What’s killer (in a totally different way) is that it took me nearly two years to make these killer crunch brownies after a coworker of my husband’s sent me the recipe long, long ago (thanks, Katie!). I was looking through my saved recipes and these caught my eye. And I can attest: they are killer.
Let’s break it down, shall we? A decadent layer of brownies. Check. Topped with luscious marshmallow creme. Got it. Further added upon by a crunchy peanut butter chocolate mixture (think 100-Grand candy bar or something like unto it). Double check. Chilled. Sliced. Devoured.
These are absolutely 100% my new favorite brownies. Not only are they sinful and rich and totally dreamy, they will wow your friends and family and make you a veritable rock star. These bars are unique, irresistible and anything with the words ‘killer’ and ‘crunch’ in them deserve to be made immediately, in my humble opinion.
See all of this year’s Sugar Rush treats HERE.
Ingredients
- 1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7-ounce jar marshmallow crème
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups rice krispie cereal
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. For the brownies, in a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from the heat when the chips are fully melted. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, blending fully, one at a time. Add the flour and salt and mix until well-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies are cooked through and set but not overbaked.
- While the brownies are still warm, dollop the marshmallow crème over the top in large scoops and spread into an even layer. In a medium saucepan, melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips together over low heat, stirring constantly. When fully melted and smooth, remove from the heat and stir in the rice krispies. Scoop spoonfuls over the marshmallow layer and gently spread into an even layer. Let the pan of brownies cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until the chocolate krispie topping is set, 1-2 hours. Serve chilled.
These do sound “killer!”
You are “killing” me with all of these awesome desserts, Mel! Everytime I decide which one I am going to make to give away as gifts, you post another amazing recipe that I want to make! These brownies sound incredible. I think I’m going to wait until Sugar Rush 2012 is over before I make my final decision on which treat to make! Another thought I have is to make them all and freeze them, but I’m not sure how some of them (like these brownies) would freeze. Any thoughts? Thanks!
So I love the combination of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Any recipe with those two ingredients is a winner in my book! These look absolutely amazing. And I love how you add rice krispie cereal to give it some texture and crunch. Pinning this to my “need to make asap” board
Mmmmmm…..
My daughter has a Christmas event coming up and I’m thinkin’ these are going to be PERFECT!!!! Thanks for posting this! Merry Christmas! EMichelle
Yes, these look absolutely killer… killer to the size of my butt!
I am hypnotizing myself as I type this to forget about this recipe before I make and inhale the entire pan by myself.
These indeed do look killer, as I’m allergic to peanut butter (and other nuts)! Any ideas for an alternative? Would caramel be too sweet? What about making chocolate rice crispy treats for the top?
I have been making these for years, they are the best brownies ever!
For the brownies, do you use semi-sweet chocolate chips?
Kim- as you know, many baked treats freeze perfectly; although I haven’t tried freezing these, I am skeptical on how they would fare thanks to the cereal mixture on top.
Erin – I know many who are allergic to peanut butter sub soy butter or sunbutter (from sunflower seeds).
Keri – yes, I use semisweet or bittersweet.
I have made these delicious brownies for years and they are loved by all!! If you don’t have marshmallow creme, you can sprinkle mini marshmallows over the top in the last couple minutes of brownie cooking time until they get soft and puffy. Then proceed. JUst a tip to use in a pinch.
These will definitely be a hit in my house!
I have almost the same recipe from Betty Crocker…only you use frosting instead of marshmallows and you add peanuts. SO good! I’m gonna have to try it with marshmallow creme and sans peanuts since I somehow have that and not frosting.
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/brownie-goody-bars/
I’ve been making a version of these for 20+ years! They are great, and great to take. They always get rave reviews.
I had to comment because I just made these for my daughter’s Bible study group tonight. I had all the ingredients and I couldn’t resist. I only kept one small piece for myself…too tempting….and I have to say they are really good – delicious and rich.
Made them with Michelle and grandkids today. We loved them. We did substitute semi for milk chocolate though. I don’t do dark chocolate in any way shape or form. Will definitely be making these again.
We love these and have for many years the cereal freeze’s well!
Hi Erin
I have made these with biscoff in place of the peanut butter (my son has a peanut allergy) and they were wonderful!
i love crunch bars and i love brownies. using rice krispies in a crunchy layer is really quite brilliant and i’m glad someone thought of it!
YEY! So glad you stumbled across the recipe I sent you from 2 yrs ago
Happy to hear they were a hit. They are pretty darn fantastic!
These are phenomenal. The crunchy cereal with the gooey brownie is amazing and the flavour combination is perfect.
I made these for my husband’s work party and they were a hit! Now to get more marshmallow creme so I can make more for my kids. Maybe this time they will get more than the crumbs.
Ok, i made these last night and took the brownies out before they were set, and when i put the marshmallow on top i could tell i had to put them back in to cook a few min. more with the marshmallow allready on top and they still turned out great!! LOVE these : ) i also used dark chocolate morsels for the top part!
Did you use Cocoa Krispies?
Denise – no, I used regular rice krispies.
I made dinner for a family from church and brought a plate of these. I thought they were good but almost too rich and peanuty. I could only eat one and had to cut into tiny squares. I wasn’t sure if I would make again. Then, I brought some into work the next day and I think the flavors had melded into some kind of fabulousness because I liked them much, much better and couldn’t stop trying “just one more bite.” In the future, I will make them a day ahead.That is actually helpful if you need to bring treats somewhere and want to make ahead. They were still just as moist and soft.
[...] the annual Lund Family Christmas Eve Party. It is huge! We cooked up two hams and I tried a new brownie recipe (Yummy! It was so rich though that I might have to wait until next Christmas Eve to make it [...]
These are good. So. So. So. Soo so sosoosososoosos good. Actually, they are amazing. AH! I love you, Mel! They were good immediately out of the oven and chilled over night in the fridge. Thanks for the awesome recipes!
Wow! The way the textures (crunchy, soft, smooth, creamy) and flavors all come together is nothing short of amazing! They really lived up to their name! I had no marshmallow fluff, so I found a recipe here: http://www.food.com/recipe/fantastic-marshmallow-fluff-clone-75813. I found that 1/3 of the recipe made 8 ounces of fluff (in a mixing bowl beat 1 egg white, 2/3 cup corn syrup, and a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or until doubled in size; then add 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla until well blended). It worked like a charm and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. I don’t think I’ll ever buy marshmallow fluff again. Anyway, I just thought I’d pass that on. Oh, and thanks Mel for such a great blog! I especially appreciate how kind you are to all who comment. Not all food bloggers are.
I made these over the weekend and HOLY MAN!! I love them, my kids love them. I had to box up half of the pan and give it away because I knew we would EAT THEM ALL!!! Rich, decadent, easy recipe. No crazy ingredients. I know I will have to make them again, but who can I “force” some of these on next just to not have them in the house??