Peanut Butter + Cacao Nibs Rice Crispy Treats
Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats made with rice cereal, peanut butter, brown rice syrup and cacao nibs is a healthy, no-bake snack recipe that’s super easy to make – and they taste amazing too!
I made these healthy peanut butter rice crispy treats to take along as a snack for my flight from California to North Carolina. I packed a couple of bars and a small bag of the Almost-Everything Trail Mix. It was a nice variation and just enough to hold me over until I arrived.
Why We Love This Recipe!
These peanut buttery & cacao chip snack treats are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made without marshmallows.
They come together quickly, are fun to make, and can be enjoyed any time of the day.
Store them covered for 4 days or so, or keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (but I bet they won’t last more than a couple of days!).
Ingredients You’ll Need
There are only 4 simple ingredients to this easy snack recipe. We’ll be using rice crisp cereal, brown rice syrup, peanut butter, and cacao nibs.
After trying different sweeteners and cereals with varying results, I finally created a great rice crispy treat.
- Rice Crispy Cereal: I started with Arrowhead Puffed Rice Cereal but the texture was too soft. Maybe my bag was stale, but they definitely lacked the crispy effect of ‘rice krispie treats’ that I was trying to replicate. Then I tried a box of One Degree Brown Rice Crisps Cereal and they were exactly what I was looking for in texture. A box of Rice Krispie Cereal, or one similar that you’re familiar with, will do fine too, if you prefer.
- Sweetener: Pure maple syrup was delicious but didn’t add enough stickiness, and they fell apart easily. It also seemed to soak into the cereal making them a tad too soft. None of this was necessarily a bad thing, it just wasn’t the end result I was looking for. I finally tested brown rice syrup with the best results, adding perfect stickiness and sweetness.
- Peanut Butter: Use creamy or chunky natural peanut butter. Sun butter would also be a great substitute!
- Chocolate: Cacao nibs add texture and a little chocolate flavor. Plus, they are loaded with antioxidants and are super good for you! They work well in this recipe since they don’t melt as quickly as regular chocolate chips.
To achieve that ‘crispy’ effect, I suggest sticking with the ingredients listed in the recipe for the best texture.
How To Make Vegan Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
- Start by gently warming the brown rice syrup and peanut butter over low heat. It only needs to be slightly warmed, just enough to loosen up the ingredients.
- Once the mixture is slightly warmed, turn off the heat, add the cereal, and mix. Toss in the cacao nibs and mix once more.
- Place the mixture into a parchment-lined (or lightly greased) pan and press gently but firmly until it is packed and evenly distributed (shown above). I used a 9 x 9 pan here, but a 9 x 11 or 8 x 8 would work great, too.
- Feel free to add a few more cacao nobs to fill in any blank spots, gently pressing them in.
- Once packed, either slice and eat right away or place the pan in the refrigerator and let the rice-crispy mixture cool and harden. Both ways are delicious!
Now, it’s your turn to make a batch. I think you’ll love these crispy, peanut buttery, cacao nibby rice crispy bars as much as I do!
More Healthy Snack Recipes!
For more healthy snack ideas, try these other quick and easy recipes. They’ll keep you feeling good and at your best!
- Quick N Healthy Banana Boats
- Easy Supreme Black Bean Brownies
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- Healthy Apple Nachos
- Almost Everything Trail Mix
- Homemade Potato Chips
If you try this vegan rice crispy treat recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintPEANUT BUTTER + CACAO NIBS RICE CRISPY TREATS
A fun, healthy snack anytime of day that’s super easy to put together, and will ready to eat in minutes. Gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free and marshmallow free.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Makes 9 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice syrup
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 5 cups rice crispy cereal (I used One Degree)
- 1/3 cup cacao nibs
Instructions
Line a 9 x 9 square pan (or 9 x 13 rectangular dish) with parchment paper. Alternately, lightly grease with coconut oil or non-dairy butter. Set aside.
In a large pot or pan, over low heat, gently warm the brown rice syrup and peanut butter, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, stir in the rice crispy cereal, mix until almost combined. Add in the cacao nibs, and continue mixing until well combined.
Place the mixture in prepared pan/dish, and gently, but firmly, press until compacted and evenly distributed.
Either cut into squares and serve as is, or place pan/dish in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let harden.
Store leftovers covered on the counter for 4 days or so, or place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Using a 9 x 9 dish will yield 9 bars.
NOTES:
If you can’t source One Degree Sprouted Brown Rice Cereal, feel free to use the original Rice Krispy Cereal for a true ‘crispy’ bar. There are a few other brands that have rice crispy cereal, I just haven’t tried them all but feel free to use any brand you know and like.
Use creamy or chunky peanut butter. Sun butter would be a great too.
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Thanks for this recipe. Made this today and it turned out great. Only had an 8×8 tin and it is a bit higher and I should probably have used the 9×13 instead. Really liked the use of brown rice syrup instead of other sweeteners and the cacao nibs are a nice touch.
Thank you for posting this amazing recipe. Heading to FL next week so this is a perfect snack for the trip.
Enjoy your trip and these snack bars! Cheers :)