Rice Krispie Treats Recipe: Easy Peanut Butter Krispies

I am a Scotcheroo fanatic. I think peanut butter, butterscotch, and chocolate is possibly the best flavor combination in the world, and this rice krispie treats recipe is proof. It’s sort of revived my love for PB + chocolate. After nearly 5 years of dessert blogging, I’ve been a little burnt out on the peanut butter chocolate circuit for a little while. But I’ve rediscovered the addition of butterscotch this year, and it’s rekindled my love for the classic duo (well, now a trio)! This is such a great way to turn a plain old bowl of crispy treats into a real sweet treat, and I promise it’ll become one of your favorite treats in no time.

Most recently I’ve made Scotcheroo Banana Bread and Scotcheroo Muddy Buddies. They’re killer, so be sure to click over and check those babies out. If you’re the type who can’t get enough rice krispie treats variations (same, honestly), you’ll also want to bookmark my peanut butter rice krispie treats and my perfect rice krispie treats recipe for when you just want the classic, no-frills version done right.

Today’s recipe is a little closer to a traditional Scotcheroo in that it’s a bar. But these aren’t just any ol’ scotcheroo bars. These are rice krispie treats teeming with gooey marshmallow, peanut butter, butterscotch, and best of all — big, fat, Butterfinger pieces! We’re talking melted marshmallows, a big glossy marshmallow mixture, and warm spices of butterscotch all coming together in one large bowl before getting folded into crispy rice cereal. Be still my heart.

Why This Rice Krispie Treats Recipe Works So Well

Okay, can we talk about cereal ratio for a second? Because that’s really the secret to best results with any rice krispie treats recipe. Too much cereal and you get dry, crumbly bricks. Too little and you get a gooey mess that won’t hold together. This recipe nails that balance, so you end up with treats that are soft, chewy, and just sturdy enough to hold up all those crunchy Butterfinger pieces. I always use fresh marshmallows (not the stale bag that’s been hiding in your pantry since who-knows-when) because fresher marshmallows melt smoother and give you that dreamy, stretchy texture we’re all after.

Unsalted butter is also key here — it lets the peanut butter and butterscotch flavors shine without getting lost in extra saltiness. Little things like this really do make a big difference!

Tips For Melting Your Marshmallow Mixture

For best results, melt your butter in a large saucepan (or large pot, if that’s what you’ve got) over medium-low heat before adding in the marshmallows. Stir constantly so nothing scorches on the bottom. Once the marshmallows are melted and smooth, stir in your peanut butter and butterscotch chips until the whole mixture is glossy and combined. Pull it off the heat and let the mixture cool just a little bit before folding in your cereal — this helps keep those Butterfinger pieces from melting into oblivion the second they hit the bowl.

Press everything into a prepared pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper (whichever you have on hand works great), then sprinkle on those remaining marshmallows and extra marshmallows if you’re feeling extra indulgent. Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing into bars. I know, I know — the waiting is the hardest part.

Fun Twists On Traditional Rice Krispie Treats

Once you’ve mastered traditional rice krispie treats, it’s honestly a whole new level of fun experimenting with flavors. I’m obsessed with swapping in cocoa krispies for a mores rice krispies treats situation, melting in melted chocolate for extra richness, or going all-in on seasonal colored rice krispies for a holiday-themed treat. Think little green frosting drizzles and Lucky Charms marshmallows folded in for St. Patrick’s Day, or candy pumpkin pieces and pumpkin spice rice krispie treats for the perfect fall dessert.

If you’re a pumpkin spice lovers type of person (no judgment, I am too), you’ll want to go all in on those sweet flavors of fall- just add a little pumpkin pie spice to your melted marshmallow mixture and fold in some candy corn for crunch. It genuinely tastes like a hug in dessert form.

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats For Your Next Bake Sale

This time of year, I’m always on the hunt for fun halloween recipes and frightful recipes to bring to my kids’ school bake sale or our own halloween parties. Rice krispie treats are such a great way to get festive without spending all day in the kitchen. A few drops of food coloring turn your marshmallow mixture into colorful rice krispie treats perfect for any halloween party, and candy eyeballs or sprinkles turn them into amazingly wicked halloween treats in about two minutes flat.

Honestly, this might be my favorite delicious halloween recipe to make every yearly halloween because it’s so forgiving. Even if your “spooky” shapes come out looking more silly than scary, nobody’s complaining when there’s melted marshmallow and chocolate involved. Pair your treats with a spooky halloween movie marathon and you’ve got yourself the perfect fall night in.

Joining The #HalloweenTreatsWeek Event

I’m so excited to be part of the #HalloweenTreatsWeek event this year alongside a bunch of ridiculously talented bloggers and loving bloggers who all share my love of fantastic halloween treats. It’s a week-long event full of favorite halloween recipes from some seriously creative people, and I always walk away with a dozen new ideas I want to try immediately. If you love browsing Pinterest and social media for your favorite treats around this time of year, definitely go check out what everyone made — you won’t be disappointed.

Big shoutout to Big Bear’s Wife for organizing this whole shindig every year. It takes serious work to wrangle that many bloggers into one cohesive, fantastic Halloween roundup, and she nails it every single time.

More Ways To Bake Treats With Rice Krispies

If Butterfinger isn’t your thing (first of all, who are you), there are about a million directions you can take a basic rice krispie treats recipe. Try natural peanut butters or hazelnut butter in place of regular peanut butter for a grown-up twist, or melt in white chocolate and cheese curd… okay, maybe skip that last one. But seriously, a food processor is great for breaking down candy bars into small pieces so they distribute evenly throughout your mixture instead of clumping in one corner.

I also love swapping in different mix-ins depending on what I’m craving. Sometimes it’s my Mexican hot chocolate rice krispie treats, sometimes it’s something fruity like my watermelon rice krispie treats, and sometimes I just want cookie dough folded into everything, hence my cookie dough stuffed rice krispie treats. There’s truly no wrong answer here, you guys.

Storing Your Crispy Treats

Once your treats have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days (if they even last that long in your house — they never do in mine). I don’t recommend refrigerating rice krispie treats, since the cold actually makes them go stale and hard faster. Just keep that container sealed tight and they’ll stay soft, chewy, and perfectly snackable for days.

Quick disclosure before we wrap up: some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning I could earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you click through and make a purchase — I’ll never share your personal information, promise. Some products mentioned may be available in-stores or online depending on your location. Now go make these Butterfinger Butterscotch Krispie Treats immediately. I literally can’t even with how good these are. Enjoy!

Butterscotch Butterfinger Rice Krispies Treats

Yield: 9

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Ingredients

• 10 ounces miniature marshmallows
• 5 cups rice krispies cereal
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger candy bars*
• 1/4 cup melted chocolate for drizzling

Instructions

1. Place the marshmallows, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute. Mix well until everything is melted and smooth.
2. Use a large rubber spatula to mix in the cereal. Add the Butterfinger candy pieces (it's ok if the chocolate melts a little, but try to stir as little as possible to keep it from melting completely).
3. Scrape the mixture into a parchment lined or well greased 8x8 baking dish. Gently press flat.
4. Drizzle melted chocolate over top. Let chocolate cool completely and harden before cutting into squares to serve.

Notes

*feel free to add more Butterfinger candy if you'd like!