Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Sink your teeth into these crunchy, chewy, peanut butter crunch bars! An easy, no-bake combination of crispy rice, peanut butter, and maple syrup swirled in with melted chocolate these crunch bars whip up in just a few minutes ad make the perfect dessert!

As a busy mom, I am all about desserts in a pinch!

But as a Certified Nutrition Coach, I also want something somewhat healthy. Thus, recipes like peanut butter crunch bars (or my healthy rice krispie squares) become staples pretty fast for any kind of gathering.

These dark chocolate, peanut butter crunch bars come together in just five minutes and need only thirty more minutes to set. They're a great snack to bust a craving (just like this roundup of healthy snacks for when you're craving chocolate).

Thus making them a great recipe for impromptu parties.

Ingredients You Need

Coconut oil: make sure not to use another oil as coconut oil changes texture once chilled which is what helps hold these peanut butter crunch bars together.

Opt for real Canadian maple syrup for the best flavor. Honey will work as well but as written this recipe is vegan.

Peanut butter: opt for natural peanut butter so that the oil in it is mixed in with the puffed rice.

Crunchy peanut butter works as well for a funky flavor switch up.

Cacao powder: chocolate in its purest form and what gives these crunch bars their dark chocolate flavor. Learn more about cacao powder (not cocoa powder) and how chocolate can improve your health!

Crispy rice: a gluten-free cereal that replaces regular rice krispies in traditional recipes. Also called crispy rice cereal, they're not as crispy but have a wicked crunchy, chewy texture.

How To Make Them

1. Melt: Over low heat, melt the coconut oil, maple syrup, and peanut butter until just melted.
2. Mix until smooth.
3. Stir in the cacao powder and mix until no clumps remain.
4. Add in the rice cereal and stir until coated.
5. Pour the mixture into an 8x4, parchment paper-lined loaf pan (or a silicone mold). Smooth it down until it's even and sprinkle the sea salt on top.
6. Freeze for 30 minutes and let sit for three minutes before serving. Enjoy slightly chilled.

Expert Tips To Make Them

Sprinkle sea salt on top of the bars before freezing for the BEST flavor.

Make sure to use crispy rice and not puffed rice or you'll have a chewy texture.

The bars taste best chilled but at room temperature, they won't hold together perfectly for long. So, enjoy them chilled from the fridge.

The bars have a very dark chocolate flavor, if you prefer a sweeter chocolate flavor, use cocoa powder in place of cacao. It's a bit more processed and thus naturally sweeter.

You could also mix a few dairy-free chocolate chips into the crispy rice mixture for added sweetness.

Store the bars in the fridge for 7-10 days or the freezer for up to three months.

However, the texture alters a bit when stored in the freezer.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Useful

• Whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Measuring spoons

Frequently Asked Questions About Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Other Super Easy Dessert Recipes For Moms

• Gluten-free rice krispies
• Peanut butter fudge
• Homemade chocolate bars
• Cookie dough protein balls
• Salted chocolate mug cake

These chocolate, peanut butter crunch bars make the perfect dessert or chocolate-curbing snack.

Likewise, they’re easy to make, keep in the freezer well and you can’t eat too many of them.

They combine the classic flavors of peanut butter and chocolate while adding a little bit of crunch! Plus, you can adjust the sweetness to your preference, so really, they rock!