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
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
This post was originally published in November 2018. The photos and content were updated in November 2023.
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More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
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
