Tahini Krispie Chocolate Bars

By Yossy Arefi

Updated May 8, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 2
Ready In
1 hr
(15 min plus 45 min cooling)
Rating
5(72)
Comments
Read comments

These sweet and salty bars are a low-effort, high-reward treat that upgrades your average Rice Krispies treat. The nutty bitterness of tahini is tempered by marshmallows, a generous amount of vanilla, salt and graham cracker crumbs, which add a toasty note. The resulting texture is somewhere between fudgy halva and a Rice Krispies treat. Pack them in a lunchbox or enjoy a square as an afternoon snack—no special equipment or skill is required.

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Ingredients

Yield:16 to 24 servings

  • Butter, for the pan 

  • ¾ cup/180 grams tahini, well stirred

  • ½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter

  • 4 cups/200 grams mini marshmallows

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • 2 cups/70 grams Rice Krispies cereal

  • 1 cup/110 grams graham cracker crumbs (from about 9 whole crackers)

  • 1 cup/170 grams bittersweet chocolate chips

  • Flaky salt (optional), for sprinkling

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Lightly butter an 8-by-8-inch pan and line it with two crossed pieces of parchment paper that come up all four sides of the pan.

    1. Step 2

      In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the tahini and butter together over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a flexible spatula. When the mixture is smooth and evenly blended, add the marshmallows and turn the heat down to low. Stir constantly until the marshmallows are almost completely melted, remove from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Add the cereal and graham cracker crumbs and fold until combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer. 

    1. Step 3

      Add the chocolate to a clean bowl and microwave in 15-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Spread the chocolate evenly over the cereal mix, then sprinkle with flaky salt if desired. Refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes.

    1. Step 4

      Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan, then use a large knife to slice into small squares. Store in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 1 week.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
72 user ratings
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Comments

Tina C

Stoner food of the highest order.

CH

Made these this morning and they are truly a quick and delicious treat! As per other comments I reduced the butter to 1/3 of a cup and eyeballed my pouring so probably put in closer to 2.5 cups of Rice Krispies and they aren’t oily at all! They have a nice extra bit of flavour from the salt and tahini. Will definitely be making again.

Jeff

I was afraid of it being too oily because of the comments, so I cut the butter in half (used 1/4 cup) and they turned out great! Not oily and very tasty.

Lucy

Silly me, I thought, “these other New York Times readers probably just can’t handle a bit of butter, I’m using the full amount.” Big mistake. Cut it in half. They taste good but there’s visibly congealed butter on them. So greasy.

Hils

Made them in a rush and forgot to follow the suggestions to cut the butter. And guess what? Once they sat at room temp for about half an hour, any “excess” oil seemed to have reabsorbed and they were AWESOME. Not health food obviously, but 10/10 recommend. The salty-sweet-chewiness was perfection. I doubled the batch and used a 9x12 glass dish, no other mods. My only complaint is how quickly they disappeared 😂

Janelle

easy and not to sweet. the chocolate adds a perfect amount of sweetness. pulsed the graham cracker in the food processor. used ~60% lindt dark chocolate for the topping

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