Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars are part rice krispies treat, part peanut butter fudge, and part white chocolate bark. These totally addicting bars are perfect for a holiday cookie platter or for an easy treat any time of the year!
- Why We Love These Bars
- What You’ll Need
- How to Make Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars
- Recipe FAQ’s
- Tips for Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars
- Storage
- More Dessert Bar Recipes
- Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars Recipe Recipe
- More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a sweet shop that started in Durango, Colorado but has spread throughout a bunch of other states in the Rocky Mountain region.
I just cannot resist those huge windows filled with rows of gourmet caramel apples , homemade fudge , and chocolate covered pretzels .
And the smell of the freshly made caramel and melted chocolate that wafts out is a siren call to my soul.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory used to be one of our go-to date night stops when Paul and I were in law school. We would choose a treat (often an apple pie caramel apple) and split it for dessert.
So when I was thinking about a dessert to include for Colorado Week in my American Eats series where I’m sharing well-known foods from each state, one state at a time, I decided I needed to share a copycat recipe for these Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars, which are one of their most popular treats.
They are a fan-favorite item sold at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores and with the combination of peanut butter, white chocolate, rice krispies, and marshmallows, it’s easy to see why!
It’s super easy to make the Rocky Mountain avalanche bars at home, which is a good thing if you don’t live close to one of their stores and because they are pretty pricey.
Like, you can make an entire batch of these delicious bars for less than the cost of one at the store. Kind of a no-brainer, right?
I’m obsessed with the textures of these bars. There is the almost-but-not-quite fudge-like of the creamy peanut butter and white chocolate mixture, which contrasts with the crunchy rice krispies and the soft, fluffy marshmallows that add a chewy element. Avalanche bars kind of have it all.
Why We Love These Bars
- If you love the crunch of rice krispie treats then you will definitely love this simple recipe for avalanche bark which has the same crunch from the Rice Krispie cereal.
- The combination of white chocolate, peanut butter, and crispy rice cereal is fabulous and makes for a great treat.
- This recipe is made in under 10 minutes un just one large bowl.
What You’ll Need
- White Chocolate
- Peanut Butter
- Rice Krispies Cereal
- Mini Marshmallows – The soft marshmallows add a chewy lightness to the bars so they don’t hurt to bite into.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – You want mini chocolate chips, not regular chocolate chips which are too large and hard to bite through.
How to Make Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars
- Start by melting chopped white chocolate. The double boiler method works, or you can just do it in the microwave-safe bowl in the microwave by using short bursts of 50% power and stirring every 30 seconds, which is my preferred method. The important thing is to use low heat so you don’t burn the white chocolate.
- Add peanut butter. Stir the peanut butter into the melted white chocolate until smooth. The white chocolate should be plenty warm enough to melt the peanut butter into a homogenous mixture.
- Add rice krispies and mini marshmallows. Pour the rice krispies and mini marshmallows into the peanut butter mixture. Stir to coat well. Once fairly cool, you can add the mini chocolate chips, or simply reserve them to sprinkle over the top of the wet avalanche bars before they have a chance to set up.
- Gently press into a 9×13-inch pan. It helps a lot to either line the pan with a parchment paper sling or to butter it before adding the mixture to prevent it sticking. Then cool completely on the counter until set up or stick the bars in the fridge for 15 minutes to speed up the process before cutting into squares.
Yes, if you want to have even more crunch, you can totally get away with adding crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter.
Want avalanche cookies instead of bars? Simply use a cookie scoop to drop mounds of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them set up for a tasty treat.
Tips for Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars
- Chop actual bars of white chocolate rather than using white chocolate chips. The bars melt so much better and easier than white chocolate chips which are actually made with ingredients that are intended to help the chips hold their shape rather than melt well.
- For a variation that is more rice krispie treat (albeit not the gooey, chewy kind) and less fudge, double the amount of rice krispies to 6 cups. The other remaining ingredients can handle the increased cereal amount enough to coat the additional rice krispies.
- For a stronger hit of peanut butter, you can double the amount of peanut butter to 1 cup without altering any of the other ingredients.
- If you have peanut butter allergies, you can replace it with sunflower butter or even cookie butter.
Storage
Keep the sliced bars in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days.
You can freeze these bars for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving.
More Dessert Bar Recipes
- Mississippi Mud Brownies
- Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Easy Caramel Pecan Brownies
- Carmelita Recipe (Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars)
- Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Brownies and bars
Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Bars
Recipes
Cookie Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Brownies and bars
Classic 7 Layer Bars
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13-inch Rectangular Baking Pan
Ingredients123
- ▢ 4 cups white chocolate chopped (about 24 ounces)
- ▢ 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- ▢ 3 cups rice krispies cereal
- ▢ 3 cups mini marshmallows
- ▢ 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with a parchment paper sling or lightly grease with butter or baking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in a microwave on 50% heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted. 4 cups white chocolate
- Stir the peanut butter into the melted white chocolate until combined. Add the rice krispies and marshmallows. Gently stir to coat. ½ cup creamy peanut butter, 3 cups rice krispies cereal, 3 cups mini marshmallows
- Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips while still wet and lightly press them into the bars. ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- Let the bars set at room temperature until firm, or refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to speed up the process. Remove the bars from the pan with the parchment paper sling, then carefully cut into squares with a large, sharp knife.
Notes
- Storage: Keep the sliced bars in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze these bars for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November 2018. The photos and content were updated in November 2023.
More States I Have Visited in myAmerican EatsSeries
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 9x13-inch Rectangular Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups white chocolate chopped (about 24 ounces)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups rice krispies cereal
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with a parchment paper sling or lightly grease with butter or baking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate in a microwave on 50% heat in 30 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until melted. 4 cups white chocolate
- Stir the peanut butter into the melted white chocolate until combined. Add the rice krispies and marshmallows. Gently stir to coat. 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 3 cups rice krispies cereal, 3 cups mini marshmallows
- Transfer the mixture to a 9x13-inch pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips while still wet and lightly press them into the bars. 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Let the bars set at room temperature until firm, or refrigerate for 15-30 minutes to speed up the process. Remove the bars from the pan with the parchment paper sling, then carefully cut into squares with a large, sharp knife.
Notes
- Storage: Keep the sliced bars in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze these bars for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving.
Nutrition
QR code
Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.
