Chocolate Crunch Bars – Downshiftology

These chocolate crunch bars are a dreamy pairing of chocolatey goodness and crispy puffed rice. Bonus – they’re a healthier take on everyone’s favorite candy bar!

Chocolate crunch bars piled on each other on a plate.

Why You’ll Love these Chocolate Crunch Bars

My love for chocolate runs deep, even for those nostalgic candy bars I crave from time to time. But if you, like me, desire an option that’s a bit healthier, these homemade chocolate crunch bars are it! And I gotta say, they’re crazy good. If not, better than the packaged version. Here’s why you’ll love them:

There’s just two ingredients (really): It honestly doesn’t get much easier than this. All you need are chocolate chips and puffed rice – that’s it!
There’s no funky additives: Commercial candy always has sneaky ingredients. And the store-bought version of these chocolate crunch bars usually uses rice krispies (which contain sugar and sometimes sneaky gluten). Puffed rice or puffed quinoa is a simpler, and healthier approach.

Ingredients for chocolate crunch bars on a table.

Chocolate Crunch Bar Ingredients

Chocolate Chips: I love to use Pascha Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, but feel free to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate as well – whichever is your favorite.
Puffed Rice: Either puffed rice or puffed quinoa work in this recipe. They both have that larger shape and perfect crunch.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

How To Make The Best Crunch Bars

Ideally, you want an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan for this recipe. It helps to create the perfect shape for grab-n-go bars.

Line your pan. Make sure to use enough parchment paper so that it covers the sides and lifts out a bit.
Make the chocolate mixture. Melt the chocolate either in a heatproof bowl over simmering water or in the microwave in 20-second increments.

Mixing chocolate and puffed rice in a bowl.

Pour and refrigerate. Stir the puffed rice into the melted chocolate, pour into the loaf pan, then refrigerate for 30 minutes, until the chocolate is firm and set.
Slice it up! Pull the chocolate from the loaf pan and use a warm knife to slice into bars.

Making chocolate crunch bars in a loaf pan.

Storage Tips

Keep in mind these bars can melt a bit if it happens to be a hot day, similar to any regular chocolate bar. So it’s best to keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy.

To store: Place them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Make sure to place parchment paper in between each bar before storing in a freezer-safe container. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.

Chocolate crunch bars on a table next to a knife.

More Easy Chocolate Recipes

It never hurts to have several easy chocolate recipes on hand!

If you make these chocolate crunch bars, let me know how they turned out! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration (and exclusive content), join my free newsletter.

Description

These chocolate crunch bars are a dreamy pairing of chocolatey goodness and crispy puffed rice. Bonus – it’s a healthier take on the classic candy bar. Watch the video below to see how I make them in my kitchen!

Storage: Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Puffed Rice: I had a hard time finding puffed rice in my local market that wasn’t part of a cereal with other flavors and sweeteners. So I bought this puffed rice online and it was perfect!

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