These gooey no-bake Reese's Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats are a peanut butter lover's dream, layered with creamy frosting, salty pretzels, and chocolatey crunch!
These Reese's Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats are a sweet, salty, and gooey masterpiece your friends and family have been waiting for. Grab your apron and clear the counter, because here is everything you’ll need to get started:
(Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are found below)
- cocoa crispy rice cereal: Name brand or generic brands work the same for this recipe! If you want a less intense chocolate flavor, you can mix 50/50 with original Rice Krispies.
- mini marshmallows: The fresher, the better! Stale marshmallows don't melt as smoothly and you may end up with harder treats. You can use large marshmallows instead (about 40 equals a 10oz bag), but they take longer to melt.
- butter: If you use salted butter, you can omit the salt called for in the treat base recipe to keep the treats from being too salty.
- peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter works best, and stick to name or store brands (Jif/Skippy). Natural peanut butters can be too oily and may cause the frosting to separate.
- powdered sugar: To keep the frosting light and lump-free, sift the sugar before adding it to the peanut butter.
- milk: It's important to add a small amount of milk at a time. It's easier to thin the frosting than to thicken it back up! Heavy cream will make the frosting even richer. For dairy-free, use oat or almond milk.
- vanilla extract: pure vanilla extract is best, but imitation works just fine. You can use almond extract instead, but half the amount since it's usually very strong.
- salt: This is an important ingredients to bring out the flavors of the peanut butter frosting.
- peanut butter chips: Make sure to fold these in with the hot marshmallow last so that they don't completely melt and disappear. Butterscotch or white chocolate chips can be used instead.
- Reese's Minis: Keep these in the fridge until you are ready to fold them in so they hold their shape against the warmth of the marshmallows. You can substitute with chopped Reese's cups or even Snickers bars.
- pretzel twists: Break pretzels by hand into larger pieces instead of crushing them into dust. Salted peanuts or even crushed potato chips would also work!
You will also need a large saucepan, large mixing bowl, 11x14 baking dish, parchment paper, and nonstick spray.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then stir in the marshmallows until smooth. Take the pan off the heat and mix in the vanilla and salt. Add the cereal, pretzels, mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, and peanut butter chips, folding everything together until well-coated.
Next, pour everything into your prepared 11x14 baking dish and lightly flatten into an even, loosely-packed layer. I highly recommend lining the pan with parchment paper and adding a light mist of cooking spray to keep things from sticking. To flatten the mixture without a mess, use a rubber spatula or simply grease your hands and press down gently with your fingers.
Start by using a hand mixer to beat the softened butter and creamy peanut butter together until the mixture is completely smooth and fluffy. Once you’ve stirred in the vanilla and salt, slowly add the powdered sugar on a low speed. Finally pour in the milk, a little bit at a time, until you get the right consistency. Then kick the mixer up to high speed for about a minute to whip extra air to create a thick and spreadable frosting.
Dollop the frosting onto the cooled cereal treat base. Use a rubber spatula to gently spread the frosting into a smooth, even layer, making sure it reaches to the edges of the pan.
Finish things off by scattering a generous handful of peanut butter chips, crunchy pretzel bits, and mini Reese’s peanut butter cups over the frosting.
Give the treats about 30 minutes to set at room temperature before slicing them into 12 even bars. While they’re at their absolute best on day one, you can keep them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just be sure to avoid the refrigerator - chilling them will make these gooey treats way too hard to bite into!
Reese's Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Setting Time: 30 minutes
Cocoa Krispie Treat Ingredients:
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 cups Cocoa Krispies cereal
- 1 ½ cups pretzel twists, broken into pieces
- ½ cup mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
- ¼ cup peanut butter chips
- Toppings:
- pretzels, broken into pieces
- mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
- peanut butter chips
Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream
Cocoa Krispie Treat Directions:
- Line a 11x14 baking dish with parchment paper and give it a light mist of nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Over low heat, melt one stick of butter in a large pot. Stir in the salt.
- Set aside 1 ½ cups of mini marshmallows for later. Add the remaining marshmallows to the pot, stirring constantly until completely melted and smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Immediately fold in the cocoa crispy rice cereal, the reserved marshmallows, broken pretzels, Reese's Minis, and peanut butter chips until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture into your prepared dish. Gently pat it into an even layer using a greased spatula.
• Pro Tip: Do not pack the mixture down tightly! Pressing too hard results in a dense, rock-hard treat once cooled. - Once you've prepared the Peanut Butter Frosting, spread it evenly over the treats. Garnish with extra pretzel bits, peanut butter chips, and mini Reese’s.
- Let the bars sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows them to firm up enough to slice into 12 bars while staying perfectly chewy.
Peanut Butter Frosting Directions:
- In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter together until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Set the mixer to low speed and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until fully combined.
- Add the milk a little at a time. Increase the speed to high and beat for about 1 minute, or until the frosting is thick and spreadable.
- Spread an even layer of the frosting over the cooled Cocoa Krispie treats.
Tips:
- Storage: These bars are at their absolute best the day they’re made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Do NOT refrigerate! Chilling these treats will turn that gooey marshmallow center into a rock-hard bite that's tough to enjoy.
- Microwave Save: If your treats do happen to harden (or if you accidentally put them in the fridge), don't panic! Pop a bar into the microwave for 5-10 seconds. This will soften the marshmallows just enough to bring back that "freshly made" texture. Warning: Don't go any longer, or you'll end up with a melted chocolate mess!
- Want a thinner bar? Swap to a slightly larger pan. Avoid using a smaller pan though, as the extra thickness can make the treats feel denser and harder to chew.
- Mix Up the Toppings: Feel free to get creative with your toppings! You can swap the peanut butter chips for butterscotch or white chocolate, or use crushed peanuts for an extra salty crunch.
- Cereal Swaps: Don’t have Cocoa Krispies on hand? No problem! Original Rice Krispies, Cocoa Pebbles, or any puffed rice cereal will work. If you find the chocolate flavor too intense, try a 50/50 mix of cocoa and original cereal for a lighter balance.
Sweet, salty, and always a hit, these Reese’s Cocoa Rice Krispie Treats are a guaranteed favorite. Making them yourself? Drop a comment below or share your photos with me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
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