No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

By Maria Lichty

Published on August 16, 2023

View RecipePin Recipe4.5711

Peanut butter and chocolate, is there a better combo? I don’t think so. I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate together and a few of my favorite recipes include: peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, puppy chow, no bake cookies, and peanut butter blossoms.

I also love these easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars. The are made with basic pantry ingredients and there is no baking involved. They are the perfect dessert for summertime when you don’t want to turn on the oven.

They are also a fun treat to make with kids or whenever you need a super simple dessert. They are easy to make and the results are DELICIOUS!

The bars have a thick peanut butter base that tastes similar to the filling of a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but even better! The bars are finished with a chocolate topping that is silky and smooth. You get a bite of peanut butter and chocolate in every bite! Of course, I add a sprinkling of flaky sea salt to enhance the overall flavor.

You do have to chill the bars before cutting and serving, but don’t let that stop you from making the bars, just plan ahead!

These no-bake peanut bars are the perfect dessert for taking to potlucks and parties. They are nostalgic and always one of the first desserts to go!

Bar Ingredients

• Butter– I use salted butter. If you want to use unsalted butter, add a little salt. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly.
• Peanut Butter– use a brand like Skippy or Jif for this recipe.
• Vanilla Extract– use pure vanilla extract.
• Confectioners’ sugar– I sift the confectioner’s sugar so the bars are smooth.
• Graham cracker crumbs– you will need 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs, which is 7 graham cracker sheets crushed. Use a food processor or blender to make the crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can place graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and pound the crackers with a rolling pin. Make sure you have fine crumbs.

Chocolate Topping

For the chocolate topping, you will need:

• Chocolate Chips– I prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips, Guittard is my favorite brand, but you can use milk or dark chocolate chips.
• Peanut Butter– to bring out the best peanut butter flavor, stir in a little peanut butter to the chocolate topping.
• Flaky sea salt–optional, but so good! I love sweet and salty!

How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

• Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper, depending on how thick you want the bars. Using an 8×8-inch pan will give you thicker bars. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.

• Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir until well combined.
• Stir in the graham cracker crumbs.

• Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
• Place the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second burst, stirring each time, until just melted. Stir until mixture is smooth.

• Pour evenly over the peanut butter base and smooth with a spatula.

• Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill until the bars are firm, about 2 hours.
• Cut into squares and enjoy!

Variations

• Instead of graham crackers, you can use Digestives, Bisccoff cookies, or Ritz crackers. Place in a food processor or blender to make fine crumbs. Use the same amount (1 cup) and use in place of the graham cracker crumbs.
• Use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter.
• You can make these bars with almond butter or sun nut butter. Make sure you stir the nut butters well so they are nice and creamy before using.

How to Store

• Refrigerator: Store the bars in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Freezer: After the chocolate has set up, you can freeze the peanut butter bars. Freeze in a freezer container or bag for up to 2 months. If you are freezing cut bars and stacking them, place a piece of parchment paper between layers so the bars don’t stick together.

More No Bake Recipes

• No Bake Cookies
• Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• Puppy Chow
• Monster Cookie Energy Balls
• Oreo Balls
• Ritz Cookies
• Rolo Pretzels

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Bars

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars- you don't have to turn on the oven to make these decadent peanut butter chocolate bars! They are the perfect dessert for summertime, potlucks, parties, or anytime!

4.57 from 51 votes

PrintSave RecipeReview

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

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For the bars:

• 1/2 cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, brand like Skippy or Jif
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the chocolate topping:

• 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on bars

Instructions

 

• Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.
• Add the confectioners’ sugar and stir until well combined. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs.
• Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
• Place the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second burst, stirring each time, until just melted. Stir until mixture is smooth.
• Pour evenly over the peanut butter base and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Place the pan in the refrigerator and chill until the bars are firm, about 2 hours.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into squares.

Notes

If you use unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt to the base of the bars.
Instead of graham crackers, you can use Digestives, Bisccoff cookies, or Ritz crackers.
Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 164mg, Potassium: 199mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 184IU, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg

Keywords chocolate, no bake, peanut butter

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