You only need 5 INGREDIENTS and 10 MINUTES to make these dreamy no-bake peanut butter bars!
These peanut butter bars are like making a giant homemade Reeses! What could be better? Plus they’re easily made gluten-free.
Calling all peanut butter lovers! If you’re a fan of a classic Reese’s peanut butter cup or no bake desserts like no bake cookies, you’re going to LOVE these.
Peanut butter chocolate bars are SO simple and delicious. They use all your favorite pantry staples, including graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar.
They’re similar to peanut butter buckeyes or a peanut butter blondie. But it really doesn’t matter what you call them. They’re a great way to satisfy a sweet tooth any day of the week!
Then the top of the peanut butter layer gets covered in a chocolate topping for an even more amazing treat.
I love making these into bars for simplicity’s sake, but you could just as easily make these into peanut butter balls and then dip them in chocolate.
Either way, the result is a yummy dessert that’s chock-full of peanut butter flavor. I’m willing to bet this will be one of your new favorite treats!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy no-bake dessert
- Great for hot summer days
- Comes together quickly
- Simple ingredients
You also might like these recipes for peanut butter balls with rice krispies, flourless peanut butter cookies, chocolate peanut butter smoothie, scotcheroos and peanut butter oatmeal bars.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Peanut Butter Layer
Here’s what you’ll need for the peanut butter base layer of this delicious treat:
- Peanut butter: I prefer the texture of these bars when made with a creamy peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy. Natural peanut butter will work, but it can sometimes result in a more crumbly texture. You also might like these articles on is peanut butter gluten-free and are reeses gluten-free?
- Butter: I always like to use salted butter for baking. It has more depth of flavor than unsalted butter!
- Powdered sugar: Any type of confectioners’ sugar will work for this recipe!
- Graham cracker crumbs: Make sure the graham cracker crumbs are gluten-free if you want to make gluten-free peanut butter bars. You can buy crumbs in a box or pulse graham crackers in a food processor to make crumbs. Check out this post on gluten-free graham crackers!
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt for this recipe. Sprinkle a few flakes on top of the chocolate layer for extra saltiness!
For more gluten-free peanut butter desserts, try these recipes for gluten-free monster cookies, gluten-free peanut butter blossoms, healthy peanut butter oatmeal bars, gluten-free peanut butter pie and gluten-free peanut butter cookies.
For the Chocolate Layer
Here’s what you’ll need for the chocolate topping:
- Chocolate chips: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips for this recipe, but milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips could work too.
- Peanut butter: I prefer the texture of these bars when made with a creamy peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy. Natural peanut butter will work, but it can sometimes result in a more crumbly texture.
How to Make Peanut Butter Bars
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix the melted butter, gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Stir in 1 cup of peanut butter until evenly combined.
- Press the peanut butter mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. (Be sure to use a microwave-safe bowl.) Stir until smooth.
- Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter layer.
- Chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
- Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
FAQs
Peanut butter bars are a delicious no-bake dessert made from a layer of peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter. They’re then topped with a layer of melted chocolate and peanut butter.
Peanut butter bars are a great way to use up a lot of peanut butter — they call for 1 cup of peanut butter in the bottom layer, plus two tablespoons of peanut butter in the topping. You could also use peanut butter to make peanut butter cookies, peanut butter pie, or peanut butter ice cream.
Yes, you can make peanut butter at home using dry roasted peanuts and sea salt. To make, place peanuts in a food processor and blend until smooth, which will take 8-10 minutes.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I prefer the texture of these bars when made with a creamy peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy. Natural peanut butter will work, but it can sometimes result in a more crumbly texture. You could also use crunchy peanut butter if you want a crunchy texture for these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars.
- You could also make these bars using almond butter, if you prefer!
- MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Use vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate chips to make these easy peanut butter desserts dairy-free.
- MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Use gluten-free graham crackers. I like the brand Schar best!
MORE FAVORITE TREATS
I hope you love this perfect sweet treat as much as we do! If you try these peanut butter bars, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Easy, Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Layer:
- 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter, melted
- 4-5 ounces (120g) graham crackers, crushed into crumbs (gluten-free if needed!)
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) creamy peanut butter, divided
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
- For the peanut butter layer: In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and salt. Stir in the peanut butter until evenly combined.
- Press the peanut butter mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- For the chocolate topping: Add the peanut butter and chocolate to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, stirring every 15 seconds.
- Spread the chocolate topping over the peanut butter layer.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- I prefer the texture of these bars when made with a creamy peanut butter like Jiff or Skippy. Natural peanut butter will work, but it can sometimes result in a more crumbly texture. You could also use crunchy peanut butter if you want a crunchy texture for these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars.
- You could also make these bars using almond butter, if you prefer!
- MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Use vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate chips to make these easy peanut butter desserts dairy-free.
- MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Use gluten-free graham crackers. I like the brand Schar best!
So yummy! I’ll definitely be making these peanut butter bars again. My family couldn’t get enough of them, thank you!
I’m so glad your family enjoyed them! 🙂
These peanut butter bars are a must-try! They are so rich and delightful! Kids love to bring them to school for snacks!
I take these to every party! They are always the first togo, everyone loves them!
Can the sugar be reduced without harming the recipe?
Yes you can reduce the sugar no problem! Let me know how they turn out for you if you try it.
yummy
Mom used to make these as I grew up and at holidays when I was older. They are luscious. So glad to find the recipe again as I lost it along the way! Thank you so much for working with it and posting it to the world! These will be perfect summer treats!