Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats are a delicious and addictive mix of texture and flavor. They are sweet and salty, soft and chewy, but with a bit of pretzel crunch. The classic peanut butter and pretzel combination is a perfect pairing for the marshmallows and crisp rice cereal.
I tested this recipe 4 times to get the all of the ratios and flavors right and the perfect process down.
It sounds silly to have so many trials for such an easy recipe. In fact, I was so confident on my first try that I did a whole photo shoot of the first recipe thinking it was a slam dunk.
(Don’t worry. You’re not missing anything. They weren’t as pretty as these :)
But alas, I didn’t like the ratios or the thickness of that first bar.
I also needed to work on where to add chocolate without having it melt into the mixture.
And, I wondered if there was a way to add more peanut butter flavor…spoiler alert…there is! (I take recipe development seriously, even for simple treats like these :)
The good news is that my family was happy to make their way through each and every test batch. Because, really… they were ALL good to eat.
It’s just that the recipe that I’m sharing today? Yep, hands down the best of all the batches! :)
The following paragraphs contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
How to Make Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats
Ingredients
- Rice Krispies Cereal-I always go name brand for the cereal. Not all store brands have the same light and airy, crisp texture. Feel free to use the brand you love.
- Mini marshmallows – I used Jet Puffed
- Unsalted butter-I used unsalted butter so that I could control the amount of salt in the recipe. Remember, the pretzels have salt as well, so you don’t want to add too much. See recipe notes if you use salted butter.
- Salt
- Peanut butter- I used Skippy Naturals {aff. link}
- Pretzel pieces-I used Snyder’s Sticks {aff. link}
- Mini chocolate chips- I used Ghiradelli
What kind of marshmallows should I use to make Rice Krispies Treats?
First of all, make sure your marshmallows are soft and fluffy. In other words, they need to be FRESH. Do not think that melting will overcome a stale marshmallow. Stale marshmallows don’t melt properly.
I know it’s tempting when you have a leftover bag of marshmallows in your pantry that you want to use up, but start with a fresh bag. You’ll have much better results.
Second, you can use any size marshmallows, at least for the initial melting, but I much prefer using mini marshmallows.
Why is it better to use mini marshmallows for Rice Krispies Treats?
Mini marshmallows simply melt faster than larger marshmallows. That means less cooking time and less risk of overcooking the marshmallows.
Yes, you can over cook marshmallows! If you do, the mixture will become stiffer and stickier, and it will make for a hard, instead of soft, Rice Krispies Treat.
That doesn’t mean you can’t use larger marshmallows, at least for the melting step. I’ll give you tips in the recipe so that you won’t overcook them.
But you WILL need the minis for the second addition, so make note of that.
What kind of pretzels should I use?
You can use any kind of pretzel, but I think the one that works best for both taste and texture are the thin pretzel sticks. I used Snyder’s Pretzel Sticks.
The thin sticks are easy to break into small pieces and that makes for an easy bite once enveloped in the marshmallow mixture. And while they won’t all be exactly the same size, the broken sticks make for a more uniformly shaped mixture.
When you break up curved or thicker pretzels, you get all sorts of random pieces. And if you break up large pretzels, you either end up with big chunks or too much pretzel powder.
Because the little stick pieces are a little more uniform, they mix more evenly throughout the mixture.
What kind of peanut butter can I use?
I used Skippy Naturals, but any creamy peanut butter should be fine. I would avoid any peanut butter where the oil collects at the top and must be stirred at length to incorporate it.
If the peanut butter isn’t fully emulsified in the jar (or fully mixed), you might end up with some oil slick in your bars and that’s not ideal.
Crunchy peanut butter is a possibility, but it might be one texture too many. Or, it might be awesome. That’s really more of a personal preference. Feel free to experiment.
What’s the secret to the great peanut butter flavor in Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats?
The secret is that the peanut butter is in the marshmallow mixture AND it’s also swirled through the treats!
You end up with these little streaks and pools of peanut butter throughout the mixture that really drives that peanut butter flavor home.
Trust me when I tell you that it makes a difference. I wasn’t sure if it would work when I came up with the idea, but the results were better than I expected! (I love when that happens :)
What is the best ratio of marshmallows to Rice Krispies?
The original Rice Krispies Treat recipe uses 10 ounces of marshmallows for 6 cups of cereal. The truth is this: a higher ratio of marshmallow mixture to cereal will yield a softer bar.
Some marshmallow treat recipes go to the other end of the spectrum and are very high in marshmallows. Those are the ones you might see as giant bars in a candy store with all kinds of fun flavor variations.
The problem with that high of a ratio is when the treats get too marshmallow-y, I think they lose that amazing balance between the crunchy cereal and chewy marshmallow.
This recipe uses 15 ounces of marshmallows to a total of 5 cups of combined cereal and pretzel mixture. I used a different ratio for my Very Berry Marshmallow Treats. The ratio will depend on the other ingredients in your recipe and what you want your end result to be.
This recipe also has an increased amount of butter as well as the addition of peanut butter, so I had to adjust ratios accordingly to account for that as well.
How to make sure your Rice Krispies Treats aren’t hard
We’ve already discussed some of this above:
- Use fresh marshmallows. Stale marshmallows, even after melting, will not work well in this recipe.
- When melting the marshmallow mixture, do it on a low heat, ideally in a heavy weight pan that distributes heat well. Do not allow mixture to overcook. Just heat it enough to melt the marshmallows.
- Press marshmallow cereal mixture gently into pan. Do not compress the mixture into a solid mass.
- Use a higher ratio of marshmallow mixture to cereal (just like this recipe does! :)
How do I keep Rice Krispies Treats from sticking to the pan?
- I lined my pan with parchment and then gave it a light spray of oil. I did this because I wanted to be able to easily remove the whole pan of treats and cut them on a board instead of in the pan.
- Alternatively, just butter or spray your pan before pressing the mixture into it. Then you can cut the bars right in the pan.
How do I keep Rice Krispies Treats from sticking to my hands?
- You can spray your hands with cooking spray (or rub with butter) before pressing the treats into the pan.
- You can also use a spatula or spoon that’s sprayed with cooking spray to press them into the pan.
- I prefer a partial hands off approach. I will spray a piece of parchment or wax paper with cooking spray and use that to press the treats into the pan.
The reason why I prefer that process is because while it keeps my hands off the treats, I can still feel how much I’m compressing the mixture through the paper.
This helps me to avoid compacting the mixture too tightly, while still keeping the mixture and my hands clean.
How to keep chocolate chips from completely melting into Rice Krispies Treats?
Honestly, I tried a few options, but for this recipe, I decided that instead of trying to get the chips mixed INTO the treats, it was simply better to place them ON TOP.
Not only did they not melt and mix into the mixture, but I liked them on top for a few reasons. I liked the way they looked. I thought the flavor concentration in one place was better. And, I liked that additional bit of texture on the top of the treats.
What else can I top the treats with?
- On my first batch, I pressed teeny tiny pretzel twists {aff. link} into the top.
- Add some festive sprinkles to the top when you add the chips.
- Add some chopped peanuts to the top to drive the whole peanut butter flavor theme home.
- If you want to amplify the salt flavor, sprinkle a bit of coarse salt right on top of the chips.
What’s the best way to store Rice Krispies Treats?
I like to store them in an air tight container at room temperature.
If I know they aren’t going to be eaten in day or two, I will wrap each bar individually in plastic wrap and then store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
Wrapping them individually is also great because they’re ready to pop into a lunch box, toss into your bag to take with you as a snack.
That means they’re also packaged and ready to share with a friend. So, bring an extra!
How long will Rice Krispies Treats stay fresh?
Of course Rice Krispies Treats are freshest the day you make them.
However, if stored as suggested above, the treats will still be good for 3-5 days. That means if you’ve followed the recipe and storage directions, they will still maintain a soft bite and good chew.
Can you freeze Rice Krispies Treats?
I have not tried this myself, but apparently you can freeze Rice Krispies Treats. Once individually wrapped, place them in a freezer bag and store for up to 6 weeks. Allow to sit a room temperature for an hour before serving.
Honestly, they don’t last that long in my house, but it’s a good tip that I’d like to try in the future.
I LOVED how these turned out! Everything from the taste to the texture to how they looked was a WIN. And the fact that they stayed fresh for days was a bonus.
Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats. They’re what Rice Krispies Treats want to be when they grow up ;)
Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats
Peanut Butter Pretzel Rice Krispies Treats are sweet and salty, soft and chewy, with a bit of pretzel crunch and are full of peanut butter flavor!
Ingredients
For the melted mixture:
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (10 ounce) bag mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Skippy Naturals)
For the first stage mix ins:
- 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 cup broken thin pretzel sticks ( I used Snyder's pretzel sticks)
For the second stage mix ins:
- 5 ounces of mini marshmallows
- 8 teaspoons of creamy peanut butter
For the topping:
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Before you begin:
- Line a 9" square pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray. I just press a full sheet of parchment into the pan, folding it as necessary to get it into the corners. You can use binder clips to hold in place.
- Break the pretzel sticks into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Measure your cup of pretzels after they're broken, not before.
- Have all of your ingredients measured and ready to go. (You can wait to measure the second addition of peanut butter since you need to drop it in the mixture in individual spoonfuls.)
- Mix the cereal and pretzels in a large bowl. This will help you incorporate them more evenly into the marshmallow mixture.
Melt the marshmallows
- Place the unsalted butter, 10 ounces of mini marshmallows, salt, and 1/2 cup of peanut butter into a large heavy weight pan, Place pan over low heat and slowly heat until marshmallows are just melted, stirring frequently. I like to stop when there's still a few marshmallows that aren't fully melted. See photos in post.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
Add first stage of mix ins
- Add the cereal and pretzel mixture to the melted marshmallow mixture in the pan and stir to combine. You don't need to fully incorporate yet, you just want to get it mostly mixed together. We'll be mixing more in the next step.
Add the second stage of mix ins
- Now add the 5 ounces of marshmallows right on top of your marshmallow cereal mixture and stir a few times to distribute through the mixture.
- Drop 8 teaspoons of peanut butter over the mixture, scattering it over the top. Stir just a few times to distribute the peanut butter through the mixture. We're not trying to fully mix it in. Instead we want streaks and pools of peanut butter throughout the mixture.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan
- Scrape mixture into the prepared pan.
- Spray your hands or a piece of wax paper with cooking spray or lightly coat with oil or butter.
- Press the mixture lightly and evenly into the pan. Do not try to compress the mixture into a solid mass. Just try to distribute it evenly while pressing gently. We want the bars to feel soft and springy, not hard and solid.
Add the chocolate chips
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the mixture while the mixture is still warm. You want the chips to melt just a little so that when the mixture cools, the chips will adhere to the top. You can also press them lightly into the top before they begin melting to help embed them.
Cool and cut
- Allow mixture to cool, then use the parchment to pull the mixture out of the pan for cutting.
Notes
- You don't have to weigh your marshmallows if you buy 10 ounce bags. Just use a whole bag for the first step, then you can eyeball about half of another bag for the second round.
- If you use salted butter, just use a pinch of salt instead of the 1/4 teaspoon.
- You can use a smaller or larger pan. If you use a smaller pan, your bars will be even thicker. If you use a larger pan, they will be thinner. I preferred the thickness achieved with the 9" pan.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap before storing in a container.
- I think thin pretzel sticks work best in the recipe, but you can use other pretzels.
- Try to work quickly. That's why you should have everything prepared before you begin. Working with the mixture while it's warm will help the second addition of marshmallows and peanut butter melt just a little bit before being pressed into the pan.. As the mixture cools, it will become stiffer and more difficult to work with.
- I like to mix the mixture in the warm pan instead of pouring into the bowl. This helps to keep the mixture warm and more pliable.
- If you decide to use waxed paper to press the chips into the top, start with a fresh piece. If you use the same piece you used to press the mixture into the pan, you'll get residual melted marshmallow on your chips. It won't change the taste, just how "clean" your chips look.
- See post for more tips on making and storing the recipe.