No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars - Live Well Bake Often (2024)

These No-Bake Peanut Butter ChocolateBars only require 5 simple ingredients and can be prepared in about 10 minutes. The perfect easy dessert for chocolate and peanut butter lovers!

Calling all peanut butter lovers! These bars are one of the easiest, most delicious no-bake desserts ever. They kind of remind me of a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but with a lot more texture and a much richer flavor.

Not convinced you need to make these yet? What if I told you these bars are alsoincredibly simple to throw together?

That’s right, you only need five ingredients to make these bars! Even better, they only take about 10 minutes to prep and you don’t have to turn on your oven to make them.

These no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars are always a hit at parties and potlucks, and I never go home with leftovers!

Ingredients in This Recipe

The ingredients list for these bars is short and sweet (pun intended). Here’s an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Butter:I prefer using unsalted butter since the amount of salt in salted butter can vary between brands.
• Peanut Butter:Make sure to use a creamy, no-stir peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. The peanut butter layer may not set up very well with natural peanut butter.
• Powdered sugar:Helps sweeten the bars without giving them a grainy texture. The powdered sugar also helps the peanut butter layer set up in the fridge.
• Graham cracker crumbs:You’ll need 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs to make this recipe. You can either use store-bought graham cracker crumbs, or you can make your own by sealing graham crackers in a zip-top bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
• Chocolate chips:I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, which results in a rich chocolate layer that’s not too sweet. However, you’re welcome to use any chocolate chips you’d like.

How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

To make these peanut butter candy bars, you’ll start out by making the peanut butter layer. It’s a simple mixture of melted butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbs.

It helps to whisk together the melted butter and peanut butter first, then whisk in the powdered sugar, and then the graham cracker crumbs. The mixture will seem a little soft, but it will firm up and slice easily after the bars have chilled in the fridge.

Once you mix up the peanut butter mixture, you’ll press it into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set it aside while you make the chocolate topping.

The chocolate topping is just a simple mixture of chocolate chips and more peanut butter. You’ll need 2 cups of chocolate chips for the topping, which is equal to one 12-ounce bag. The peanut butter is necessary for the topping because it helps keep the chocolate layer a little softer, so you can easily slice into these bars.

Once the chocolate-peanut butter mixture is melted and smooth, pour it on top of the peanut butter layer and spread it into an even layer.Then, cover the bars and let them chill in the refrigerator for at least 90 minutes so that they have enough time to firm up.

If desired, you can prep these bars the night before and take them out of the refrigerator when you’re ready to serve them.

What Can I Substitute for the Graham Cracker Crumbs?

I know that graham cracker crumbs are not readily available in other countries. A good alternative would be digestive biscuits or something similar.

Can I Use a Natural Peanut Butter?

No, I recommend using a traditional, no-stir peanut butter from a brand like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter separates easily and is too oily for this recipe. If you use natural peanut butter to make the bars, I worry that they wouldn’t set up fully.

More Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts!

• Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Balls
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Recipe Video