These 4-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites are gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free. Easy and utterly delicious!
Maybe it's the change of seasons or simply the post-work snack attack. But having a little something sweet in the late afternoon has become a necessity of late.
And a little bit does just the trick. So when brainstorming something that would be chocolatey, crunchy, salty, and downright irresistible, these mini 4-ingredient chocolate peanut butter bites were born.
A crunchy sweet inner layer of brown rice crispy cereal is candied with peanut butter and maple syrup.
Then, the rice cereal mixture is pressed into a baking pan and frozen to set.
Using melted bittersweet dark chocolate, the peanut butter squares are dipped quickly in chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt.
A few things to note:
- The recipe uses a 9x9 inch baking pan to create a thin peanut butter crispy layer that is easier to dip, flip, and coat. I have tried this in an 8x8 pan, which makes for thicker squares that require a longer time in the freezer to harden and don't coat quite as "neatly".
- If your all-natural peanut butter is already salted, you may want to reduce the amount of sea salt called for in the peanut butter mixture.
- The recipe instructs you to allow the coated squares to dry and harden on top of a piece of parchment and not on a wire rack as seen in the photos. This makes for a smoother bottom and infinitely easier removal.
So, whether you have that late afternoon snack attack or need a fun after-school treat, these chocolate cover peanut butter bites fit the bill (if they make it that long!).
Make a Salted Plains recipe? I’d love to see! Tag your creations on Instagram with #saltedplains!
More Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies
Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Vegan Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
4-Ingredient Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup all-natural unsalted peanut butter**
- 2 cups brown rice cereal I use Erewhon brand
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 12 ounces bittersweet non-dairy dark chocolate broken into pieces or in chip form*
- 1 tablespoon sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line an 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, combine maple syrup, peanut butter, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt over low heat stirring occasionally until mixture is completely incorporated and smooth.
- In a medium bowl, place brown rice cereal and pour peanut butter mixture on top. Stir mixture until the rice cereal is completely coated. Transfer rice cereal mixture to prepared baking pan and using an extra sheet of parchment paper, press mixture into pan. Be sure to pack the mixture down firmly into an even layer. Place pan in freezer for 30 minutes to an hour until layer has hardened. Remove from freezer, use parchment to lift hardened layer out of baking pan and place atop a cutting board (layer will be thin). Cut into squares about an inch or slightly larger.
- Place chocolate into a microwavable safe bowl and melt chocolate in microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until mostly melted.Stir until lumps are smooth. Allow chocolate to cool for a few minutes before coating squares.
Chocolate coating:
- Cover a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place square in bowl of chocolate, flip with fork to coat, allow extra chocolate to drip off from fork, and place onto prepared piece of parchment paper. Wiping the bottom of the fork against the side of the bowl is helpful. Sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat until all squares are coated. Place cookie sheet in refrigerator until chocolate has hardened. Your hands will inevitably get sticky and chocolatey - it helps to have a wet paper towel nearby.
- Store in an airtight container.
C.h
Hi Tessa! Great blog! May I know how long can I keep these tiny bites of heavenly goodness for? ?
Tessa
Hi Candice! Thank you so much! :) I think they are best in the first couple days of making. After a couple days, the rice cereal tends to starts to lose it's crispness.
Aysegul
My Goodness Tessa! These look amazing. Seriously, that last photo with chocolate is amazing. I want to reach into my computer screen and grab it. :)
BTW Have your ears been ringing? Your name came up a few times last week when I was talking to Katherine (Cookie and Kate). I had no idea that you guys knew each other.. Anyhow, I sent a lot of hellos and hugs to you. <3
Cheers!
traci | VanillaAndBean
These are absolutely quick little bites to sooth a sweet, salty and chocolate tooth! FTW! Having these little bites on the ready would make me look forward to after work snackin! Gorgeous work, Tessa!
rebecca | DisplacedHousewife
Oh these look sooooo delicious!!! Yes...these are definitely just like eating a vitamin... ;) xoxo
Tessa
Hahaha, I am glad you are with me on that one!!! xoxo
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
And I just happen to have all these ingredients in my pantry Tessa! It's my lucky night! YAY!!
Tessa
Yay!!! I love it when that happens! Have a great weekend, Mary Ann!
Emily | Gather & Dine
Look at us both posting chocolate-y peanut buttery treats today- I love it! I love the simplicity of yours and how you shaped them into adorable mini-squares. Hope the school year is going well for you. (How do you do it all?!)
Tessa
We are most certainly on the same wavelength - I love it too! :) Thank you! School has been going well and I cannot believe we have been back in a session for a month already. Not sure where all the time goes. I hope all the back to school activities for you and your kiddos are going well too! xoxo
Katie Walker
Yum.
Tessa
Between me and Heath, these didn't stand a chance. <3
Abby @ Heart of a Baker
Um yes I'll be right over to have a few of these please and thank you! xo
Tessa
Bahaha. For real though, next week?! (I'm sorry, I'll stop). ;) Thank you, dear! <3