Peanut butter, sea salt, chocolate, and a little bit of crunch… need I say more?! They’re the perfect mix of sweet + salty and a total crowd-pleaser. That is, unless you don’t enjoy chocolate + peanut butter, in which case you should probably exit stage left immediately. This recipe makes 16 mini “treats”, but it could be less depending on how you cut them. The smaller you cut ‘em, the less they count, right? At least that’s what I tell myself… I “meal prepped” these on multiple occasions this summer when I was quarantining with my family and they were always gone before I was able to track down the Tupperware. I use an 8x8 pan for the rice crispy treats, but you can use something a little smaller or a little bigger if that’s all you have! The bottom layer doesn’t get baked, so no oven time necessary!

Rice Crispy Layer:

• 3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter (My favorites are Santa Cruz Creamy Dark Roasted Peanut Butter and Georgia Grinders Creamy Peanut Butter.)

• 1/4 cup honey (I use the Raw Wildflower Honey from Beekeeper’s Naturals.)

• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil (This depends on how creamy your peanut butter is. If your peanut butter has added oil, you won’t need as much!)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3 cups brown rice crispy cereal (I use the Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps from One Degree Organic Foods.)

Chocolate layer:

• 1 cup dark/semi-sweet chocolate (My favorites are from Enjoy Life and Lily’s Chocolate.)

• 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling (Maldon, the best there is!)

Combine the peanut butter, honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract in a small saucepan and stir on very low heat until all the ingredients are combined and melted (about 1 minute). The texture should be creamy enough to drizzle. In a separate large bowl, add your rice crispy cereal. Gently fold in the peanut butter mixture until the cereal is evenly coated.

Line your 8x8 pan with parchment (not necessary, but it makes serving much easier!) and spoon your cereal mixture into the pan. Use your fingers or a spoon to gently press the base into one even, square layer. Let the base cool completely (on the counter or in the fridge) before adding the chocolate layer.

While the rice crispy base is cooling, melt the chocolate and peanut butter slowly in the microwave or over a double broiler. If you’re doing this in the microwave, use 15-20 second increments and stir in between to avoid seizing (this is what happens when chocolate gets all clumpy and bitter) your chocolate. When the chocolate and peanut butter are combined and smooth, remove your cereal base from the fridge and pour the chocolate over the top in one even layer. Pop the pan back into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.

After 15 minutes, while the treats are in the middle of setting, remove the pan from the freezer and sprinkle Maldon salt over the top. You don’t want to do this when the chocolate is warm or else the sea salt will fully dissolve. I like being able to see the flakes! Put the pan back into the freezer for 15-20 more minutes to finish the setting process.

Once set, use a sharp, smooth knife to cut the bars. You can dip the blade in warm water to make cutting easier! Slice into 16 even bars, or less if you prefer. ENJOY!

*Cover the bars and store in the fridge. They will melt if you leave them out for too long! You can also store them in the freezer, but take them out to thaw for 5-10 minutes before eating or else the rice crispy base will crumble a lot when you bite into it!

Sure feels goooood to be back fam! Tag me in your creations over on Instagram @gracefole. Happy to answer any questions, as always!

grace xx