Sweet & Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Happy National Rice Krispies Treats Day! A good friend at work, asked me if I knew that ‘National Rice Krispies Treats Day’ was September 18!  I can take a hint…so I got busy. 

I have to admit, there are lots of National Food Days, sometimes it’s hard to keep up, but this is really an important one, don’t you think? 

Rice Krispies treats were originally called “Puff Wheat Squares.” and the recipe was included in a dessert book written in 1938 by Lucy Maltby,  A Kellogg employee and Campfire Girls troop leader, Mildred Day brought the treats to life. 

Her troop sold hundreds of Rice Krispies Treats in a small town in Michigan in 1939 in a fundraiser for the Campfire Girls that would generate a lot of money for their activity programs and camps.

She was successful due not only to the popularity of the Kellogg brand in her area (Battle Creek, MI), but because of Kellogg’s commitment to community.

In 1941, the Kellogg’s company added Ms. Day’s recipe to the back of Rice Krispies cereal box and trademarked the name and recipe for this dessert. You can check out the many recipes by clicking here. 

Do you have a favorite Rice Krispies Treat recipe?  If you’re a fan of Rice Krispies, you would love my Butterfinger Rice Krispies, Lucky Charm Rice Krispies, ‘Awesome’ Peanut Butter Buckeye Rice Krispies and Milky Way ‘Like Wow’ Rice Krispies!  Rice Krispie Extravaganza, right?

O snap, crackle, Pop!  These Sweet & Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars are the bomb! Addicting and delicious! Here’s the recipe and savor the sweetness of the chocolate and peanut butter krispies with the salty pretzels.  Sign me up coach! 🙂

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Sweet and Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

O snap! These Sweet & Salty Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars are the bomb! Addicting and delicious! Come to Mama!!

Author: Kim Lange

Ingredients

Sweet & Salty Rice Krispy Layer

• 5 cups Rice Krispies
• 1/2 cup broken salted pretzels do not crush up, and reserve 1/4 cup for top
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 ounces marshmallows depending on how gooey you want them, plus 1 to 2 cups more
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Sweet and Salty Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layer

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tbsp . creamy peanut butter
• Reserved 1/4 cup of pretzels
• 1/4 cup mini Reese's Pieces
• Sprinkles
• Sea Salt

Instructions

Sweet & Salty Rice Krispy Layer

1. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch pan or baking dish and set aside.
2. Pour the cereal in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
4. Add the marshmallows and peanut butter, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth.
5. Pour the marshmallow mixture over the cereal in the large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and add pretzels to mixture and incorporate.
6. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it evenly into the pan.

Sweet and Salty Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layer

1. In a microwavable bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and peanut butter together in 20-30 second intervals stirring in between each interval. (A minute and a half is what it is usually is for my microwave.)
2. Pour and spread evenly on rice krispy layer.
3. Sprinkle pretzels, mini Reese's Pieces, sprinkles and several grinds of sea salt on top of chocolate.
4. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.