4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bites (No Bake)

These 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bites have the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  A healthier version of the classic Scotcheroos, these chocolate covered scotcheroo bites are made with only 4 real food ingredients and a little sprinkle of sea salt and crushed peanuts.

A quick-to-make dessert made with only 4 ingredients and loved by everyone.

Get ready for the best and quickest dessert!  It only takes 15 minutes to whip together these delicious gluten-free Scotcheroo Bites. Pop them into the freezer to firm up (then switch laundry or chase after the kids), add a little drizzle of chocolate and they’re ready for serving!  Made with creamy peanut butter, honey, and crispy rice cereal then topped with a melted chocolate-peanut butter mixture, they make for a delicious and healthy treat. Dessert never tasted so good!

And while peanut butter is a household favorite in my home, if a peanut (or nut) allergy/sensitivity is a concern, feel free to substitute a nut or seed butter of your choosing.

Chocolate and peanut butter!

I’m sure we can all agree that one of the best combinations is sweet and salty.  With these no-bake scotcharoos, you’ll be pampering your tastebuds with both sweet and salty. The honey and chocolate offer the sweet and the peanut butter and sea salt brings in the salty.  PLUS, peanut butter and chocolate are another element that you can’t go wrong with! Creamy peanut butter added to the scotcheroo mixture forms a perfectly textured dough for pressing into the mini muffin holder. Adding a tablespoon of peanut butter to the chocolate chips as they’re melting is simply to-die-for! The epic combination of chocolate & peanut butter all in one bite, yes, please.

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Ingredients for Peanut Butter Bites:

• Crispy brown rice cereal – these little puffs of rice have the best texture and keep this dessert gluten-free.  If you don’t need a gluten-free option, feel free to swap them out for Rice Krispies 
• Honey
• Peanut butter – creamy peanut butter works best for this recipe but use what you have on hand.  If you need a nut-free butter, try sunflower seed butter
• Chocolate chips – to make these scotcheroos dairy-free, choose a dairy-free chocolate chip such as Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips. Otherwise use what you have on hand
• Coconut oil – we like to use unrefined coconut oil (also known as a virgin), but use what you have on hand
• Sea salt – a coarse ground sea salt with larger crystals works best so that you see and taste them on the tops of the bites
• Peanuts – optional for topping. We like to use dry-roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped and sprinkled on top of the scotcheroos. They add extra crunch and salt

How to make 4-Ingredient Scotcheroo Bites

The first thing you’ll need is a food processor (like this one). No food processor? You can also use a blender. 

1. Add the crispy brown rice cereal (or Rice Krispies for non-gluten-free option), creamy peanut butter, and honey to the food processor.  Securely place the lid on the processor and pulse a couple of times, then process for 20-30 seconds or until a ball forms.
2. Remove the mixture from the food processor and evenly fill a 24 count mini muffin tin.  Press the mixture firmly into the muffin cavities. Place the filled muffin tin in the freezer and let freeze for about 30 minutes or until each scotcheroo bite is frozen.  Remove from the freezer and remove each mini scotcheroo from the pan placing them on a serving platter.
3. In a small saucepan, add the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and coconut oil.  Over low heat begin melting the chocolate chip-peanut butter mix stirring constantly.  Once everything is melted and the chocolate is smooth, remove from the heat and place a spoonful of the melted mixture on each scotcheroo. 

OPTIONAL: sprinkle with a few crushed peanuts and/or coarse ground sea salt.  Place back in the freezer until ready to serve.

How to store 4-Ingredient Scotcheroo Bites

You’ll want to store these scotcheroo bites in the freezer.  They need to stay cold to hold together well.  Once the chocolate has set (second time in the freezer), place them in an airtight container.  Layer the bites in the container with a piece of parchment paper between the layers.  Store in the freezer for up to 3 months (we guarantee they will be eaten before then!).

Can 4-Ingredient Scotcheroo Bites be made nut-free?

Yes, these delicious gluten-free scotcharoos can be made nut-free!  Whether you have an allergy/intolerance to nuts or simply prefer something different than peanut butter, this recipe works great with sunflower seed butter.  Swap out the same amount of peanut butter for sun butter and continue making the scotcheroos as the instructions say. (Omitting the crushed peanuts on top too, of course!)

Can you make 4-Ingredient Scotcheroo Bites with maple syrup instead of honey to make them vegan-friendly?

If you’re hoping to turn this dessert vegan-friendly by swapping out the honey for maple syrup, it is possible.  Now the honey is very thick and sticky and helps hold the mixture together well, the maple syrup is thinner and not as sticky.  So that being said, you can still swap in the maple syrup, the bites will turn out but there are two tricks you need to know.  The first trick is making sure to press the scotcheroo mixture VERY firmly into the mini muffin tin.  This will ensure the bites hold together well.  The second trick is in the freezer time.  The colder you can get these bites, the better they’ll hold together.  With vegan scotcheroos, keep them frozen until moments before serving.  With the honey scotcheroos, they can sit out on a platter for about 15 minutes before serving.

Other healthier treat recipes you’ll love!

• No-Bake Peanut Butter Crunch Bars
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
• Flourless Monster Cookie Bars
• Paleo Almond Joy Protein Bites
• Copycat Heavenly Hunks
• 4-Ingredient PB&J Bites

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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