Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!)

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4.99 from 2802 votes
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The BEST homemade crunch bars recipe that tastes BETTER than the actual candy bar! 5 ingredients, 5 minutes and perfectly crispy, crunchy, sweet copycat crunch bars- Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free. 

homemade crunch bars

Nestle announced back in 2018 that Crunch bars have been discontinued but do not fret- We have a homemade and even BETTER version here, and is relatively healthier than the traditional version!

You may come across other homemade crunch bar recipes, but those are quite frankly sub bar. Most of them call for 2 or 3 ingredients, mostly melted chocolate with crispy rice cereal.

Is that a crunch bar? Technically, yes. But taste-wise, it is very, VERY average.

Instead, I’m here to share with you my homemade version which tastes amazing and one recipe that thousands of my readers have continually made over and over again!

WHY THESE ARE THE BEST HOMEMADE CRUNCH BARS

Crunchy, crispy, smooth, and creamy and all words to describe these no bake chocolate peanut butter crunch bars. 

You bite into it and are met with of these, which are a texture lovers’ dream! 

Traditional crunch bars use butter, sugar, margarine and several kinds of oil to produce a delicious end product. 

My version uses just FIVE ingredients, and takes less than 2 minutes to whip up! 

Not only are these beauties completely vegan, gluten-free and dairy free, but it also has the option to be made completely sugar-free, so take note below!

vegan gluten free crunch bars

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRUNCH BARS

Start by pouring your cereal in a large mixing bowl, and setting it aside. To also save time, prepare your baking dish by adding parchment paper to it. 

In a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan, add all your ingredients, except for the cereal. Heat the mixture until the chocolate chip has melted. Whisk very well together, until you have silky, thick, and smooth chocolate.

Finally, pour the melted chocolate mixture over the crispy cereal, and mix very well, until all the cereal is coated in the chocolate. Transfer to the lined baking dish and refrigerate until firm. 

THE INGREDIENTS (and substitution tips!)

  • Crispy Rice Cereal
  • Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Maple Syrup
  • Coconut oil

The ‘crunch’ factor can come in two folds. The first and most dominant one is in the cereal used. The original recipe from the cookbook used cornflakes, but my preference lies in rice crispy treats, so I used gluten-free crispy rice cereal. It’s my favorite to use in these no bake bars and these no bake rice crispy cups. If you don’t have a gluten intolerance, any crispy rice cereal will work fine. 

The second part comes with using crunchy peanut butter. You are welcome to use smooth peanut butter if that is all you have on hand, but I love the added texture of the little pieces of peanuts throughout! 

Speaking of peanut butter, for those with peanut allergies, I’d recommend you use crunchy sunflower seed butter or soynut butter. You can also substitute the peanut butter for another nut butter, like almond or cashew. 

As these crunch bars are based around chocolate, PLEASE make sure you choose a high-quality chocolate bar (baking style or standard) or chocolate chips. I used my favorite dairy free chunks, which I regularly eat on its own. 

For those who want to keep this completely sugar-free, use your favorite sugar free BAKING bar or chips. Simply melting a generic sugar-free candy bar won’t yield the results you are after. 

Also, for the maple syrup, swap it for this sugar-free alternative. While not as good as the original, it’s the best sugar-free syrup when used IN recipes.

Coconut oil is my preference, but butter or vegan butter works well too. 

homemade crunch bars

STORING CRUNCH BARS

Like any candy or chocolate bar, crunch bars can be stored at room temperature, in a sealable container. They will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks, but I promise you, they will NEVER last that long!

They are also freezer friendly, so wrap up a few and store away to enjoy when the chocolate cravings strike! Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.

CAN I MAKE CRUNCH BARS KETO AND PALEO?

Yes! I have made a keto and paleo option for this recipe. It uses nuts and seeds instead of the cereal, and also keto-approved chocolate and syrup.

crunch bars recipe

MORE HOMEMADE CANDY BAR RECIPES

Watch the step-by-step video below!

The BEST Homemade Crunch Bars

4.99 from 2802 votes
No Bake homemace crunch bars using just one bowl, 5 ingredients and less than 2 minutes! This quick and easy snack or dessert is naturally gluten free, vegan, dairy free and can be made sugar free! 
Servings: 20 bars
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 1 minute
Total: 3 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish or deep baking tray of choice with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Add crispy rice cereal into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, combine all your other ingredients and heat until melted. Remove from microwave/off stove and whisk until completely incorporated.
  • Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the crispy rice cereal and mix until combined. Pour into the lined baking dish and refrigerate until firm (at least an hour).
  • Remove and cut into bars. 

Notes

TO STORE: Crunch bars can be stored at room temperature, in a sealable container. They will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks.
TO FREEZE: Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.  
Also try- Keto Crunch Bars

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSodium: 69mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 15g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

easy crunch bars

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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  1. I made these at Christmas. They tasted good but I was not a fan of how the rice crispy cereal was almost unchewable. Not sure if it was because I used generic or if I did something wrong. It’s a pretty simple recipe so I am thinking it was the generic cereal. Anyone else had this experience?

  2. 5 stars
    What about using corn syrup or honey in place of the maple syrup? Can this recipe be doubled for a 13×9 baking pan? TIA

  3. 5 stars
    These bars taste lovely. I just wanted to know what the sugar content is please as I cannot find it above? Am I right in confirming that these are not healthy but just healthier than the original version?

  4. 5 stars
    I so badly wanted to make this but unfortunately rice crispies are not gluten free. Is there another brand that is?

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