If you’re like me, you know that there’s no better dessert combination than peanut butter and chocolate. And this easy, no bake dessert is sure to be a new favorite.

This recipe was born out of necessity.

I was days away from moving and, of course, as any type A person does, trying to use up everything in my kitchen and not buy anything new.

At the end of the day, I was so hungry, but barely had any food left at home. And so, these bars were born.

I started to make my No Bake Peanut Butter Bars, and soon realized I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed. No problem! I got creative.

I made these Peanut Butter Crunch Bars, and I’ve made them about every week since. They’re so simple to make, come together in no time, and perfectly satisfying. The best cold treat on a hot day!

And can I be honest with you about something? I’ve emotionally eaten these – a lot.

Moving has brought up allll the emotions. I’ve been stressed. Overwhelmed. Tired. And many times, I’ve turned to food.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: emotional eating is okay.

Food can be a perfectly fine solve for many emotions. As long as you don’t beat yourself up after (which often makes the emotion worse!), there’s nothing wrong with using food to cope occasionally.

Just make sure you have other coping mechanisms too. Food can make you feel better in the moment, but of course, it isn’t a permanent solve for stress or fatigue.

And please, try not to use food to numb. Eating to this point never feels good.

Instead, acknowledge when you’re emotional eating. Think about what’s going on. Let food bring some comfort. And then move on. Utilize other coping mechanisms too.

(For more on emotional eating, I can’t recommend checking out Food Freedom for the Whole Family enough. It has everything you need to better understand and navigate things like emotional eating!).

Mix the peanut butter and maple syrup

Line a 6 x 7.5 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt. Mix well until smooth.

Crush cereal and fold in

Pour the cereal into a bag and, using your hands, crush until small pieces remain.

Add the cereal to the bowl with the peanut butter mixture and fold in until it’s well combined.

Press mixture in baking dish

Spoon the mixture into the baking dish, spreading it evenly throughout. Using your hands or the back of a spoon, press the mixture down so it’s tightly packed in the baking dish. Set aside.

Add the melted chocolate

In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Pour the chocolate on top of the peanut butter mixture, using a spoon to spread it evenly.

Chill in fridge

Place in the fridge to harden for at least 1 hour.

Remove from the fridge. Option to sprinkle with salt before cutting.

Cut & serve

Cut into 8 squares and serve.

Notes:

Chocolate: Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips are best here!
Peanut butter: Use a natural, drippy peanut butter (I love the brand Teddy’s). It will melt the best. Because this recipe is already sweet on its own, natural peanut butter is also the perfect complement to the maple syrup. If using a peanut butter with added sugar, try a little less maple syrup (taste first to make sure the sweetness works for you!).
Cereal: I used Cornflakes because that was what I had on hand. Any crunchy cereal will work! Try plain, crunchy ones like Chex, Cheerios or even All Bran.
Storage: Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months!

Course: Dessert