These may be the best no-bake bar I’ve ever made. And I’m the queen of bars, so that’s quite a statement.
They’re like a homemade peanut buttery Crunch Bar topped with Kit Kats, and they’re worth every empty calorie.
No-bake Cereal Bars are a real specialty of mine. Some people can make macarons in their sleep or pipe flowers onto 4-tiered fondant-covered cakes.
Me, I’ve got a real knack for combining peanut butter, sugar, cereal, and chocolate in the microwave, with some candy bars tossed in to complete the classy ensemble.
And I’ve done it in more combinations and permutations than should be legal.
So when I can get excited about a new bar, given all the dozens (hundreds) that have come before it, I do a little happy dance. These bars are the new top dog to beat in no-bake cereal bar adventures.
They’re vegan and gluten-free up until they’re topped with Kit Kats. If you top them with peanut butter cups instead, they’re vegan and gluten-free since since Kit Kats are the only thing that’s not vegan/GF in the recipe. Simple swap.
Ironically, there’s no butter or buttery spreads used in these very buttery and rich bars.
They’re fast and easy to make, with less than 15 minutes of active work.
They combine two favorite recipes. The base is a duplication of Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars, which are adapted from my Grandma’s Special K Bar recipe. I love that recipe so much that I included it in my cookbook.
The base is made by combining sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in the microwave to make a bastardized 2-minute caramel sauce. It serves as the glue to hold together Rice Krispies cereal that’s stirred in.
I’m a huge fan of any version of Rice Krispies Treats. These use peanut butter rather than marshmallows as the glue. Can’t go wrong either way.
They’re firm enough so they’re not a gooey mess, and the texture is chewy and dense, yet soft.
They have a pronounced pop of peanut butter flavor, with caramel and vanilla notes. The flavor is exceedingly buttery-tasting, despite no butter being used.
The top layer is an adaptation of the topping of Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars. I don’t know why I haven’t repurposed the topping until now, but I’m so glad I did.
It’s chocolaty with just a hint of peanut butter, and has the most amazing texture after it sets up. Dense, firm, crispy and crunchy, and reminds me of a Nestle Crunch bar, with a little more airiness and less snap.
It’s made by melting chocolate chips with a little peanut butter, and just enough cereal is stirred in to soak up some of the melted, saucy mixture.
Last but not least, I chopped Kit Kats for the top.
When I pushed them down onto the still warm chocolate layer, they melted just enough to become embedded.
I’ve always loved the flaky,crunchy layers of Kit Kats and they paired perfectly with the crunchy-yet-softened cereal in both the base and topping layers. Their sweeter milk chocolate complemented the semi-sweet chocolate in the topping.
They’re definitely the new bar to beat.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Kit Kat Crunch Bars
Ingredients
Base
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter, use Jif, Skippy, or similar; do not use natural or homemade peanut butter
- ½ cup light corn syrup, light-colored, not lite
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
Chocolate Topping
- 1 heaping cup diced Kit Kat pieces, I used three 1.50-ounce bars, diced
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, use Jif, Skippy, or similar; do not use natural or homemade peanut butter
- 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal, or similar crispy rice cereal that’s vegan/GF, if necessary
Instructions
- Base – Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, corn syrup, sugars, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Stir in 3 cups cereal.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top; set pan aside.
- Chocolate Topping – Dice the Kit Kats; set aside.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Chips may not be completely melted. Return bowl to microwave and heat in 15-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth, 15 seconds is likely all they’ll need.
- Stir in 1 cup cereal.
- Pour chocolate mixture over base, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top.
- Place the Kit Kats in about 10 evenly and tightly spaced rows over the surface, with about 1/4-inch space between each piece (does not have to be perfect). By the time you get all the pieces on and in rows, the pieces you placed on first will likely have started to melt at the base. Push them down lightly so they embed into the chocolate-crispy layer. Go back over and push on all the pieces with your finger to ensure they’re all embedded and will stick as the bars cool and set up.
- Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until chocolate layer is completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This post is being linked to Roxana’s Chocolate Party!
Fan of Kit Kats? Chocolate and peanut butter? Favorite no-bake bar?
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great
Why after the Kit Kat bars have cooled they are really hard to cut and the choc top has fallen off the bottom bars? Followed the recipe to a t
It’s hard to say, chocolate can be messy and finicky sometimes. These are not really ‘neat’ bars. You can see from the photos there is lots of meltiness going on.
Use an incredibly sharp knife is my suggestion.
What happens if you use a natural peanut butter in this recipe?
It tends to be more runny so they may be very loose and not as firm as desired.
I have made this many times and it is always a HUGE hit. You can’t go wrong with this one!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you love it!
I have made this many times and it is always a HUGE hit. You can’t go wrong with this one!
Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they were yummy!
Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I made these and they are very tasty, thank you. Only problem I had was the instructions to “dice” the Kit Kats, I diced up some and then was at a loss to where to put them. I ended up adding them to the melted chocolate chips and rice cereal then topped with Kit Kats like the picture.
In Step 13 is where I used the diced Kit Kats. Glad things worked out for you – this is after all not a fussy dessert and made with candy bars so however you got them incorporated is fine no doubt!
Hello Averie!
I handle the Facebook page of KIT KAT Philippines. Your dessert photos look good! I’m wondering if we could publish some shots on this post of yours on our Facebook page. We will surely give you credit on our post. Hoping for your sweet reply! :)
I made these with marshmallows between the two layers! AMAZING!! Thanks!
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad the marshmallow idea worked out great! I bet they tasted fabulous!
could you possibly sub maple syrup for the corn syrup?
It’s possible but I haven’t tried it and worry it won’t give you the setting-up-sticking-together effects that you’d get with corn syrup but you can try and see what happens.
This looks delicious! #yum #yumporium
Is there a way to make this without corn syrup? Or is it necessary?
It is necessary in this recipe.
These are even better than they look. If that’s possible. O.M.G. So amazing!! I made them tonight to bring to work tomorrow for Halloween, and of course I had to taste test the goods. Wow!! I’ll def be making these again!!
I loved these bars, too! They ARE way better than they look, and taste way better than ‘just a cereal bar’….I totally agree and glad you discovered that and that you’ll make them again! Hope your coworkers enjoy them too!
I decided to make these for the neighborhood Halloween party yesterday and am so glad I did! I remember when I first saw them I liked how the kit kats looked on top–like crispy little chocolate tiles or something. As for taste, well, there weren’t any leftovers (thank goodness because I think I’d eat them for breakfast)!! The base is peanut buttery gooey-chewy and the top is fudgy with layers of texture all the way through. These definitely take rice krispies to a whole new level!
I’m so glad you loved them as well as the party-goers. And glad to hear there weren’t any leftovers (I didn’t think there would be)! Little chocolate tiles is a perfect description and so many layers of texture from the top to the bottom, in one bite, yes indeed! So happy you made these b/c they’re a huge personal fave of mine :)