No-Bake Rice Krispies Cookies

They may live in the cereal aisle, but Rice Krispies are just as popular in sweet treats as they are in a bowl with milk. Classic Rice Krispies treats have evolved into endless variations, and the cereal is a mainstay in easy no-bake recipes for kids. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a kid to make—or enjoy—no-bake Rice Krispies cookies. Made with marshmallows and peanut butter, the cookies are sweet as candy.

It’s a great recipe for kids (and baking beginners of all ages) because it introduces basic kitchen skills like measuring and mixing. The only heated step—melting the baking chips—happens in the microwave, keeping inexperienced hands away from hot burners. It also teaches one of the most crucial cooking skills: patience. While you wait for the cookies to cool and set, distract everyone by planning the next no-bake cookie project.

Ingredients for No-Bake Rice Krispies Cookies

• White baking chips: White baking chips are technically candy, not white chocolate. You won’t see the word “chocolate” on the label, but they’re usually stacked next to bags of chocolate chips in the grocery store.
• Peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter stirs smoothly into melted baking chips and helps the add-ins stick together and form cookies. Crunchy peanut butter would add to the chunkiness, but might not have the same gluing power.
• Marshmallows: Miniature marshmallows fit perfectly in these cookies, distributing their pillowy sweetness throughout each cluster. They soften slightly in the warm peanut butter mixture without turning gooey and sticky like marshmallows roasted for s’mores.
• Rice Krispies: This crispy rice cereal keeps its classic puffed shape, making them lighter and slightly chewy.
• Peanuts: Salted peanuts balance the sugary baking chips and marshmallows. Lightly salted or unsalted nuts would provide the same crunchy contrast with less sodium. Avoid honey-roasted nuts, which would make these cookies cloyingly sweet.

Directions

Step 1: Melt the baking chips

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the baking chips. Stir them until they’re smooth.

Editor’s Tip: To avoid seizing and scorching, melt the chips at reduced power and in stages, stirring them every 30 seconds or so until a spatula moves through them smoothly. No microwave? Melt chocolate and baking chips on the stovetop in a double boiler—or one improvised from a metal bowl set over a saucepan.

Step 2: Stir in the other ingredients

Stir in the peanut butter until it’s blended. Add the marshmallows, Rice Krispies and peanuts.

Step 3: Shape and cool the cookies

Drop the mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cool the cookies completely. Store them in an airtight container.

Editor’s Tip: Wait to eat and store these treats until the peanut butter mixture firms up, which might take a couple of hours at room temperature. Speed up the process by sliding the trays into the refrigerator.

No-Bake Rice Krispies Cookies Variations

• Change to chocolate: Semisweet and bittersweet chips taste less sweet than white baking chips because the cocoa offsets the taste of the sugar. For a middle ground, use milk chocolate chips or a blend of white and dark chocolate chips.
• Use different cereals: If you don’t have Rice Krispies or other crispy rice puffs, use corn flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or any variety of Chex cereal. Larger cereal shapes might crumble more when you stir them.
• Mix the nuts: Instead of peanuts, use walnuts, pistachios or cashews. Replace the nuts with candies like M&M’s, or add broken-up pretzel sticks for salted crunchiness. Sweetened coconut flakes can replace some of peanuts’ crunch, but choose shredded coconut if you prefer subtle flavor.

How to Store No-Bake Rice Krispies Cookies

Store no-bake peanut butter Rice Krispies cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Room-temperature cookies will stay softer than fridge-cold ones, which might be fine if they are set up nicely. If they remain slightly gooey even when cooled, keep them in the refrigerator so that they hold their shape.

How long do no-bake Rice Krispies cookies last?

When sealed in an airtight container, no-bake Rice Krispies cookies can be kept at room temperature for about two weeks, or a few days longer if your kitchen is cold. They’ll retain their texture longer when stored in the fridge—up to three months.

Can you freeze no-bake Rice Krispies cookies?

For the longest storage, freeze no-bake Rice Krispies cookies in a single layer on a baking tray until solid. Then, place them in a freezer-safe container, spaced well apart and with a layer of waxed paper between each layer of cookies. They’ll last in the freezer for up to a year.

No-Bake Rice Krispies Cookies Tips

What’s the best type of peanut butter to use for baking?

Commercial peanut butter brands work best for baking unless the recipe states otherwise. Peanut butters made with hydrogenated oils don’t separate in their jars—or when stirred into melted baking chips for no-bake bars. Natural peanut butter lacks these emulsifiers and many other additives, so the oil rises to the top of the jar and you have to stir the contents thoroughly to avoid a slick, slightly curdled look. Freshly ground peanut butter is often gritty, even when made using the creamiest setting on a powerful in-store grinder. Healthy peanut butter has its place, but if you mix it with melted baking chips and marshmallows for cookies, expect less consistent results.

Can you make these Rice Krispies cookies into bars?

These cookies shape nicely into bars but might need extra Rice Krispies to bulk them up. If the finished mixture drips off a spoon when you lift it, add 1/4 cup of Rice Krispies at a time until the mixture holds together. Line a 9-inch-square baking pan with waxed paper and evenly spread the cookie mixture. Lay another piece of waxed paper on top and press down until it’s compacted. Let the mixture cool until it’s firm, and then cut it into bars.