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These Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars might just be the easiest dessert bar that anyone can bake up. Chex cereal, tossed with salty pretzels, nuts, and sweet cinnamon sugar, toasted in the oven, then tossed with peanut butter. The mix is then pressed into bars or cups and topped with a thick layer of sweet chocolate. They’re fun to make and so DELICIOUS, and most importantly…everyone loves them! They’re the perfect sweet treat for your Thanksgiving dessert table, yet equally great for Christmas and holiday gifting too!

overhead close up photo Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars

I’ve really been leaning into the recipes I love most lately. The cozy comfort foods, the sweet and easy desserts, and even sharing some homemade cheesy snacks. Whenever I get a little too busy, and a little too overwhelmed (as I have over the past few weeks), I tend to share out my very favorite recipes.

Why are they my favorite? Because I don’t overthink them. When time is an issue…and the daylight hours are very, very short, I go with my first instinct or my gut. Those who know me closely, know this is not the easiest thing for me to do. I’ve said it many times, but I’m a second guesser, always doubting myself. I’m trying to be better, but it can be difficult.

The point is, when I don’t have any time to second guess, I make better decisions.

Enter these sweet chocolate cinnamon bars – snickerdoodle bars! These have me way too excited for the upcoming holiday season…anything snickerdoodle makes me think Christmas. I’m holding back on Christmas talk for now, but I feel like it will be coming a bit earlier this year. I’m already way too excited.

Snickerdoodle Chex Mix after baking

As you’ve probably guessed, these bars are easy, but they’re also delicious and so fun.

Growing up Chex mix was our special Christmas Eve treat, and it was always made savory, never sweet. My mom’s Chex Mix is a holiday favorite and it would not be Christmas without it. We love it! But at some point, I discovered that sweet Chex mix was also a thing. Years back, I made a version of these bars and really fell in love with the salty, sweet combination.

They are DELICIOUS. The peanut butter combined with the sweet cinnamon…the classic flavor within a snickerdoodle cookie, is really the perfect pairing. The peanut butter creates the chewiest bar, but that cinnamon sugar and chocolate coating are what really seal the deal.

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex mix in a bowl

The quick and simple details.

First up, toss everything together. It’s a mix of Chex cereals, pretzels, and salted nuts, blended with butter and cinnamon sugar (the snickerdoodle component). Toast this mix up in the oven.

While that’s happening, melt together some peanut butter and honey. The honey is the sweetener and acts as a really nice “glue” to hold the bars together. Once the Chex mix is toasted, toss it with the peanut mixture, then spread everything out in a baking dish.

prep photo of Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars

You can make these into bars or you can make cute little cups using paper cupcake liners. Bother versions are just as delicious, but the cups make for a nice handheld dessert!

Once you have your bars/cups assembled, top with a thick layer of chocolate and chill until set.

And that’s it. Simple…but yet not. There are so many deliciously sweet flavors throughout these bars….sweet cinnamon, nutty peanut butter, salty pretzels, and chocolate.

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

What would these bars be great for?

Honestly, they’re great for all occasions, but personally, I’m really excited to serve them over the holidays.

I already have plans to have them paced about on Thanksgiving Day for snacking. And I’m definitely including them in this year’s holiday cookie box. The options for these sweet treats are endless. If you’re looking for a quick and easy gift, these would be perfect to wrap up in a cute box. They’re certain to cheer up anyone’s day. And they’re a great gift to give friends and family that you might not be able to see over the holidays.

And then? Well, these also make for a pretty darn delicious Friday night dessert. I highly recommend making a double batch. A batch for tonight and a batch for a friend…or maybe just for the week ahead. Oh, and stopping with just one bar? Well, that’s almost impossible. Trust me, you’ll be making batch after batch of these easy bars – so good!

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other easy desserts? Here are my favorites: 

Swirled Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

Slice n’ Bake Salted Chocolate Butter Pecan Cookies

5 Ingredient Triple Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Lastly, if you make these Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 269 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper or line 24 cupcake molds with paper liners.
    2. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the butter and vanilla. Add the Chex cereals, pretzels, and nuts. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon, then toss well to coat. Spread the mix in an even layer. Bake 15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until toasted.
    3. Meanwhile, melt together the honey and peanut butter in a large pot over low heat, until melted smooth, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat. Stir in the toasted Chex mix, tossing to combine. Spread the mix out into the prepared pan. Alternately, you can spoon the mixture evenly among 24 cupcake molds lined with cupcake liners.
    4. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave until melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the bars, spreading in an even layer. Chill 1 hour, until set. Top with salt, if desired. Let the bars sit at room temp 15-20 minutes before cutting, then cut into bars. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. 
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overhead horizontal photo of Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars
3.87 from 284 votes (270 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I just made my second batch of these. I made the first batch for my cookie exchange group which is quite competitive and they won for best taste!

    1. Hi Julia,
      These are good for up to 1 week in an airtight container:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT

      1. That’s 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate, not 3 to 4 cups, right? 3/4 seems like not much, but 3 to 4 cups seems like a lot! Thanks – can’t wait to make these. Renee

  2. Yummy!!! I debated leaving out the cinnamon because I wasn’t sure if I would like the peanut butter and cinnamon together. I am glad I did not do that. They taste great. I also used crunchy peanut butter because that is what I had. I did not have mini cupcake liners for my pan so I sprayed it very lightly. I had too much cereal mix so I put the rest in a parchment lined pan. The problem that I had I guess my chocolate was a little too thick because it did not pour down into the cereal mixture. When I cut my bar pieces the wanted to fall apart some. This did not affect the taste though. I will defiantly make them again. Thanks for the recipes. Your food always looks so pretty the way you present it.

    1. Hi Diane,
      Thanks so much for your kind message and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that these were enjoyed! Next time, try adding some coconut oil to your chocolate to make it a little runnier! I hope this helps! xT