If you like my classic small batch rice crispy treats, then you're going to love this chocolate-covered version! They are gooey, chocolatey, and the easiest no-bake treat for snacking or hanging out with friends. And you can top them with flaky salt, sprinkles, or even freeze-dried fruit. So good!
Sometimes I'm in the mood for chewy brownies or a brown butter chocolate chip cookie, but I just don't have the energy to turn on the oven. But what I love about rice crispy treats, or honestly cereal treats in general, is that they're no bake and come together super quickly. Instant gratification and whatnot!
This recipe takes the bars up a notch with a layer of semi-sweet chocolate and a sprinkle of flaky salt. You get the chocolate fix with about a fraction of the work. Win-win!
I make the bars with brown butter for a deeper, toasty, more grown-up version of the dessert we know and love. But you can also use regular melted butter to keep things extra easy. I also like to add a handful of extra marshmallows for gooeyness, which is a tip I learned in pastry school.
The topping is simply melted chocolate chips, to make things easy. But if you're looking for shiny, snappy, chocolate shop-level topping, you can totally temper the chocolate. I talk about how to do this in my recipe for small batch chocolate peanut clusters!
Chocolate chips
I use classic semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe to offset the sweetness of the bars. If you want to use dark or milk chocolate, though, that's totally fine. Just make sure to use good chocolate chips like Guittard or Ghirardelli!
A little bit of oil helps make the chocolate thinner and easier to spread. You don't have to add this, but the topping will be much smoother if you do!
Making the bars
If you want to add flaky salt, sprinkles, or other toppings, make sure to do that while the chocolate is still melty!
When it comes to small-batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. If you don't have a scale, here are all my tips on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking.
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Easy Small Batch Chocolate-Covered Rice Crispy Treats
Equipment
- Medium skillet
- loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Small microwave-safe bowl
Ingredients
- 45 grams unsalted butter (3 Tablespoons)
- 180 grams mini marshmallows plus more for mixing in (3 ½ cups)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 90 grams puffed rice cereal like Rice Krispies (3 ½ cups)
- 100 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips (½ cup)
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil, coconut oil, or unsalted butter
- Flaky salt or sprinkles for serving, optional
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan with unsalted butter or baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper and set it aside for later.
- Then, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Let it gently simmer, swirling the pan often, until the butter smells nutty and there are small brown bits on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mini marshmallows to the brown butter. Stir the marshmallows constantly until they're melted and well-combined with the butter. Stir in the salt and vanilla extract. Remove the pan from the heat and add the puffed rice cereal and another handful of marshmallows, if desired. Stir until everything is well-combined.
- Using a greased rubber spatula, gently press the mixture evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Don't compact the mixture too much, or the bars will be dense!
- Next, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and oil or butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate chips in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, just until the chocolate is melted.
- Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the melted chocolate over the rice crispy treats. Top with flaky salt or sprinkles, if using.
- Then, let the bars set at room temperature or in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. Use the parchment paper to remove the treats from the pan. Slice into 6 bars and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!