Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars with only 5 ingredients! This crunchy vegan treat is made with gluten-free rice puffs and the recipe is similar to homemade Scotcheroos bars. This is a very easy no-bake dessert which is perfect to make with kids!
Check the video in the post for easy visual instructions. I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe.
Line a 6×6 inch (ca. 15 cm) pan or 7×7 inch (ca. 18 cm) pan with parchment paper. You can also use an 8×8 inch (ca. 20 cm) pan, however, the bars will be less thick.
Add liquid sweetener, 1/2 cup peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt to a bowl, and stir to combine.
Add the rice puffs to the bowl and stir until the rice cereal is well-coated. Depending on the size of the rice puffs, you will need 2 1/2 to 3 cups.
Spread the mixture in the pan and press it down as firmly as possible with a spatula. You can also use the bottom of a jar to compress the mixture.
I added 1/3 cup peanut butter in addition on top, but this step is optional!
Melt the chocolate chips in a double-boiler or in a microwave and pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter cereal mixture. Spread it evenly.
Put the pan in the fridge for about 60 minutes (or in the freezer for a shorter time).
Cut into bars (which works best with a hot knife) and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
You can use any other nut butter instead of peanut butter. Some examples are almond butter, cashew butter, etc. To make the recipe nut-free, simply use sunflower seed butter.
The additional 1/3 cup peanut butter will make the bars moist, but at the same time, they will stay crunchy. You can leave out the additional layer of PB though.
Please do NOT add water to the recipe otherwise the bars get soggy!
I recommend using salt if your peanut butter is unsalted.
For a "Scotcheroos twist", sub half of the dairy-free chocolate chips with vegan butterscotch chips!
Recipe serves 9. Nutrition facts are for one (of 9) bars.
Nutrition Facts
Peanut Butter Crunch Bars
Amount per Serving
Calories
239
% Daily Value*
Fat
11.1
g
17
%
Carbohydrates
29.2
g
10
%
Fiber
2.6
g
10
%
Sugar
15.9
g
18
%
Protein
5.2
g
10
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.