These Healthier Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats are a fun holiday twist on the classic. The chocolate and peppermint combo is seriously one of the best combos ever, and this version keeps all that flavour while using simple, wholesome ingredients. They’re festive, easy to make, and such a fun treat to make together with your kids. Great for lunchboxes are as a little snack together on a cozy weekend afternoon!
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Healthier Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispie Bars for the Holidays!
There are a lot of classic holiday treat recipes that are best left just as they are, shared and enjoyed together with your kids, no tweaks needed. And, I also love experimenting in the kitchen and finding ways to make versions that are a little lower in added sugar and a little more nutrition. Both have a place, and both can be such a great opportunity to get your kids involved and enjoy the making (and eating) together!
Why You’ll Love These Festive Peppermint Chocolate Krispie Bars
- Holiday fun! – Perfect for a little holiday spirit (or anytime you want a mint-chocolate treat)
- No-bake! – Sometimes we just want a good snack where we don’t need to turn on the oven.
- Yummy chocolate peppermint combo – The ultimate Christmas flavour pairing for holiday baking
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Ingredients
Here is what you’ll need to make these chocolate peppermint bars!
- crispy rice cereal
- peanut butter
- coconut oil
- maple syrup
- chocolate chips (we love Enjoy Life dairy free chips)
- hemp hearts
- peppermint extract
- crushed candy canes (optional)
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Kid-Friendly Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispy Bars
Here is an overview of how to make these bars, or you can scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions.
In a small saucepan over low heat, add the peanut butter, coconut oil, chocolate chips, maple syrup and peppermint extract. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, add the crispy rice cereal and hemp hearts. Stir until combined.
Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl with the crispy rice cereal and stir together until combined.
Line an 7×7 baking dish with parchment paper. Scoop the mixture into the baking dish and pat firmly down. Place in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Remove and cut into bars.
Hint: I find it easiest to pull the bars out around 30–45 minutes after chilling to slice them before they freeze completely. Once cut, layer them with parchment paper in an airtight container and store in the fridge or freezer. It makes it so much easier to grab one at a time when you need a quick snack or treat!
Substitutions
Crispy rice cereal vs puffed brown rice. So I have tested this recipe with both of these ingredients and for sure the crispy rice cereal creates a much crispier texture, similar to the OG rice crispy square. However, they are significantly more expensive than puffed brown rice! The puffed brown rice can absolutely be used still, just know that the texture will be a little softer than if you use crispy rice cereal, but still delicious.
Variations
Chocolate peanut butter – for the holidays, I definitely recommend the peppermint-chocolate combo, but if you want a regular chocolate peanut butter rice crispy bar, you can omit the peppermint extract.
Equipment
- A 7×7 baking dish
Storage
Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
If you’re freezing them, I like to layer parchment paper between the bars so they don’t stick together. Let them warm up slightly at room temperature before serving, about 10–15 minutes brings them back to the perfect chewy-crispy texture.
Toddler Tip:
Candy canes are considered a hard candy, which can be a choking risk for younger kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until around age 4 before offering hard candies. For these bars, I like to crush the candy canes into a fine powder for a festive sprinkle, or you can skip them altogether for little ones.
FAQ
Yes! Just swap out the peanut butter and use sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter. You may need to add a bit more maple syrup as the seed butters are slightly more bitter than peanut butter.
Yes! They’re a fun lunchbox treat. Just make sure there are no nut allergies at your child’s school (or use a seed butter to keep them nut-free). They hold up best when kept cold, so try packing them with an ice pack, as they warm up, they can get a little more crumbly.
Recipe
Healthier Chocolate Peppermint Rice Krispie Treats
Equipment
- 1 baking dish 7×7
Ingredients
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter all natural
- 3 tbsps maple syrup
- ¼ cup chocolate chips semi sweet we love Enjoy Life Dairy Free semi-sweet
- 2 tbsps coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2½ cups crispy rice cereal
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon candy canes crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Line a 7×7 baking dish with parchment paper
- In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the nut butter, maple syrup, chocolate chips, coconut oil, and peppermint extract. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, add the crispy rice cereal and hemp hearts. Stir to combine.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the bowl with the crispy rice cereal. Stir together until all cereal is coated.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined baking dish. Press down firmly until evenly spread. Be sure to press down very firmly to help the bars stick together!
- Add the crushed candy canes on top. Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove at 30 minutes and cut into squares. Transfer to an airtight container or bag and place back in the freezer! This is important as they will still be a tad crumbly. Freeze for another 1-2 hours. When ready to eat, let warm up slightly at room temperature to soften. Pro tip: place parchment paper between the bars so they don't get stuck together in the freezer!
Nutrition
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