Cocoa peanut butter crispy bars are modern scotcheroos! This healthy pantry recipe uses honey instead of corn syrup and is easy to make. Do not bake these treats—they need 2 hours in the fridge to set.
– 3 cups brown rice crisps* – 1 ¼ cups whole pecans, chopped, divided – ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (plus a pinch of salt if your peanut butter is unsalted) – ½ cup honey – 1 ½ cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips* – ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
An 8-inch square baking dish with a strip of parchment paper neatly across the base and up opposite sides. Mix 1 cup chopped pecans and brown rice crisps in a large bowl. Set aside both.
Mix honey and peanut butter in a medium pot. Stir the mixture often over medium-low heat until it bubbles on the bottom, about 5 minutes. The peanut butter will scorch if you boil it.
Put the warm mixture in the rice crisps bowl. Stir with a rubber or silicone spatula until combined. Transfer everything to the lined baking dish.
Press down with the spatula to spread it evenly, then transfer it to a large, sturdy glass with a flat bottom (like a working jar or mason jar) and press down firmly, including the corners.
You want to pack it down (crunching is fine). Finally, compact it evenly with your hands. Stir chocolate chips after each 30-second melt in a microwave-safe bowl. Do not overdo.
After 90% melting, stir off the heat to dissolve the chocolate. (Or melt it in a heat-proof bowl over gently simmering water.) Melt chocolate and pour over peanut butter-crispy mixture.
Assemble using a clean spatula. Make chocolate swooshes. Add salt and pecans. CHILL the baking dish 2 hours or a day before serving. Remove the baking dish parchment paper by both sides to slice.
Make four even columns and rows with a sharp chef's knife. To avoid cracking the chocolate, press straight down from above rather than sawing from one edge across.
It's fine to leave these bars out at room temperature for up to a week. You can also freeze them for a few months. No matter what, store in a container that keeps air out.