Every Christmas my mom makes hundreds of chocolate peanut butter crispy candies to give out to everyone and anyone she knows. Friends, fellow volunteers, the folks at the grocery store, the mailman, the garbage men… basically anyone who’s been a part of her life that year. It’s tradition!
Let me tell you… people LIVE for these no-bake Cocoa Krispies treats, myself included (I get a batch of my own.. ehm!). And they are the EASIEST THING to make, even the kids can get involved! Some chocolate cereal, a little chocolate and peanut butter chip action and that is IT!
These are the perfect thing to hand out to people who deserve an extra holiday hello, and also the perfect thing to serve at an event. Once you make them, you’ll never spend another holiday season without them!
What You’ll Need
MAKES: About Five Dozen Candies
4 Cups Chocolate Crispies Cereal like Cocoa Krispies
1 11oz Bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
1 11oz Bag of Peanut Butter Chips
Sprinkles
Mini Baking Cups
Peanut Butter Crispy Candies Recipe
1. Lay out your mini baking cups on a large cookie sheet. This helps make sure you’re ready to go once the mixture is ready!
2. Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in a double boiler, stirring intermittently, until smooth.
3. Pour melted chocolate/peanut butter mix over the chocolate cereal and stir until well coated.
4. Spoon into mini baking cups and sprinkle as desired. I recommend spooning about a dozen, then sprinkling, then repeating as you go.
5. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until set. Then they are good to go and can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator!
Flavor Variations To Try
We always choose milk chocolate and peanut butter chips for ours, but either (or both!) could be swapped for any of these other flavor options to accommodate different tastes or food allergies:
- Dark chocolate chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Caramel chips
- Mint chips
- White chocolate chips
Ideas for Packaging Your Cocoa Krispies Treats
Here are a few ways to package these candies to give as gifts at the holidays (or anytime)!
- Package a dozen in a cellophane bag and tie with a ribbon. Tie on a small ornament as a keepsake to go with it!
- Place a dozen or more in a small bakery box and tie with twine and a note
- Arrange on a festive plate for a host gift!
All Photos by Jeff Mindell
Do you have any holiday traditions that have to happen before it really feels like Christmas!? This is definitely the thing for me. Hope you try ’em, gift ’em and love ’em! I mean, how could you not like anything that involves chocolate and peanut butter!?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Candies
Equipment
- Doube boiler
Ingredients
- 4 cups Cocoa Krispies (or similar)
- 1 bag milk chocolate chips 11 oz bag
- 1 bag peanut butter chips 11 oz bag
- sprinkles
- Mini baking cups
Instructions
- Lay out your mini baking cups on a large cookie sheet. This helps make sure you’re ready to go once the mixture is ready!
- Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in a double boiler, stirring intermittently, until smooth.
- Pour melted chocolate/peanut butter mix over the chocolate cereal in a large bowl and stir until well coated.
- Spoon into mini baking cups and sprinkle as desired. I recommend spooning about a dozen, then adding sprinkles. Repeat as you go.
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or until set. Then they are good to go and can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator!
Notes
- Dark chocolate chips
- Mint chips
- Butterscotch chips
- Caramel chips
- White chocolate chips
The Noted Poncho says
Yes! I’m definitely trying those xx
http://thenotedponcho.blogspot.com/
Kristina B says
I make PB cups and peppermint patties for christmas and people go bananas. I think my uncle would cry like a little girl if I didn’t make them.
Kelly says
Ha! I definitely think there would be a few people crying if my mom didn’t make these. Homemade PB cups sound AMAZING!
Brittni says
Every year, I get together with Jeff’s family for a full day of cookie baking and that’s when it starts to feel like Christmas to me, for the most part. Unfortunately, I missed it this year, since we just moved.
These little candies look delicious though. I might have to give ’em a try on my own and come up with some new tradition.
Lexy | The Proper Pinwheel says
These look soooo tasty! I haven’t really felt the holiday spirit because there hasn’t been snow in town! But I just made the first batch of toffee for the holiday season and now I’m all like, “I’m Kris Kringle!”.
Kelly says
Someday I’m going to get to try that famous toffee of yours, Lex!!!
Nicole says
These are so cute looking. They don’t sell peanut butter chips in Aus but what a great thought they are, I might have to try some substituting.
Kelly says
I have never tried it, but I’m almost positive you could just melt peanut butter in place of the chips. Just make sure to use the same amount of peanut butter as the chips called for, 11 ounces!
Nicole says
I totally made these today and a Carmel version. Yum!
Kelly says
Yay! I need to try a caramel version…. YUM!! Enjoy!
Shea says
I dont think we have peanut butter chips in NZ coudl we just melt down peanut butter?
Kelly says
I have never tried it, but I don’t see why not! Just make sure to use the same amount of peanut butter as the chips called for, 11 ounces!
Amanda says
Thank you for sharing your mom’s recipe! They were super easy to make! Instead of peanut butter chips, I used mint chips. They turned out great! I Can’t wait to experiment with different flavor chips. 🙂
Macy says
Omg nom nom nom 😋😋😋 Gonna try this evening. Did I get the right cereal? I thought I was getting Rice Krispie type, but I opened the box and it’s more like Flintstones Cocoa Flakes? Do you think I should trade it out? Thanks Kelly! Xoxo
Csrly says
Made these for a Christmas party tonight and they were a big hit! I was trying to use what we had already. So I subbed regular rice krispies and 3/4 regular chocolate chips with 1/4 salted caramel chips. And they turned out great (I also halved the recipe and still had plenty!)
andrea h says
In Australia, we make with a similar flavour profile, that we call ‘spiders’. They are just fried noodles, chocolate and peanut butter and they are an institution. This recipe is like our spiders had a beautiful baby with another childhood party institution here – chocolate crackles. Which (if you guys don’t have them) are like your recipe but with coconut instead of peanut butter. Anyhoo, I’ll def be trying your recipe this week – thanks!
Jessica says
About how long in advance can you make these and what’s the best way to store them? Air tight container?