With a brownie base and a crispy peanut butter and chocolate top, these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Brownies will meet all of your snack needs!
At the time of this writing, it's a few days after Halloween 2020. It's also the day after Election Day 2020. The true All Hallows Eve. Oh, and I almost forgot, it's also the Year of the Pandemic 2020. You know, THAT year. Yeah. Lots going on here. It's all a bit overwhelming, so let's escape for a moment. Let's pretend that none of this is happening.
It's a peaceful November day. In this version of the world, Election Day was just the regular amount of stressful. In this version of the world, old people freely mouth-breathe on your neck in line at the Mega Mart. And in this version of the world, the interweb did a "which candy is your favorite?" contest and the loser was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The world said, "peanut butter and chocolate? I'll pass."
In this world, all you find at the bottom of your kid's orange plastic pumpkin, two days after Halloween, is a bunch of unwanted Peanut Butter Cups. In fact, there are so many Peanut Butter Cups that you are now looking for things to do with all your Peanut Butter Cups. In that unlikely scenario, I've got you covered. Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Brownies. Boom.
What are we making?
I was thinking of a perfect snack. One with all the right flavors and textures. Something with... maybe a base of classic fudge brownie, then a layer of rice cereal, folded into peanut butter and chocolate, the whole thing sprinkled with chopped and crumbled peanut butter cups. Sort of like a Nestle Crunch Bar fell into a jar of peanut butter. Then wrestled with a gang of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Then took a nap on a brownie. You know, that kind of snack. Let's make that.
Tips for Success
- If you are running short of time today, make the brownie ahead, let cool and then cover the pan with plastic wrap, and finish putting it all together up to two days later. Any longer than that and the brownie might dry out, but two days is fine.
- If you aren't a fan of peanut butter and chocolate (like one of my daughters), feel free to leave out the peanut butter. You can replace it with an equal amount of tahini, cookie butter, or even double up on the chocolate content with Nutella. Then sprinkle the top with crushed cookies, or chocolate chips! Free yourself!
- I know people (okay, maybe me up to a few years ago) who don't like Rice Krispies. Feel free to substitute the cereal of your choice; Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, even Corn Flakes. Sprinkle some on top! Yum!
Need more Peanut Butter?
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blondies
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
- Peanut Butter-Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats
Makes one giant 13X9 inch Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Brownie that you may, or may not, decide to share.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie Base
- ½ cup (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 3 oz (85g) bittersweet chocolate (about 70% is good), coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee crystals
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar (dark or light)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (98g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75g) dark (or dutched) cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon fine grain kosher or sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Layer
- 1 ½ cup (255g) semi-sweet chocolate (either chips or chopped chocolate will work)
- 1 ½ cup (405g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 ½ cup (40g) Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Spray a 9X13" baking pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper, allowing some to hang over the sides to act as handles for lifting the brownies out at the end.Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add chocolate and espresso to the melted butter and stir until melted and well mixed. Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Whisk the sugars into the cooled chocolate mixture until fully combined. Add in eggs and whisk well. Fold the flour mixture in by hand just until the last bits of flour have completely mixed in. Spread into prepared pan (it's a thin layer) and bake in 350° oven for 15-20 minutes, turning the pan around half way through. At 15 minutes, check it with a toothpick. Just poke it in the center. If it comes out with just a bit of chocolate crumbs, you’re good. If it's got some extra gooey bits on it, give it a few more minutes and check again. Allow to cool on a wire rack while you prepare the top layer.
- In a heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt chocolate, peanut butter, and coconut oil, mixing until smooth. Fold in the cereal. Spread mixture in a smooth layer on top of brownies and sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups. Lightly press the larger pieces to adhere to the surface. Chill for at least 90 minutes in the refrigerator or overnight on the counter before cutting and serving.
Notes
- If you are running short of time today, make the brownie ahead, let cool and then cover the pan with plastic wrap, and finish putting it all together up to two days later. Any longer than that and the brownie might dry out, but two days is fine.
- If you aren't a fan of peanut butter and chocolate (like one of my daughters), feel free to leave out the peanut butter. You can replace it with an equal amount of tahini, cookie butter, or even double up on the chocolate content with Nutella. Then sprinkle the top with crushed cookies, or chocolate chips! Free yourself!
- I know people (okay, maybe me up to a few years ago) who don't like Rice Krispies. Feel free to substitute the cereal of your choice; Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, even Corn Flakes. Sprinkle some on top! Yum!
Nutrition
The nutritional and caloric information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It does not assert or suggest that readers should or should not count calories, and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s or doctor’s counseling.
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