No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Oh, boy! If you’ve been around for a minute, you know I’m a big fan of peanut butter chocolate combos that also have a hint of butterscotch in them. Chocolate Scotcheroo Rice Krispie Treats and Butterscotch and Milk Chocolate Puppy Chow are two of my favorite treats in the world. Yum! Yum! Yum! I’m so excited about this new No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars recipe. It is so super easy to make and so dang tasty! Plan ahead for who you will share these with or you might accidentally eat the whole batch.

These little treats are so delicious. I prefer to keep them in the freezer so they are absolutely perfect, but you can keep them in the fridge…they won’t be quite as crunchy. You can also keep them at room temperature, but the chocolate will be pretty soft. Whichever way you choose, they won’t last long. There is just something about that chocolate, peanut butter flavor with a hint of butterscotch that tastes like perfection with the crunch from the Rice Krispies.

If you want the bars to come out with a nice half and half look, you need to freeze the first layer for 20-30 minutes before adding the second layer. If you skip this step, the top layer will press down into the soft, still slightly warm layer on the bottom. Taste-wise this isn’t a big deal. Your bars will still taste great, but they won’t have the nice half and half look.

Easy No-bake Recipes

step-by-step pictures for how to make NO-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Frequently Asked Questions for how to make No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

How many Bars does this recipe make?

This recipe makes approximately 16-20 bars that are the same size as the ones pictured.

Do I need to lay them flat in my freezer?

Yes. When you freeze the melted chocolate layers, make sure you have a nice flat space in your freezer to lay them or the mixture will slide to one side.

Can I spray the pan with cooking spray, or do I have to use parchment paper?

I highly recommend using parchment paper or even wax paper to line your pan with for this recipe. It is much easier to cut them and have them come out with nice crisp edges if you can pull the entire batch out with the parchment paper once the mixture has been set up.

Does Milk Chocolate or Semi-Sweet Chocolate work better in this recipe?

This really depends on your personal preference. I used semi-sweet in this batch, but the next day, when I made them again–yes, they are that good–I used milk chocolate, and I liked it even more.

Can I use other flavors of chocolate chips?

For this particular “scotcheroo” flavor combo, you wouldn’t want to change up the flavors of chocolate chips. But, if you want to experiment with other fun combinations to turn into crunch bars, you could try whatever flavors you like or think would be fun.

chef’s tools:

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Prep time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour

Your favorite flavors with the perfect crunch! These scotcheroo-like bars are made with multiple flavors of chocolate chips, peanut butter, and Rice Krispies. You're going to love them!

Author: Slightly adapted from Averie Cooks

Recipe type: No-bake Dessert

Serves: 16-20

Ingredients

1 (11 ounce) bag white chocolate chips, approx. 2 cups
1½ cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips
3 cups rice Krispies, divided
2 cups peanut butter, divided

Instructions

Line an 8x8 or a 7x11 glass baking dish with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment paper overhanging on the sides to remove the bars easily once they have cooled. Set the dish aside.
In a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl, melt the 11 ounces of white chocolate chips and one cup of peanut butter. Start with one minute, stir, and then melt in 20-second increments until the mixture is just melted, stirring after each increment.
Next, add 1½ cups of Rice Krispies to the melted white chocolate and peanut butter. Spread evenly and as flat as possible into the bottom of the parchment-lined dish. Place on a flat surface in the freezer for 20 minutes before adding the next layer.
In another 1-quart microwave-safe bowl, melt the 1½ cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, the ½ cup of butterscotch chips, and a cup of peanut butter. Do the same method where you start with one minute, stir, and then melt in 20-second increments until the mixture is just melted, stirring after each increment.
Now add the last 1½ cups of Rice Krispies and stir well. Gently pour the mixture on top of the white chocolate peanut butter layer.
Return to a flat space in the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until completely set up.
When ready to serve, remove the bars from the pan by pulling up on the parchment paper overhanging from the sides. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into desired size pieces.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Enjoy!