These bars are my heaven.
They’re everything I want in a bar. I had to hide them from myself.
There’s something about supremely chewy, thick, and dense cereal bars that I just go for. I always have.
They’re no-bake and come together in the microwave in less than 5 minutes. So fast and easy to make and no need to heat up the house with a hot oven.
They’re vegan and gluten-free. There’s no butter or flour, but you’d never guess it because they’re exceedingly buttery-tasting and rich.
There’s an abundance of peanut butter and chocolate. Always a win.
The chocolate layer stays softer, fudgier, and isn’t prone to cracking or setting up too hard, courtesy of a couple tablespoons of shortening.
It’s a little trick I’ve learned.
They remind me of my beloved Special K Bars, my grandma’s recipe, which I included it in my cookbook because I love them so much. That recipe makes a bigger pan and involves a bit of stovetop cooking, whereas just two minutes in the microwave is all you need here to melt together peanut butter and sugars.
The saucy mixture then drenches cereal in a sweet, brown sugary, caramel-vanilla heaven. I used tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract just to be sure it was noticeable.
The bars are loaded with chewy texture from the cereal and are soft, but they still hold their shape and don’t turn into a gooey mess.
They’re sort of a cousin to Rice Krispies Treats, replacing marshmallows with peanut butter. And you could likely use crushed Frosted Flakes or Corn Flakes. I have a Frosted Flakes Bar recipe in my cookbook because yes, I love cereal bars.
If you need a last minute dessert that takes just minutes to make, try these. Especially if you need them for an event where vegan or gluten-free options may be welcome.
Let’s pretend that because they’re vegan and gluten-free that they’re healthy and we can eat half the pan in a sitting.
I loved these. They’re one of my favorite bars I’ve made in 2013.
My husband also loved them. He’s sort of immune to all sweets and treats I make, but these were keepers for him, too.
The only person who didn’t go crazy with them was my 6 year old. She’s missing her two front teeth and chomping is difficult. She’s been enjoying No-Ice-Cream-Maker Funfetti Cake Batter Golden Oreo Ice Cream instead.
I proudly claim those chomp marks as my doing.
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Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 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, or similar crispy rice cereal that’s vegan/GF
Chocolate Topping
- 1 ½ heaping cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, optional but highly recommended to keep chocolate smooth; see below
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, melted
Instructions
- For the Bars – Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 heaping cup 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 the cereal.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top; set pan aside.
- For the Chocolate Topping – In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, shortening, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt. I highly recommend using shortening for many reasons. It helps the chocolate melt smoother and easier. It prevents the chocolate from setting up too quickly. It keeps the chocolate from cracking when you slice into the finished bars because the chocolate is fudgier and more forgiving than typical hardened chocolate.
- Stop to stir. Chips may not be completely melted. Return bowl to microwave and heat in 10 to 15-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth.
- Pour chocolate over bars, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula or knife; set pan aside.
- Add 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt, about 30 seconds. Stir peanut butter smooth.
- To create the marbled pattern, drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the width of the pan. Like 5 rows of long train tracks.
- Rotate pan 90-degrees. With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, “draw” 5 evenly spaced lines through the peanut butter. In essence you’re dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the marbling.
- 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.
- Take care all ingredients used are appropriate for your dietary needs, reading labels and selecting brands that are appropriate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What’s your favorite no-bake, cereal or cookie bar?
Oh my gosh — that’s swirly perfection!!!
SO pretty! I love anything that has a swirled/marbled effect.
Wow, Averie! I don’t even know where to start with these beauties! First of all, every single picture in this post is just GORGEOUS! And your description of these bars sounds too good to be true! We’ll be making these very soon. xo
Thanks, Ashley! I was happy with the recipe, the pics…things just clicked for me on this one :)
You weren’t kidding – that recipe looks so easy and awesome! I love the flavors and cereal! Can’t wait to try them!
You are a girl after my own heart! Chocolate and peanut butter together is a match made in heaven. Add in no-bake and GF and you’re my hero! xoxo
Thanks, Lisa! Yes, GF and no-bake. So good, too! I don’t know if it’s warm up in N County but it’s pretty chilly in the city so I wouldn’t mind baking, but I know most places are in the 80s and 90sF around the country right now. It’s a cool 68F or so, max, in the city!
Every time rice krispie treats come up in conversation between my mom and I, we get into an argument over what it is. I say it is RK, marshmallows, and butter. She SWEARS it is this recipe! Her version doesn’t have brown sugar and she doesn’t swirl the pb and choc “frosting”, but the same concept.
I’m a fan of both, myself, but let’s call them by their correct names!
I think of RKTreats as classic the marshmallows, butter, cereal
I think of cereal bars as really anything that’s not the above. I.e. they can have PB, chocolate, they can have candy tossed in or any of the garbage-ey pinterest type recipes you see out there. Those are all cereal bars. But if you’re gonna call something a RKT, I do believe it HAS to have marshmallows and be the classic.
I actually went back and forth about WHAT to call these. I almost use the words Crispy or Krispies in the title but didn’t want them to be compared to RKT to used the word cereal. Totally overthought it, actually!
I only realized that I was fantasizing about those bite marks being mine when you “proudly claimed” them. All of a sudden I was upset that I wasn’t already munching on these! They look so good. And I love that they’re vegan and gluten free! Must make soon :)
LOL and thanks, Amanda! LMK how they go for you after you’ve had a chance to make your own bite marks :)
I can’t believe how perfect your swirls look! You need your own line of baked goods :)
Thanks, Jackie. I wish :)
These look like the marriage of rice krispy treats and Reese’s cups! Awesome!
the marriage of rice krispy treats and Reese’s cups = SO TRUE! I love the way your brain works!
That peanut butter swirl is perfection! Love these bars!
These are just gorgeous! That chocolate topping with the peanut butter swirl really fancies these cereal bars up. I’d have to hide them from myself too, because I really go for sticky, chewy, sweet bars like this, too. Well done!
Gorgeous bars, Averie! I love the swirl on top!
Those are absolutely beautiful and definitely something I would love. Chocolate and peanut butter is my weakness! Great job Averie :)
Thanks, Eric!
These look so freaking good. Peanut butter is a very dangerous food for me, I just can’t stop eating it. If I make these I doubt I’d be able to stop eating them either!
These look so delicious, I love that peanut butter swirl and I love that you don’t have to turn on the oven! I want to keep baking but it is just getting way too hot here to have the oven on. Do you think I could replace the shortening with coconut oil?
Yes but it will make it have a slight coconut taste; not everyone is a fan but if you don’t mind, go ahead.
Holy cow – can you have a pregnancy craving for something you’ve never eaten?! Because I’m having one right now! I need these in my life!
Lol – well you’re pregnant and deserve to enjoy PB & Chocolate – that’s for sure! :)