This post may contain affiliate links.
These no bake chocolate peanut butter Chex Bars are easy to make and will quickly become a favorite treat! With just five ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, you’ll have the pan ready to enjoy before you know it!
One of the most popular recipes here at Dance Around the Kitchen has always been Scotcheroos. It’s a treat with Rice Krispies that’s a staple here in the midwest, but with a few tweaks, I’ve come up with the very best version. They’re super simple no-bake bars, yet incredibly delicious and take no time to make.
This easy recipe is really quite similar. It’s got an ooey gooey peanut butter cereal base and is covered in melted chocolate. And bonus for anyone who needs it….this no bake Chex Bars recipe is also naturally gluten free!
Ingredients Needed (Amounts in Recipe Card Below)
- Rice Chex Cereal – You could also use Corn Chex cereal or Crispix….but I prefer the flavor and texture of Rice Chex.
- Sugar – I’ve also made these with brown sugar – either works!
- Corn Syrup – Light or dark corn syrup will work great.
- Peanut Butter – I recommend using regular creamy peanut butter (not natural peanut butter as it may change the texture).
- Chocolate Chips – I like to use semisweet chocolate chips to balance out the sweetness, but dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips works great too. You could also use a combination of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips OR chocolate chips and peanut butter flavored chips.
How to Make Chex Cereal Bars
You’ll start by getting a 13 x9-inch pan greased and then set it aside.
Now you’ll add the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat over low to medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Do NOT let the mixture come to a boil. Doing so will result in hard, crunchy bars and we’re looking for soft, chewy bars.
Next you’ll stir in the peanut butter then add the cereal.
You can either mix it all right in the saucepan or pour it into a large bowl for easier stirring. Either way, be sure to stir gently so you don’t crush the cereal. I find that using a rubber spatula is a great way to do this as it gets all the peanut butter mixture combined without disturbing the cereal too much.
Press mixture into the prepared pan. If it’s sticking to the spatula, use a sheet of waxed paper to press it into the pan.
Microwave chocolate chips until smooth. I find the best way to do so it heating in short increments and stirring between each to ensure that you don’t burn the chocolate.
Once it’s smooth, drizzle it over the bars, cut and enjoy!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a large microwavable bowl and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Continue as instructed.
Place these in an airtight container and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them if you’d like.
If you over-cook the sugar and corn syrup mixture (if you let it boil), it will give you a more firm, perhaps crunchy cereal bars. Therefore, it’s important that you don’t let the mixture come to a boil so they can stay nice and soft.
Yes! Rice Chex cereal is gluten free as are the remaining ingredients called for in the recipe. Double-check your bag of chocolate chips, but most are gluten free.
Other Delicious No Bake Bars & Cereal Treats
No Bake Peanut Butter Treats – Special K cereal, lots of peanut butter and a sprinkle of Reeses Pieces on top!
No Bake Cookie Bars – Like the chocolate oatmeal no bake recipe for cookies, but simply poured into a baking pan!
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares – Super easy and simply perfect sweet treat!
No Bake S’mores Bars – Golden Grahams cereal, chocolate and miniature marshmallows – one of my favorite recipes!
Chex Bars
Equipment
- One 9×13-inch pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cups corn syrup
- 1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
- 7 cups Rice Chex cereal
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the sugar and corn syrup and combine.1 cup sugar, 1 1/3 cups corn syrup
- Turn the stovetop on low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. DO NOT let the mixture boil.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter.1 1/3 cups creamy peanut butter
- Add the cereal and carefully stir until all of the cereal is coated.7 cups Rice Chex cereal
- Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared pan and spread to an even layer.
- Add the chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Cook on high in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Drizzle over the bars or use a spoon to spread to an even layer.
- Let cool, cut into bars and enjoy!
Yum! Like a cross between a scotcheroo and puppy chow, two of our favorites!
Thank you for this snack? I made it with the help of my neurodivergent grandson, who loves to help with things in the kitchen but isn’t always able to be successful. He loved making this snack and couldn’t wait to eat them. They were so good and I could “sell it” to others as healthy due to the peanut butter.