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!
free email bonus
Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
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!
Zena 09.21.2016
I love veggies on my pizza – mushrooms, broccoli, green peppers, fresh tomato!
Courtney 09.21.2016
Sausage, mushroom, onion OR white chicken pizza
Jill r 09.21.2016
Pepperoni
Carolyn Ibberson 09.21.2016
Thanks for posting this! Our close friend has celiacs and is dairy free, so these will be perfect for when he comes over to watch football! I love a good white pizza with good spicy sausage.
Tanah 09.21.2016
Oh my gosh these look amazing!! I love mushroom olive pinapple!
Tanah 09.21.2016
Oh my gosh these look amazing!! I love the idea of Friday pizza!
Molly 09.21.2016
Sausage! (specifically, the crumbly sausage found in the Quad Cities…I miss it)
Sarah C 09.21.2016
I’m a pineapple and any meat kind of girl.
Courtney 09.21.2016
For sure, my go-to, favorite pizza toppings are Mushroom and pepperoni. Yum! Although I am that weirdo that has to ask if the mushrooms are canned or fresh before I order. Canned Mushrooms are the WORST!
Brooke 09.21.2016
I am now craving these peanut butter bars and a pepperoni + jalepeno pizza!
Laurie 09.21.2016
I am a plain Jane and only eat plain cheese pizza!
Dannell 09.21.2016
I LOVE your recipes and have made SO many! My favorite pizza topping is Italian Sausage.
heather 09.21.2016
This is easy. Red pepper flakes and extra tomatoes, if its summer(I’m from Jersey, more tomatoes only make any pizza even better); extra moozadell, if it’s any day at all.
Janel 09.21.2016
always great recipes and info! love IGE!
Angie 09.21.2016
I love the Freschetta GF Frozen pizzas! They are so much better than any other frozen GF pizza I’ve tried, and are on par with Papa Murphy’s fresh made pizzas, without the threat of cross-contamination, plus I can keep it on-hand! I love pepperoni pizza, but often add green olives.
Hilary 09.21.2016
Looks great! My favorite topping is classic pepperoni!
Judith 09.21.2016
i love mushrooms
Dawn 09.21.2016
Looking forward to making these yummy bars! (And pizza night! :) ) What do you use for Lincoln’s vegan pizzas?
Kristin 09.21.2016
We use Udi’s crust, marinara sauce (Prego is good on a budget – I just freeze it in ice cube trays,) Daiya vegan cheese and Applegate Farms’ pepperoni!
Dawn 09.24.2016
Thank you!! I will try those! Recently had to go DF for my little guy and missing pizza so badly!
Alexa 09.21.2016
As someone with Celiac, these are my favorite GF frozen pizzas, and I had no idea about the separate facility, makes me feel even better.
Jessie 09.21.2016
I love pepperoni pizza!