanks, Deb!
OMG, Deb, this recipe is incredible! I came across it last month through the ‘Surprise Me!’ function of your website and knew I had to make it. Like others I was looking for more crispy layer, so doubled that on the second batch, and they are to die for!!! I didn’t have any trouble with the crispy layer being soggy. So decadent and delicious – totally worth the indulgence – thank you!
The Rice Krispie is sort of like a sticky toffee – like a candy base. My teeth were cursing me as I tried to eat it.
How do you think the brown butter rice krispie treats would work as a base for this?? Thank you!
I haven’t tested it but I think they’d be delicious. They might not hold up as well, firmness-wise, but they are pretty firm if you chill them, so I might go that route.
I just made these with the salted brown butter crispy treats as a base, and it worked really well. Easy to cut, but still firm enough – I do think they need chilling, but mostly because of the soft top layers. A note that I always make the salted brown butter crispy treats with brown rice cereal and vegan marshmallows (to which I add a few spoonfuls of either tahini or peanut butter – the latter this time – as the vegan marshmallows set up firmer). But I don’t imagine anyone would have issues even if making with regular ingredients. I think the proportions are nice too, with the thicker base – and I imagine it’s less sweet than it would be with the original base.
Thanks — been wanting to revisit this and give it its due so a comment like this is very helpful!
I’m with you on that proportion of cereal to chocolate and peanut butter: the overall recipe is tasty (and Deb’s photos have made me drool for, I dunno, 10 years?), but having grown up loving scotcheroos, I think I just prefer more cereal. That cereal mix as written here, though, is worth the extra time and care!
Since my husband gets jump-up-and-down excited when I make this, I’ve done it a number of times. Golden syrup is worth seeking out to sub for the corn syrup if you can – the flavor really does make a difference. I cook it to a slightly higher temp (245) and still find it’s a little looser, but it’s worth it!
I also have many times looked up various weight conversions to make it easier to measure (except the butter), so in case others share my aversion to measuring cups, here’s what I use *when doubling the recipe in a 9×13 pan*:
crust: 98g crisped rice, 99g sugar, 4 oz. water, 117g corn syrup, 6 tbsp. butter
pb layer: 10oz milk choc., 540g pb
icing: 6 oz. bittersweet choc., 1 tsp. syrup (I eyeball this, have never had an issue), 8 tbsp. butter
I melt the pb layer in a double boiler, then leave the ingredients for the icing layer in another bowl over the same pot on the turned off stove while the pb layer chills – it’s enough heat to melt the icing layer even without heating the water back up, and it’s still warm enough to pour over the pb layer when it’s chilled.