This is a recipe I usually think of when I don’t feel like going to the store and I need to bake something at the last minute - it uses ingredients that I nearly always have in the pantry and doesn’t require any actual baking. Making three layers might seem a bit fussy, but they are really easy and quick. I adapted it very slightly from the Baked cookbook, mostly by adding a generous amount of flaky salt to the top of the squares, which complements them really nicely. If I have any complaints about chocolate peanut butter treats, it’s only that they could nearly always be improved with a little salt. That’s why I am kind of in love with the new Reece’s cups with crushed up potato chips in them, but I still think they could use an extra pinch of salt.
I also love the caramelized, candied, crispy puffed cereal base. I have never really loved rice krispie squares - I always thought they were a little overrated and boring (sorry if that’s blasphemous rice-krispie-lovers). The base of these bars is rice-krispie-ish, but I think it has a surperior texture and flavour. The puffed cereals is candied, covered in a golden caramel syrup that sets up into a light layer that is crispy, caramelly and chewy - exactly how I always thought rice krispies should be.
I see a lot of recipes that call for peanut butter that say you absolutely must use the emulsified style of peanut butter or the recipe will split or fail in some other way. I never use that kind though, and I have yet to come across a recipe where it has caused a failure. I love salty, unsweetened peanut butter, the kind that is made with only peanuts and salt. It’s the only kind I normally buy and I never want to buy the other sort just for a recipe. So I just keep using the peanut butter I have and it always works perfectly. You can use your favourite type of peanut butter for this recipe.
Dietary variations: I have made these gluten free by choosing gluten-free cereal and chocolate, and I have made these vegan with coconut oil swapped in for butter and vegan chocolate. They are equally delicious!
chocolate peanut butter crispy squares
adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
crispy base
1 ¾ cups puffed grain cereal (Rice crispies or similar cereal - I had some puffed millet in the pantry so I used that)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
3 tbs golden syrup or corn syrup
3 tbs butter
Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
Add cereal into a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, add water, sugar and syrup and stir until combined. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the mixture reaches 235° F on a candy thermometer. Off the heat, add butter and stir quickly to combine. Pour the sugar mix over the cereal and stir until the cereal is evenly coated. Press into the prepared pan in an even layer.
peanut butter chocolate layer
5 ounces of milk chocolate chips (or roughly chopped chocolate)
1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy, unsweetened peanut butter, which keeps things a bit less sweet, but you can use whatever type of peanut butter you like)
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together. You can use a microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. Or melt in a bain-marie over simmering water, stirring until fully melted and combined. Pour over the cereal layer and tip the pan back and forth to ensure the layer is even. Chill pan in the fridge to set.
chocolate layer
3 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tsp golden syrup or corn syrup
¼ cup butter
generous pinch of flaky salt
Melt chocolate, syrup and butter together in the microwave or a bain-marie. Pour over the set peanut butter layer and swirl the pan to get an even, thin chocolate layer. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of flaky salt. Chill pan in the fridge again to set the chocolate layer. When set, use the parchment paper to pull the bars out of the pan. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.