Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Ice Cream Cupcakes Recipe

When the weather is too hot, cool off with these Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Ice Cream Cupcakes. Each bite combines chocolate and peanut butter for a perfect chilled treat.

Memorial Day often brings picnics, backyard barbecues, and warm days that call for a cold dessert. If you’re grilling at home, a chilled dessert is ideal since you don’t need to transport it. Between the heat of the sun and the grill, something cold and shareable is perfect for family gatherings. These Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Ice Cream Cupcakes are easy to make ahead, which makes them a great choice for cookouts—I usually prepare desserts the day before.

These cupcakes start with cocoa rice krispie treats as the base, are filled with peanut butter ice cream and a mini peanut butter cup, and finished with a chocolate topping. Though the components seem abundant, they combine into a delightful balance of creamy, crunchy, and nutty flavors reminiscent of a peanut butter cup.

The idea was inspired by a magazine recipe for frozen peanut butter cups, but I adapted it into a cupcake-like treat. I replaced the corn flake base with cocoa rice krispies and swapped corn syrup for melted marshmallows to create a sturdier, chocolatey shell. The end result feels more like an ice cream cupcake with a surprise peanut butter center.

A practical tip: when pressing the hot cereal mixture into the muffin cups, use parchment paper to press the mixture down. Plastic wrap tends to stick when the marshmallows are still hot and sticky. Using parchment protects your fingers and helps form even bases for the ice cream filling.

For the ice cream, peanut butter flavor works best for synergy with the mini peanut butter cup, but if peanut butter ice cream is hard to find you can use vanilla. Store-bought peanut butter ice cream is often softer and easier to work with than homemade varieties, which can freeze harder. Softer ice cream makes it simpler to spoon and shape while filling the bases.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Ice Cream Cupcakes

Yield:
12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• 3 cups cocoa rice crispy cereal
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pint peanut butter ice cream (homemade or store bought)
• 12 unwrapped mini peanut butter cups
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt together 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Add the marshmallows and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the cereal, then add the vanilla.
3. Divide the cereal mixture evenly among the muffin cups. Using pieces of parchment paper, press the cereal firmly into each cup to form a compact base. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.
4. Working one cup at a time, place a small spoonful of softened ice cream into the center of each base and press a mini peanut butter cup into the ice cream. Add more ice cream to cover the peanut butter cup and level the top. Return the pan to the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.
5. Melt together the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and the chocolate chips until smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture into a plastic sandwich bag and squeeze it into one corner.
6. Remove the pan from the freezer, snip the corner of the bag, and pipe chocolate over each cupcake. Freeze at least 1 hour before serving to ensure the ice cream is firm and the topping is set.

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