Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are an easy no bake dessert recipe everyone loves. Creamy peanut butter combined with cookie crumbs makes a delicious peanut butter layer topped with melted chocolate and more peanut butter!
These delicious Peanut Butter Bars are a classic and peanut butter lovers favorite. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is irresistibly good just like our Peanut Butter Brownies or Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes.
Such an easy dessert! The bottom layer of the no-bake peanut butter bars is a made with simple ingredients for a sweet nutty flavor. Topped with a combination of chocolate and peanut butter they taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups (maybe even better).
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Why you’ll love this recipe
- Chocolate + peanut butter (is there anything better?!)
- No baking
- Easy recipe
- They freeze well
- Can cut the bars into any size
- Easy to make regular or gluten-free (we’ve made them both ways)
- Most peanut butter bars just use graham cracker crumbs. We split the crumbs between graham cracker and vanilla wafer crumbs giving them a homey sweetness with the vanilla flavor.
- Because peanut butter is mixed in with the chocolate layer the tops won’t crack when cut
Recipe Ingredients Notes
Graham cracker crumbs. These can be regular or gluten-free, store bought or homemade. To make them yourself add the graham crackers to a mini chopper or food processor and process into crumbs.
Vanilla wafer crumbs. As with the graham cracker crumbs these can be regular or gluten-free, and made using a mini chopper or food processor.
Unsalted butter. Be sure to use unsalted butter and melt it before starting the recipe.
Creamy peanut butter. No not use natural peanut butter that separates. Crunchy peanut butter can be used but we recommend smooth peanut butter for the best texture.
Chocolate chips. Use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
How to make them Gluten-free
Be sure to use gluten-free graham cracker crumbs and gluten-free vanilla wafers. There are multiple brands of GF graham crackers. We personally love Schar’s Honeygrams which have a grainier texture more like a digestive biscuit.
We used Kinnikinnck’s Vanilla Wafers for the gluten-free version.
How to make Peanut Butter Bars – Step-by-Step
STEP 1. Preparation
Line a 9-inch by 13-inch pan with parchment paper. Leave some overhanging the sides for easy removal after chilling.
Melt butter and prepare the cookie crumbs with a mini chopper or food processor.
STEP 2. Make the peanut butter filling
Stir together melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs, confectioner’s sugar, and 2 cups peanut butter until combined (photo 1).
Press peanut butter mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Set aside (can see the layer in photo 4).
STEP 3. Chocolate layer
Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave per the chocolate chip package instructions until ingredients are melted together (photos 2-3).
Usually microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir well, and continue for 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is fully melted. until ingredients are melted together.
You can also use a double boiler for this.
Pour melted chocolate over peanut butter filling and smooth it out to the edges (photos 4-5).
STEP 4. Chill
Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 1-2 hours (photo 6). Cut into bars and serve. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Allow some of the parchment to overhang the pan to easily lift the peanut butter chocolate bars out of the pan to cut them.
- Do not use natural peanut butter. The oil separates which does not mix the same way in the bars.
- Chill for the full time to get firm bars when cutting them
- Use a large sharp or serrated knife to cut the bars
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! We love the mix of the vanilla flavor with the vanilla wafers but using just graham crackers works great too. Use 2 cups.
Yes! Because they need to chill make them a day ahead. Keep them tightly sealed so no moisture gets in.
They can be kept in the refrigerator up to 1 week, tightly sealed or in an airtight container.
How to store
Store in an airtight container (or sealed with plastic wrap if kept in the pan) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If layering in a container, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between the layers. Do not keep the bars at room temperature.
How to freeze them
Place in a freezer-safe container, again placing parchment between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
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Recipe
Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs regular or gluten-free
- 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs regular or gluten-free
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter do not use natural peanut butter
Peanut Butter Chocolate topping
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips approximately 2 cups
Instructions
- Stir together melted butter, graham cracker and vanilla wafter crumbs, powdered sugar, and peanut butter until fully combined.
- Line a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. Press bar mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Set aside.
- Place the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Follow the instructions on the chocolate chip package or microwave on high, stir, and microwave in 15 second intervals stirring in between until the chocolate is fully melted. Stir to fully combine.NOTE: A double boiler may also be used for this step.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over peanut butter bar layer. Smooth it out to the edges for an even layer.
- Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 2 hours.
- Cut into bars and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Allow some of the parchment to overhang the pan to easily lift the peanut butter chocolate bars out of the pan to cut them.
- Do not use natural peanut butter. The oil separates which does not mix the same way in the bars.
- Chill for the full time to get firm bars when cutting them
- Use a large sharp or serrated knife to cut the bars
Amy says
These were excellent because I can control the amount of sugar (I used 1 cup confectioners sugar). Is the microwave increments a misprint? 15 minutes seems like an awfully long time. I got it done in less than 5 minutes.
Toni Dash says
So glad you enjoyed them Amy! And YES in the recipe card it should have read (and does now) 15-second intervals. The detailed instructions with images is correct and the recipe card has been updated; thank you!
Natasha says
It was easy to make and the result is amazingly good! My kids loved these peanut butter bars, I think they just found their new favorite