Happy hump day, everyone! Please tell me I’m not the only one who’s already got their sights set on a fun weekend kicking off in T-minus 48 hours? We’ve got a quintessential fall activity planned, and a football game to (hopefully) win, but first…pizza – plus No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars to pair it with!
Speaking of, did I ever show you the matching pizza shirts I got Ben and Lincoln earlier this summer?! (Since I don’t have a daughter to dress up I feel the need to purchase matching outfits for my husband and son. #sorrynotsorry ?) By now you are well aware that Friday night always has been, and always will be, pizza night at our house, and these matching pizza shirts are thrown on by both boys every week before digging into their respective pies. Lincoln loves it, I love it, Ben…loves it? Ben loves it!
Anyway, no pizza shirt included in this father/son set for me, though I’m not too upset about it because I’m usually too busy digging into this deliciousness – Freschetta’s Gluten-Free Thin & Crispy Pizza. (Psst! Check out the $50 VISA gift card + Freschetta pizza giveaway at the bottom of this post!)
This is the second time I’ve partnered with Freschetta to create a recipe that pairs well with their yummy gluten-free frozen pizzas, which are certified by the Celiac Support Organization. They’re made in a wheat-free facility so there’s no chance of cross contamination from shared lines. That said, no matter what the front of the package claims, if a gluten-free product you are buying is made on shared lines (which should be disclosed somewhere on the package,) it is NOT gluten-free!
Freschetta’s Gluten-Free Pizzas come in 4-Cheese Medley and Signature Pepperoni, in both full and personal sizes, and what I really adore about them is that the crust gets CRISPY like a regular frozen pizza. A lot of the crusts on the frozen, GF pizzas I’ve tried are soggy which leaves me feeling like I’m eating…gluten-free pizza. It totally takes away from the experience of pizza night! Freschetta’s pizza, baked in a super hot oven and on a pizza pan, gets audibly crispy on the bottom while staying blissfully cheesy on top. Ben and I both love it. (Lincoln has a dairy allergy so he gets to build his own vegan pizza every week – woot!)
Last time I partnered with Freschetta I paired our pizza with a Summer Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing as a nod to my Mom who served every dinner growing up – even take-out pizza – with a side salad. Today I’m giving props to my Dad who came home from work with a “Friday treat” for my brothers and me each week, and created these ridiculous No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars to dig into after polishing off a couple slices!
Chocolate Buckeyes meet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, meet Rice Krispie Treats in this decadent, 5-ingredient dessert recipe that’s gooey yet crispy, perfectly peanut buttery, and has just the right amount of chocolate. I don’t know about you, but I like the ratio of my chocolate peanut butter cups to be 2:1, peanut butter to chocolate, and these bars definitely reflect it.
These bars are best made a day or two (or three!) ahead of time so plan on setting aside 5-10 minutes the night before you want to eat them to assemble. The recipe couldn’t be simpler – whip together peanut butter and softened butter (or vegan butter like Earth Balance) with powdered sugar and gluten-free crispy rice cereal, then press into bars and top with melted chocolate spiked with peanut butter. OH. YEAH.
I may have gotten my love of salads from my Mama, but Dad taught me that sometimes the best way to end pizza night is with a sweet and delicious treat!
Start by mixing 1-1/4 cups peanut butter (not “natural” peanut butter, which would be too wet,) and 6 Tablespoons softened butter or vegan butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar then mix to combine.
Next add 2 cups gluten-free crispy rice cereal (I used Erewhon,) then mix until just combined.
Lightly spray an 8×8″ baking dish with nonstick spray then press the crispy peanut butter mixture into the bottom with a spatula. In a microwave-safe bowl combine 1 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels which are GF and DF) and 2 Tablespoons peanut butter then microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until the mixture is smooth. Pour onto the peanut butter bars then smooth with a spatula.
Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate has set, 20-25 minutes, then score the chocolate with a sharp knife. If you wait to slice the bars until they’re completely set, the chocolate could crack when sliced. No biggie in the taste-department, the slices just won’t look quite as sharp! Place the bars back into the refrigerator until totally set, preferably overnight. Again, you can make these bars several days ahead of time too!
Once dinner rolls around, pop your Freschetta Gluten-Free Pizza into a 450 degree oven then bake for 12-16 minutes.
Slice and devour!
Then do the same with one of these bars. ? Enjoy, enjoy!
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No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Description
No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are a 5 ingredient dairy-free, gluten-free dessert recipe that taste like a crispy Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter like Earth Balance, softened to room temperature
- 1-1/4 cups + 2 Tablespoons peanut butter, divided
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups gluten-free crispy rice cereal (I used Erewhon)
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life,) semi-sweet or dark chocolate recommended
Directions
- Add butter or vegan butter and 1-1/4 cups peanut butter to the bowl of an electric mixer or large mixing bowl. Mix with the stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar then mix until combined. Add crispy rice cereal then mix until just combined. Spray an 8x8 baking dish (can be slightly larger too - whatever you've got on hand) with nonstick spray then scoop crispy peanut butter mixture into the dish and spread into an even layer with a spatula.
- Combine chocolate chips and remaining 2 Tablespoons peanut butter in a microwave safe dish then microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between increments, until smooth (should take about 1-1/2 minutes total.) Pour on top of peanut butter bars then smooth with a spatula. Refrigerate until chocolate has barely set, 25 minutes or so, then score chocolate with a sharp knife. Refrigerate until bars are set, preferably overnight, then slice and serve.
Notes
- These bars will soften if left sitting out so they are best kept in the fridge until serving.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
$50 VISA Gift Card + 5 Free Freschetta Pizzas Giveaway!
Freschetta has so graciously offered a $50 VISA Gift Card + 5 coupons for free pizzas to one IGE reader so you can have your own pizza + No-Bake Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars night at home! Enter using the widget below by Tuesday, September 27, 2016 at 12am CT. Good luck!
Sheri 09.22.2016
I love Pesto on my pizza, as well as ricotta!
Jill 09.22.2016
Oh, and my favorite pizza topping is probably bell peppers.
Jill 09.22.2016
I’m such a sucker for chocolate & peanut butter. These look so good!!
Megan 09.22.2016
Sausage and Pepperoni!
Tyneisha 09.22.2016
I love a great pepperoni pizza. We tried Freschetta for the first time a few weeks ago and loved it!
Edye 09.22.2016
I love cheese!
Susan 09.22.2016
broccoli-rabe and mozzarella cheese…no sauce
-Jenny 09.22.2016
Hawaiian!
Dana 09.22.2016
I like to keep it simple and really just adore cheese pizza. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I like a variety of cheese especially anything feta :)
Katie 09.22.2016
The bars look great! Can’t wait to try!
Amy B 09.22.2016
Roasted red peppers!
Melissa W. 09.22.2016
I’m boring when it comes to pizza, just good old cheese for me.
Sheila 09.22.2016
Sausage
Vanessa 09.22.2016
This looks like the perfect Friday night!
Kristina 09.22.2016
My husband and youngest son need those pizza shirts too!
Wendy 09.22.2016
I love pineapple pizza!!
Katie 09.22.2016
Can it be pizza Thursday today??? Mmmm…
Amy 09.22.2016
My favorite pizza topping is mushrooms! Those bars look delicious!!
Yvonne C 09.22.2016
The pizza and bars look so good! My favorite pizza topping is probably spicy sausage.
Jessica 09.22.2016
Lots of veggies for pizza topping for sure, but especially mushrooms and black olives!