Okay, I know. I know. This is not a Herby Eater recipe in the traditional sense. There is marshmallow fluff involved, refined sugar is having an absolute field day, and no amount of gluten-free rice cereal is going to make this “clean.” But I’m posting it anyway because sometimes you just want a peanut butter rice krispie treat and pretending otherwise would be dishonest, and if there’s one thing I promised you it’s honesty. Plus, these remind me of my childhood and my mom, because this is the only way she made Rice Krispie Treats, and I could count on like, 2 fingers, the number of times I had the store bought kind ( I am a chip off the beautiful maternal block with making things from scratch).
These are the classic melt-butter-marshmallows-and-cereal treats, except I stir peanut butter directly into the marshmallow base. Work fast once the cereal goes in. Marshmallow sets up quicker than you think, and if you overmix trying to get it “perfect” you’ll end up with something dense and sad instead of light and chewy. Press it into the pan gently with greased hands or the back of a spatula (whatever’s less annoying to clean!) and resist the urge to really pack it down. You want structure, not a brick.
I recommend a 9×13 sized pan for these, however if you want big thick ones, a 9×9 square pan works well too! It would just make a smaller (but larger serving sized) portion. Let them cool a full 30 minutes before you cut in. I know. I know, but worth it!! Tag me @herbyeater on TikTok and Instagram if you make and share them!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp 85g unsalted butter
- ¾ cup 200g creamy peanut butter
- 1 10 oz / 283g bag mini marshmallows
- 1 cup 50g mini marshmallows, reserved
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 6 cups 170g rice cereal
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Add the peanut butter and the first bag of marshmallows. Stir constantly until fully melted and smooth.
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Add the rice cereal and reserved cup of marshmallows. Fold quickly until just combined — don’t overmix, or it’ll set too dense.
- Transfer to the prepared pan. Using a greased spatula or your hands, press evenly into the corners without packing it down too hard.
- Let cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before lifting out and cutting into bars.