A classic childhood favorite, these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are made with 5 simple ingredients in minutes for a gluten-free and vegan recipe perfect for every occasion! Nut-free option.
Who Doesn’t Love a Good Rice Krispie Treat?
I don’t know about you, but I love a good rice krispie treat recipe! Soft, gooey, and containing just the right amount of sweetness, they were a childhood staple for me. Not only are they delicious, but they’re also super easy to make, making them perfect for the holiday season! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good classic recipe such as Raspberry Thumbprint cookies or chocolate chips cookies. However, sometimes you just need something super quick and versatile. Am I right?
So, I decided to make these peanut butter rice krispie treats! Not only are they gluten-free, but they’re also vegan and have a nut-free option for rice krispie treats variations everyone can enjoy. Even better, they’re made in minutes with just 5 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your kitchen.
This recipe is a super fun way to get the kids involved as well as they create different shapes and decorate their own treats to enjoy. No matter how you choose to make these peanut butter rice krispie treats, they’re guaranteed to be a crowd-pleasing dessert!
Ingredients and Alternatives
Want to know a secret? These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are made without marshmallows! Oh yes, it’s possible! As a result, they’re gluten-free and vegan for a sweet treat everyone can enjoy. Plus, the ingredients are super versatile to meet all your dietary needs. Take a look below to find everything you’ll need as well as easy alternatives.
- Rice Krispies – The popular cereal is most commonly used, but any kind of brown rice crisps work just as well for a gluten-free option!
- Peanut Butter – I used a creamy, no-stir peanut butter, but sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, or any nut or seed butter you prefer can be used. Just keep in mind that the flavor of your rice krispie treats will vary slightly depending on what you use!
- Agave or Maple Syrup – Use agave or maple syrup to add sweetness and hold the cereal together!
Foodie Swap: You could use honey instead. However, agave has a similar texture to rice syrup or corn syrup, ingredients found in store-bought bars without the need for refined syrups!
How to Make Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Even though these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats aren’t made with all of the typical ingredients you’d expect to see in a rice krispie treat variation, they’re just as easy to make, if not easier than the traditional recipe! Just follow the steps below.
Combine and Boil. Combine the nut butter, agave syrup, and salt in a small saucepan, and bring the ingredients to a soft boil then reduce to medium low for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the vanilla and rice crispies, and stir to combine the ingredients.
Baking Tip: Stir quickly! You want the ingredients to be well-combined before they begin to cool and set.
Press. Once combined, press the mixture into a baking sheet, and let it chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
Flavor Options
While these peanut butter rice krispie treats are delicious as they are, there are endless flavor options and ways to make these treats your own. For instance, try adding in pieces of your favorite candy, mix in cookie pieces to create oreo rice krispie treats, mix in nuts, and more!
Festive Rice Krispie Treats Variations
While the standard shape for rice krispie treat recipes tends to be rectangles served plain, there are lots of fun shapes, sizes, and extras you can add to your treats to make them special for the holiday season, cookie exchanges, and more!
Fun Shapes & Sizes
Switch things up and create unique shapes using cookie cutters, chocolate molds, or just shaping them with your hands! A few of my favorite shapes include:
- Christmas Trees
- Candy Canes
- Stars
- Wreaths
Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies
Did you know you can even make peanut butter balls with rice krispies? It’s true! To do so, all you have to do is combine the ingredients, and shape them into balls instead of pressing them into the baking sheet. Then, pop them in the freezer for 30 minutes to set. Once set, coat them in chocolate, add any additional toppings, and let them sit on a baking sheet until the chocolate has set.
Pro-Tip: Use a cookie scoop to create evenly sized balls!
Decorations
Feel free to add decorations to create a festive flair and celebrate your personality! Some of my favorite options include:
- Sparkling Cane Sugar
- Dye Free Sprinkles
- Frosting
- Coconut Flakes
How to Store Leftover Rice Krispies
To keep your Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats soft and fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Common Questions
If your rice krispie treats aren’t sticking together, it’s likely due to too many cereal pieces. Luckily, it’s an easy fix! Just slowly add a bit more peanut butter or agave to the mixture, stirring to combine until all of the ingredients are well incorporated and sticking together. Answer goes here…
If your rice krispie treats are too hard, you’re probably packing them too tightly! Don’t smash them into the baking pan. Instead, lightly pack them down with your hand, making sure to leave a bit of air.
Yes! This recipe works well with any cereal you like best. For an extra chocolatey flavor, I recommend using cocoa rice crisps!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats (Vegan)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8–9 treats 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Made with vegan ingredients, these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats are the perfect kid-friendly treat for every occassion! Nut-free option.
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups rice krispies (or brown rice crispies)
- ⅔ cup no-stir creamy peanut butter or nut/seed butter of choice
- ⅔ cup agave syrup or maple syrup *(see notes if using maple syrup)
- Pinch of sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- Coating and Mix-Ins:
- ½ cup to 1 cup white chocolate or dark chocolate chips, as needed. (See notes)
- top with festive sugar, holiday confetti sprinkles, or coconut.
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, or spray it with spray oil, and set it aside.
- Place the rice crisps in a large mixing bowl, and set them aside.
- Whisk together the creamy nut butter, agave or maple syrup, and sea salt in a small saucepan.
- Bring the ingredients to a quick bubble/boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently often to prevent burn. The nut butter and syrup mixture will begin to resemble a thick texture and appearance similar to caramel sauce.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, and mix in the vanilla. Then, quickly combine the mixture with the rice crispies in the mixing bowl. Stir quickly to combine!
- Once mixed, press batter into the prepared baking pan and gently press it down using a spatula or hands.
- Chill the pan in the fridge for 30-45 minutes before slicing and decorating the rice krispie treats.
To Decorate:
Note- The more chocolate you use the thicker the topping.
- Melt the chocolate or white chocolate in a double boiler or in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring often.
- Spread the melted chocolate on top of the set rice krispies pan, and let the chocolate cool before slicing.
Notes
Standard rice krispies typically contain gluten. So, be sure to double-check the ingredient list!
*The agave can be replaced by ⅔ to 1 cup maple syrup, but keep in mind that the treats will not be as chewy in texture and you will need to cook the peanut butter/syrup mixture for an additional minute or so.
For vegan chocolate options, I like Pascha Organic Vegan White Chocolate or Enjoy Life Foods Dark Chocolate!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Balls: Follow steps 1-5 above. Then, portion the mixture using a rounded tablespoon, and shape the rice krispies into balls. Place each ball on a baking sheet, and place them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Once the peanut butter balls have set, melt the chocolate, and coat the balls, adding sprinkles and any other toppings of choice on top.
- Place the balls back on a baking sheet, and let them cool at room temperature or in the fridge until the chocolate has set.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 treat with chocolate topping
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 18.8 g
- Sodium: 317.5 mg
- Fat: 13.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.7 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
So delicious! I love the pb and chocolate combo and I can never resist a krispie treat! SO good!
so glad! Thanks for feedback!
When you say “soft boil” – is that using a candy thermometer?
I virginia, sorry for the confusion. I just updated the recipe so it makes more since. You definitely don’t want the soft boil. More bubble.
Bring the ingredients to a quick bubble/boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently often to prevent burn. The nut butter and syrup mixture will begin to resemble a thick texture and appearance similar to caramel sauce.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and mix in the vanilla. Then, quickly combine the mixture with the rice crispies in the mixing bowl. Stir quickly to combine!
Thank you! I have now made 4 batches of these! They are sooo good! I like the ones with the agave syrup better than the maple syrup. The ones with the agave syrup cook quicker so watch them closely. I made mine into balls, a recipe makes 30-32 balls. I found that my hands got too sticky after 5-6 balls, rinsing them under cool water allowed me to get back in business quickly. I tried coating them in chocolate like a truffle, that was too much chocolate. I ended up drizzling chocolate over the top and putting sprinkles on them. They are my cookie exchange entry this year! Thank you for a great recipe!!!
Thanks so much for the feedback Virginia! And for the note on the agave, I definitely agree. So glad we could be part of your cookie exchange. <3
So yummy! My kids love these so much!
So glad!