No-bake peanut butter bars are as easy as they are yummy!
A quick peanut butter mixture is combined with crisp cereals, pressed into a pan, and cooled. Top it with chocolate for the perfect easy treat!
Why We Love Peanut Butter Bars
- Loaded with peanut butter, they’re perfect for snacking or as a treat!
- They’re quick and easy to make and no oven is required.
- Peanut butter bars are rich in flavor and both light and crisp in texture.
- They keep well making them perfect for lunchboxes and outings.
Ingredients and Variations
CEREAL Corn flakes and crispy rice cereal make up the bulk of this crunchy recipe, but other cereals will work!
PEANUT BUTTER I use smooth peanut butter as it is what we keep on hand but crunchy will work too. This recipe has not been tested with other butters or natural peanut butter which may affect the consistency.
SWEETENERS Corn syrup helps hold these together while the brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness and flavor.
CHOCOLATE Chocolate chips are the perfect topping for all things peanut butter! Adding a touch of vegetable oil (or even butter or coconut oil) helps keep the chocolate layer from cracking as the bars are cut.
Variations
- Feel free to add cinnamon, apple pie spice, even pumpkin pie spice.
- We also like sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or even pecans added to the mix.
- For extra healthy peanut butter bars, add a tablespoon or so of flax meal for extra omega 3 benefits!
- Switch out the chocolate chips for white chocolate and sprinkle red and green sugar crystals for a festive dessert bar without the baking!
How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Boil brown sugar, butter, & corn syrup in a saucepan (per the recipe below).
- Remove from heat & whisk in peanut butter & vanilla.
- Stir in cereal, coating them completely. Press mixture into a prepared pan & cool.
- Melt chocolate chips and spread over the bars. Cool completely.
Storage
- No-bake bars will last up to 2 weeks if kept in an airtight container with a piece of bread added to absorb moisture.
- Freeze cookie squares up to 6 weeks between pieces of parchment paper. Place them in a zippered bag with the date written on the outside.
Peanut Butter Perfection
- Peanut Butter Balls – sweet & crunchy
- Peanut Butter Banana Refrigerator Pie – no bake
- Peanut Butter Blossoms – so quick & easy
- Easy Buckeye Recipe
- Yummy Gooey PB & J Bars
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – 4 ingredients
- Easy Peanut Butter Cookies – ready in 25 minutes
- No Bake Monster Energy Balls
- Peanut Butter Magic Cookie Bars – loaded with all things delicious
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
Did you love these No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups cornflakes
- 2 cups Rice Krispies
Topping
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Grease an 8x8 pan or line with parchment paper.
- Combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.
- Stir in cornflakes and rice krispies. Press into prepared pan and cool (be careful, the mixture will be very HOT). Let cool.
- Once cool, melt chocolate chips and vegetable oil until smooth. Spread over squares and cool completely.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Cookies, Dessert, Party Food, Snack
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I made these yesterday and when I cut them to serve, the cereal mix didn’t stick together very well. I’m wondering what I did wrong. They still tasted great, but I had to scoop the cereal mixture from the bottom of the pan.
We haven’t had that issue with this recipe Nathalie. I’d guess that you may not have pressed it into the pan hard enough. Glad you enjoyed them nonetheless!
This was such a fast and easy recipe and it tasted delicious! I am trying to reduce the added/processed sugars in my diet, so I opted for natural peanut butter, sugar free chocolate chips, honey to replace the corn syrup, and a keto brown sugar replacement! It all turned out perfect! :)
Looking forward to seeing your recipes
Welcome Alice! To receive emails with new recipes, you can click here to sign up to receive emails. Look forward to sending you recipes!
made these yesterday with Sunflower Butter and drizzled the chocolate over the top. Will be making again tomorrow. These are sooooo good. Thank you for this recipe.
Sounds great Connie! You’re welcome!