Our chocolate rice krispie treats are the chocolate version of the classic no-bake treat that everyone loves! Made with cocoa krispies cereal and an other simple ingredients, I loaded these with pretzels pieces, chocolate chips, and peanut butter cups and a simple peanut butter frosting too!
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Easy Cocoa Krispie Treats
These cereal bars are made with cocoa krispies instead of the traditional rice krispies cereal with loads of extras mixed in. AND THEN! we add a layer of peanut butter frosting and top it with more chunks of pretzels, peanut butter cups, or peanut butter chips! I did say extra, didn’t I?
My love of no-bake cereal treats goes far beyond the classic rice krispie treat. I’ve created rice krispie desserts for pretty much any occasion, and each one is just as good as the next. love our holiday inspired Halloween rice krispie treats, mummy rice krispie treats, Easter rice krispie treats, and Valentine’s rice krispie treats.
And yet, even still, these chocolate krispie treats looked around and said, “I can do you one better!” And that they did. They are so easy to customize though. You can leave out any or all of the mix-ins if you’d like.
Our Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients with amounts are listed in the full recipe card below.
- Unsalted butter and salt: I prefer to use unsalted butter and then add the salt separately but you can use salted and leave out the added salt if you’d like.
- Mini marshmallows: I use mini marshmallows since I’ll need some extra for topping anyway. If you want to use regular marshmallows instead, you’ll need about 40.
- Vanilla extract: For added flavor.
- Cocoa Krispies cereal: Cocoa krispies are regular rice krispies made with added cocoa to make them chocolate flavored. If you can’t find them, cocoa pebbles can be used instead.
- Pretzel twists: Chopped into pieces by placing them in a plastic baggie and hitting them with a mallet or rolling pin.
- Peanut butter chips and mini Reese’s peanut butter cups: These are added into the cereal mixture and I also added more on top of the frosting.
- Peanut butter frosting, optional: Unsalted, room temperature butter, creamy peanut butter, vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, and whole milk (or heavy cream). You can also save some time by using a store-bought frosting.
Variations For You To Try
1. Swap the peanut butter chips for white chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips.
2. Add any of your favorite mix-ins. Chopped nuts like peanuts, pecans, or walnuts would be great.
3. If you really want to wow chocolate lovers with extra chocolate flavor, make double chocolate Rice Krispie treats using a chocolate buttercream frosting rather than the peanut butter frosting.
4. Skip all the toppings, and sprinkle a bit of flaked sea salt on top of the frosting. It’s so good with the flavor of sweet marshmallows!
How to Make this Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats Recipe
Step 1: In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat and stir in the salt. Set aside some of the mini marshmallows to use later and add the rest to the pot and stir until completely melted. Add the vanilla extract and combine.
Step 2: Once the marshmallow mixture is nice and smooth, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cereal, remaining marshmallows, pretzels, peanut butter cups, and peanut butter chips. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
Step 3: Spread the mixture into a prepared 11 x 4 baking pan. Use a rubber spatula to gently spread it into an even layer. Don’t press the mixture down too hard or they will become hard. You want them to be soft and chewy.
Step 4: Make the optional frosting. In a medium mixing bowl, add the the butter and peanut butter and blend until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and salt and blend it in quickly.
Step 5: Add in the powdered sugar in ¼ cup batches and blend on low speed until fully incorporated.
Step 6: Add the milk and beat for one minute on high speed until it thickens
Step 7: Spread it evenly over the mixture in the pan then top with additional cups, pretzels, and peanut butter chips if you’d like. I cut them into 12 squares, but feel free to slice them into smaller squares of 15 or 20 if you’d like.
Tips
Make sure to grease your pan and line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Using a greased spatula will help to spread the mixture into the pan without it sticking.
Let the bars sit for 30 minutes before cutting into squares. If you try and cut them too early while they are still warm, they will lose their shape.
How to Store Leftover Rice Krispie Treats
Room temperature: Rice krispie treats can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. Make sure they’re covered in an airtight container so they don’t dry out.
Refrigerator: If you still have some after a couple of days, store them to the fridge. They will harden but can be warmed up in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to soften them up.
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Loaded Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
- 1 ½ cups pretzel twists chopped into pieces
- ¼ cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Spray an 11×14 baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and also line it with parchment paper.
- In a large pot, add the butter and melt it over low heat. Stir in the salt.½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Separate out 1 ½ cups of mini marshmallows to use later.10 ounces mini marshmallows
- Then add the remaining marshmallows into the pot and continue to heat on low, stirring it into the melted butter until they are completely melted. Add the vanilla extract and combine.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remove the pot from the heat once the marshmallows are smooth and add the cereal, the saved mini marshmallows that were set aside, pretzels, Reese’s peanut butter cup minis, and peanut butter chips.8 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal, 1 ½ cups pretzel twists, ¼ cup peanut butter chips, ½ cup mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
- Gently stir until evenly distributed.
- Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking pan and gently press it down into an even layer. (be careful not to press too much or they will become hard).
Make the frosting:
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the the butter and peanut butter and blend until smooth.⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, 3 tablespoons butter
- Add in the vanilla extract and salt and blend it in quickly.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add in the powdered sugar in ¼ cup batches and blend on low speed until fully incorporated.1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- Add the milk and beat for one minute on high speed until it thickens.2 tablespoons whole milk
- Spread the frosting onto the krispie treats in an even layer.
- Top with additional chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, pretzels chunks, and/or peanut butter chips.
- Allow the bars to set at room temperature for 30 minutes before cutting to keep their shape. Wipe the knife clean with a paper towel between cuts.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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