Keto Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

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Introduction

Rice Krispie treats are a staple in the snack world. They’re delicious and super easy to make, and as far as snack foods go, they’re relatively healthy-ish. Sort of. A little. Maybe. Alright, perhaps not all.

The thing with traditional Rice Krispie treats is that they contain sugar and have a lot of carbs- not exactly keto-friendly. But hey, if there’s a will, there’s a way. That’s always how it goes in the keto world. Have a favorite food or snack that’s too high-carb? Just make a low-carb version of it!

This keto peanut butter Rice Krispie treats recipe is the perfect substitute for the real deal! It tastes just like the original that you have come to know and love, with an added peanut butter flavor. And it doesn’t come with the extra carbs and sugar!

Exciting, right? Well, let’s get right into it.

Ingredients

All Ingredients

Nutrition Facts

12 servings per recipe
Trans Fat 0g 0% 0g 0%

Directions

  1. Gather your key ingredients.

    Measure the cereal, butter, sugar-free honey, peanut butter, and chocolate chips before you start. See the Ingredient Notes below for tips on choosing each one.

  2. Grease a 9x9 baking dish or line it with parchment paper.

    This will help prevent the peanut butter rice krispie treats from sticking to the baking dish.

  3. In a saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat.

    Occasionally stir with a wooden spoon or spatula. To make sure you do not burn your butter, you should melt it over low heat.

  5. Once the butter has melted, stir in the natural peanut butter.

    If you want a more pronounced peanut butter flavor to your rice krispie treats, consider adding 1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter or a few drops of peanut butter extract.

  6. Add the sugar-free honey after the natural peanut butter.

    Stir until the peanut butter mixture has become smooth and pourable. Be careful not to heat it too much.

  7. Once the peanut butter mixture is well-mixed, remove it from the heat.

    Let it cool for a few minutes before proceeding to the next step.

  8. Pour the mixture over the HighKey frosted protein cereal.

    Use a silicon spatula to scrape off any remaining mixture from the saucepan. Stir until the ingredients are well-combined. Let your rice krispie mixture cool for a few more minutes.

  10. Stir in 2/3 of the chocolate chips.

    Use a spoon or spatula to evenly distribute the chocolate chips throughout the rice krispie mixture.

  11. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

    Use a piece of parchment paper to press the mixture down to keep it from sticking to your hands.

  12. Add the remaining chocolate chips to the top of the mixture.

    Place your peanut butter rice krispie treats in the fridge and let it chill for at least two hours before slicing and serving. Once your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats have chilled enough, remove them from the fridge. Cut them into squares or bars for easy serving.

Notes

Ingredient Notes

The ingredient list above gives the exact quantities. These notes explain what each one contributes and what to look for.

  • HighKey frosted protein cereal: The secret to low-carb Rice Krispie treats, and a handy pantry staple on a ketogenic diet.
  • Unsalted butter: Gives the treats stability. Salted butter also works if you don’t mind a little extra saltiness.
  • Sugar-free honey: Holds the cereal together and adds sweetness while staying keto-friendly. ChocZero’s sugar-free maple syrup works too.
  • Natural peanut butter: Keeps the treats free of added sugar and other additives. Use creamy peanut butter for easy mixing.
  • Sugar-free chocolate chips: Add texture and chocolate flavor. We use ChocZero chips, but any keto-friendly brand works.

Tools

  • Saucepan: you’ll be needing this to melt butter, as well as mix and combine the melted butter with the natural peanut butter and sugar-free honey.
  • Spatula or wooden spoon: this will help with stirring and mixing your ingredients. It’s also helpful for scraping off any remaining peanut butter mixture from the saucepan when pouring over the cereal.
  • Mixing bowl: you’ll be pouring the cereal here for mixing later to create your low-carb peanut butter Rice Krispie treats.
  • Baking dish: this is helpful for shaping your keto Rice Krispie treats. A 9x9 baking dish is ideal for this recipe.
  • Parchment paper or nonstick cooking spray: line your baking dish with parchment paper to prevent the peanut butter Rice Krispie treats from sticking or grease it with cooking spray. The parchment paper is also helpful when pressing down the Rice Krispie treats into the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Measuring cups and spoons: use these to properly proportion your ingredients.
  • Knife: you’ll be needing this to cut your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats into smaller sizes.

Preparation

  • Want your chocolate chip mix-ins to be melted? You can directly add them after removing the peanut butter mixture from the heat. It should still be warm enough to melt the chocolate chips. Make sure that the melted chocolate chips are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
  • Natural peanut butter can vary in consistency. If it’s too thick, it may not mix well with the other ingredients. You can remedy this by gently warming up the peanut butter before mixing it with the melted butter and sugar-free honey.
  • Add more mix-ins for more texture and flavor! You can use keto-friendly mix-ins such as unsweetened shredded coconut, crushed nuts, chia seeds, or fresh berries.
  • If you want a richer flavor, you can increase the amount of butter slightly. Note that this may slightly alter the texture and consistency of your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats.

Storage

  • These keto peanut butter Rice Krispie treats can be stored on the counter at room temperature. Store Rice Krispie treats in an airtight container. They typically stay fresh for about 2 to 3 days. However, they may start to lose their crunchiness over time.
  • Storing them in the fridge not only lengthens their shelf life but also helps maintain their crunchiness. Store the peanut butter rice krispies treats in an airtight container and place them in the fridge. They will stay fresh there for up to 5 to 7 days.
  • If you need to store your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats for far longer, store them in the freezer instead. Place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1 to 2 months.

Serving Suggestions

  • This recipe calls for using chocolate chips as toppings, but feel free to use other keto-friendly toppings. You can use sugar-free mini marshmallows, freeze-dried fruit, flaky sea salt, sugar-free caramel syrup, etc.
  • Cut the Rice Krispie treats into portions based on your preference and dietary needs. Cut them into small bite-sized pieces for a party or larger for a more satiating dessert.
  • You may also prepare a keto-friendly dip into which you can dip your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats. For example, you can make a chocolate dip using melted sugar-free chocolate chips or a low-carb chocolate bar.
  • Turn your Rice Krispie treats into Rice Krispie pops by inserting a straw, popsicle, or lollipop stick into each of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make my peanut butter Rice Krispie treats dairy-free?

Yes, you can and it’s easy too! This recipe uses only one dairy ingredient which is butter. You can replace it with a non-dairy substitute, or if you want to make the treats vegan-friendly too, you can use vegan butter or coconut oil.

Can I make this without peanut butter?

Absolutely! If peanut butter isn’t your thing, you can always use another nut butter such as cashew butter or almond butter. If you’re allergic to nuts, you can use sunflower seed butter.
The main thing is that you want butter that is creamy and a little oily or drippy (think brands like Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter that you have to stir when you first open).
Alternatively, you can also use sugar-free mini marshmallows as a replacement for peanut butter. In fact, the classic rice krispie treats recipe uses marshmallows as the main binding ingredient.

Can I use a different type of cereal?

Sure you can! But make sure to use a keto-friendly one to ensure that your peanut butter Rice Krispie treats remain keto-friendly. Ideally, you’d want to use a cereal that has a similar texture to the original Rice Krispies cereal.

How can I make the treats sweeter without adding more honey?

You can sweeten your peanut butter rice krispie by adding a keto-friendly sweetener, such as stevia or monk fruit sweetener, to the peanut butter mixture. Add in small amounts and adjust to your taste.

What do you substitute the rice cereal for in this recipe?

The original Rice Krispie treats recipe uses plain Rice Krispie cereal. It’s very high in carbs and moderately low in sugar, which makes it a no-no for keto.

Fortunately, HighKey has created an amazing Rice Krispie alternative that tastes just like the real thing, just without the carbs or sugar!
This keto-friendly cereal is seriously amazing! Not only because they have managed to make a keto-friendly version of an all-time classic, but because it works perfectly for this recipe and because it gives you one more option for a keto-friendly breakfast!
We highly recommend this amazing keto substitution. You can pick yours up HERE!

Wrap Up

Thanks to using low-carb ingredients, we’re able to ensure that our version of a classic favorite can easily fit into a ketogenic lifestyle. With this low carb peanut butter Rice Krispie treats recipe, you can make yourself a delicious snack that only amounts to 7.5g net carbs per serving. And if you’re wondering whether they’re just as good as the original Rice Krispie treats, they certainly are (maybe even better). They can be enjoyed by anyone, be they keto or non-keto.

If you love peanut butter, this recipe is doubly better for you as it uses peanut butter as one of its key ingredients. Together with the sugar-free chocolate chips, it gives your keto Rice Krispie treats an enhanced flavor and mouthfeel.

If you are interested in more peanut inspired recipes you can check out our post on Keto Peanut butter Fudge or Cocoa Peanut butter truffles. We love to interact with you, so feel free to shoot a message in the comments and let us know how your rendition of this rice Krispie treat turned out!