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Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats

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Rice Krispie Treats no longer have to be boring. Jazz up the best rice krispie treats with everyone’s favorite Reese’s candy. These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats are easy to make and are off the chart amazing!

A white plate with a stack of three peanut butter cup rice krispie treats stacked on it

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Rice Krispie treats are one of my favorite things to make for dessert. They are just so easy to make and always taste great.

The problem is that I can’t stop my crazy mind from wandering when it comes to easy desserts. This time when I went to make a pan of original rice Krispie treats, I saw a bag of peanut butter cups and remembered how good these Rice Krispie Candy Bars were.

Right away I had to add a layer of Reese’s to the middle of the peanut butter rice Krispies with chocolate. 

Best idea EVER!!! These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats with peanut butter cups turned out so crazy good that now they are one of the most requested treats in our house. 

Squares of peanut butter rice krispie treats with a layer of peanut butter cups in them on a brown board

What You’ll Need

You only need a few ingredients to make these easy Reese’s stuffed rice Krispie treats. Add peanut butter to the classic Rice Krispie treat recipe, stuff it with peanut butter cups, and then spread melted chocolate on top.  Holy yum!!!

  • Butter – unsalted or salted is fine
  • Marshmallows – large or miniature
  • Rice Krispies Cereal
  • Peanut Butter – creamy works best
  • Peanut Butter Cups – full sized are best
  • Chocolate Chips – try it with milk, semi-sweet, or dark
  • Heavy Whipping Cream – keeps the chocolate topping soft
Two peanut butter cup rice krispie treats stacked on top of each other on an orange and white towel

How to make Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats

These easy peanut butter rice Krispie treats come together in minutes. If you love peanut butter cups or chocolate and peanut butter, you are going to love these easy no bake treats.

  1. Unwrap all the Reese’s peanut butter cups and set them aside.
  2. Butter a 9×13 pan and keep the butter out.  
  3. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large pot over low heat.
  4. Stir peanut butter into the melted butter and marshmallow. 
  5. Divide the hot mixture in half.  Press one half into the buttered baking dish.
  6. Lay the unwrapped Reese’s peanut butter cups over the top.
  7. As soon as the candy bars are down, press the rest of the mixture over the top.  Try to get it as even as possible.  But don’t stress too much about it because we are adding a layer of chocolate over the top that will hide the imperfections. 
  8. Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat it for 30 seconds.  Stir until it is melted and spreadable.  If you need to heat it another 10-15 seconds, go ahead.  Just do not over heat the chocolate.
  9. Spoon the melted chocolate over the top of the rice Krispie treats and use an angled spatula to spread it out quickly.  Let the chocolate set before cutting into bars. 

Recipe Tips

  • Use fresh marshmallows for best results.
  • Melt the butter and marshmallow over low heat. Overheating and cooking the marshmallows can create hard treats.
  • Use cocoa rice Krispie cereal for a fun variation.
  • Work quickly to put these Reese’s rice Krispie treats together. Do not let the mixture sit very long at all, or it will start to cool and be harder to work with.
  • Do not press the rice Krispie treats down hard in the pan. Pressing the mixture too hard is what causes hard rice Krispie treats.  I don’t know about you, but I prefer soft, chewy rice krispie treats.
  • Make these chocolate and peanut butter bars ahead of time for parties and picnics.

CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!

Three peanut butter cup rice krispie treats with chocolate topping laying on a towel

Other Rice Krispie Treats Variations

More Easy No Bake Recipes

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A white plate with three peanut butter rice krispies stuffed with peanut butter cups stacked on it

Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Rice Krispie Treats no longer have to be boring. Jazz up the best rice krispie treats with everyone's favorite Reese's candy. These Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats are easy to make and off the chart amazing!

Ingredients

  • 8 cups mini marshmallows (from 16 oz bag)
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 7 cups plain Rice Krispies cereal
  • 24 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

  1. Butter or spray a 9x13 pan and set aside.
  2. Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Stir in the peanut butter.
  3. Pour the cereal into the marshmallow mixture and stir until completely combined. Press half the cereal mixture into the prepared pan quickly.
  4. Place the 24 peanut butter cups over the top of the rice krispies in the pan. 
  5. Spoon the rest of the Rice Krispies mixture over the top and press down. Let cool completely.
  6. Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat until melted. Stir until creamy.
  7. Spread over the top of the Rice Krispie treats. Let set. Cut into 24 squares. Store in a sealed container on the counter.

Notes

*To make these easier, make 1/2 a batch of the Rice Krispie mixture and press it in the pan first. After adding the peanut butter cups, make the second 1/2 of the Rice Krispie mixture and press it on top.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 437Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 235mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 40gProtein: 8g

Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Jocelyn @ Inside BruCrew Life
Cuisine: American / Category: Popcorn, Snack Mixes, and Rice Krispie Treats
Two pictures of peanut butter cup rice krispie treats collaged together with an orange text box
Two squares of Reese's stuffed rice krispie treats stacked on top of each other

(photo from July 2014)

*This post and recipe was originally posted July 23, 2014. The photos were updated August 2016, and the post was updated and republished June 4, 2021.

**This post may contain affiliate links.  By clicking on these links or purchasing recommended items, I may receive a small compensation.  I will only recommend products I use and love.  Thank you for supporting Inside BruCrew Life.

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Comments

  1. Jessica Burgess says

    No way… these are HEAVENLY!!!!! Peanut butter, chocolate AND rice krispie treats? GET IN MY BELLY!

    Reply

  3. Becky Hardin says

    I am totally about anything NO Bake and anything chocolate and peanut butter!!! This is the best rice krispie treat ever!!!

    Reply

  6. Katie says

    I’m in the middle of making these, and just realized I don’t have heavy cream! I’ve made these many times before, and I forgot I needed that for the top layer. Can I make it without the heavy cream, or substitute it with milk??

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I would just use the chocolate and add some shortening or coconut oil to thin it out. Or if you have coffee creamer, you can use that in place of the heavy cream.

      Reply

  7. Nuzra Latiff says

    These look awesome! Can I use organic peanut butter instead of the creamy store bought one? Will it hold shape?

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I’m not really sure because I just used the store bought. I think with all the marshmallows that it would be ok, but I can’t say for sure. Keep me posted if you try it that way!

      Reply

  8. Shannon says

    Question, could you leave off the top layer of chocolate? I know I must sound crazy. A co-worker made these and they were so yummy, but so rich…so thought maybe leaving the top layer off might help.

    Reply

  10. Cindy Bellman says

    I made these bars for a kids treat but I used a 9 x 9 pan and There was plenty of Rice Krispie mixture for both layers. I used half the ingredients for the bottom layer and placed peanut cups on top. Then I made the other half of the Krispie layer for the top–didn’t have to worry about working fast. Added chocolate top. I cut the bars into small squares – still looked pretty. Let’s face it, these bars are very sweet and have a lot of sugar/fat so a smaller portion is probably a good idea.

    Reply

  11. Terry Wainscott says

    I found that the recipe for the rice krispies was not enough to cover the bottom layer and also the top layer. i had to use 3/4 of the batch just to barely cover the bottom of a 9x13pan. i ended up making a second batch to cover the top layer

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I have made this recipe so many times and it worked every single time. If you divide the rice krispies mix in half, and spray your hands very well with nonstick spray, it is enough for the pan. They are already pretty thick with the peanut butter cups in the center, so I bet yours were super thick. Not that that is a bad thing…

      Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I have never frozen rice krispie treats before, so I googled it. It looks like if you wrap them well enough, you can freeze them. Just set them out a few hours before you want to serve them. Let me know how it works for you.

      Reply

  15. Niki says

    I finally had the opportunity to make these as part of the dessert spread at my daughter’s birthday party. They were worth the wait and so good! In fact, I made them 3 days later for a work function and they were the first item gone!

    Reply

  17. Phyllis Grant says

    These are nothing less than incredible! Made them for a family supper and everyone could not get enough of them. So nice to have a recipe that is different from the usual. I did find the mixing of the rice krispies into the marshmallow challenging and as I was doing it – I was thinking that I would not be making these again. Well, that was until I and my family tasted them. The extra work will not even be noticed because of how great these taste.

    Reply

  20. Sandi Quinn says

    Can you tell me, please how many boxes of Rice Krispies it takes to get 7 C., and how many bags of mini marshmallows to get 7 C.???
    Thank you!

    Reply

  21. Dr. Richard Ryder, PhD says

    Hi …

    We saw your PEANUT BUTTER CUP RICE KRISPIES TREATS on a FB post from a dear life-long friend (Rosalie Green) that keeps trying to make me even more fat with all these recipes. Anyway …we make sauce (many different types) and have a business in Central Virginia and would love to let you try our sweet and hot raspberry hot sauce in hopes of your using and purchasing the product. You or your hubby can contact me any time on my cell phone if you’d like.

    Thanx …

    Richard “the garlic guy”
    804-244-0729

    Reply

  22. Amy Jones says

    Hi! I LOOOVE these rice krispie treats! I only had 8 pb cups but I chopped them up and they made a great center layer. I’m excited to make a batch with a solid pb cup layer next time though! :-9

    I’ve gotta say though, when I went to melt the butter + chocolate chips that it seized…on both attempts! :-p I was very careful to watch and stir but it didn’t work out. I ended up using a chocolate fruit dip, the fondue type which worked perfectly. I’ll use that or just melted choco chips next time. Please let me know if there is something obvious that I am missing in my melting technique. Thanks & keep those great ideas coming! 😀

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      I wonder if your microwave runs hotter than mine. You can also use shortening to thin the chocolate out for spreading. Butter does have a little bit of water in it, and water makes chocolate seize. I am so glad you liked the treats though 🙂

      Reply

      • Susie says

        Wow love these Rice Krispie treats. So did my three sons. I just had a problem with the butter and chocolate. It seized twice in microwave. It was upsetting. I followed the instructions. What did I do wrong? Help. Can I melt the chocolate over a double boiler? If so should I add the butter to it? This is how I melt chocolate for some recipes.

        Reply

        • Jocelyn says

          I’m so glad your family enjoyed the rice krispies. The chocolate might have been heated too long if it was seizing. You can also melt it slowly in a pan or double boiler too.

          Reply

  24. Annette says

    When I clicked on the link for the peanut butter rice krispies, there was no recipe (measurements etc) it just stated to grease a pan and mix marshmallows
    etc. can you help?

    Reply

    • Jocelyn says

      Hi, Annette. You have to keep scrolling down to see the recipe. I just talk about what I did in the blog post. The recipe is under the last picture 🙂

      Reply

  27. fred derf says

    although the layer of fullsize cups looks very tasty indeed – wonder if this concept wouldn’t work even better with mini reese’s cups mixed throughout (probably would want to freeze them first as they apparently melt really fast)

    Reply

    • Jocelyn Brubaker says

      You could do the mini peanut butter cups if you like. And yes, freeze them first because the warm mixture will melt them pretty quickly. The small ones just won’t have the impact as the big ones do!

      Reply

  28. Deb+Cochrane says

    I’m house-bound so I can’t get to the stores but I do have a good recipe for the PB cup filling. Wonderful idea to spread a layer of that inside the treats. Thanks! I’m going to try this.

    Reply

  29. Deb Cochrane says

    These sound great but where I live the regular size PB Cups are a pack of 2 for $1.00 so I’d need $12.00 worth of candy to make these. Not going to happen in my kitchen. What will happen is the addition of peanut butter to the treats and the peanut butter/chocolate topping. Thanks for this idea. I might have some Reeses minis left this Holloween that |I could scatter over the top. so just some bites had the candy. Mmmm.

    Reply

  31. marcie says

    These look insane! Your squares and layers look so perfect. I’ve never been good at packing my rice krispie treats down because they’re so sticky. I need practice, I guess, and I should start here — these look delicious!

    Reply

  39. deborah says

    We’ve long loved Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats. This takes it to an all new level though! 🙂 Gonna have to try them! No, it’s not weird to hear candy voices~things speak to me too!

    Reply

  46. Wendy says

    When I first started blogging, you reassured me when I wondered if waking up in the middle of the night with cookie ideas was a sign of insanity. (For the record, you said it was not . 🙂 ) Now I find myself reassured that the voices I hear coming from my baking supplies cabinet are only my extra bags of Reeses cups calling out to be used in these peanutty bars! They look great!

    Reply

  50. Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says

    PB cups stuffed inside rice krispie treats?? Jocelyn, you are brilliant!! And this would be the only way where I wouldn’t have to share any RKT with my guy… Although they’re basically the only dessert he’ll devour in seconds flat, he hates PB. (Crazy, right?) But if any of your kids threw a fit about having PB cups inside their plain rice krispie treats… May I have their share? 😉 Pinning for sure — and maybe making my own in the future, thanks to you!!

    Reply

  51. Alexis+@+Upside+Down+Pear says

    Oh my gosh! These look just amazing!!! I don’t think I’d be able to control myself around these. Peanut butter cups are my favorite candies! Mixing them into a rice crispy treat was definitely necessary!

    Reply

  56. Mir says

    With that layer of PB cup, I’m practically running to the store for ingredients. I love it! Thinking of ways to use chocolate is a fabulous problem to have!

    Reply

    • JanetM says

      These look amazing. I think I would use Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups. And maybe even make chocolate Rice Krispie treats. There can never been too much chocolate, right? I will definitely be making these.

      Reply

      • Jocelyn says

        No these are not gluten free because the Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal is not gluten free. You could substitute any gluten free rice cereal that you like though.

        Reply

          • Jocelyn says

            I do not calculate the calories in my recipes. I believe in exercising and eating a few sweets in moderation. There are websites with calorie counters that you can copy and paste the recipe into if you really want to know. Although…did you look at the recipe? It is loaded with butter, marshmallow, peanut butter, and candy bars. Pretty sure you are better off not knowing. LOL!

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