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No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

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Peanut butter, graham crackers and chocolate come together in these fun no bake peanut butter bars. They are sure to get rave reviews everywhere you take them.  Luckily they only take 6 ingredients and a few minutes to put together, so the are a perfect easy dessert.

Stack of peanut butter bars topped with chocolate topping and chopped peanut butter cups.

Layers of peanut butter and chocolate no bake goodness come together in this easy to make treat.  They are like buckeye bars with graham cracker crumbs mixed in for a lovely texture and amazing flavor.

I wouldn’t blame you if you start keeping some in your fridge at all times.  Not. One. Bit. 

So go ahead and whip some up. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you how good they would be!

Ingredients: creamy peanut butter, powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, butter, vanilla, chocolate chips and peanut butter cups ready to be made into peanut butter bars.

Why Everyone Loves These Peanut Butter Bars

If you love Reese’s peanut butter cups, you are going to be head over heals for these peanut butter bars. The rich peanut butter filling and smooth chocolate topping are the perfect combination.

The best part is they only take a few minutes to put together. You only need 6 ingredients and most of them are already in a fully stocked pantry.

You can use premade graham cracker crumbs from the grocery store to save a little bit of time and mess. Or process graham crackers in your food processor to make your own crumbs.

In a pinch, you can even put some graham crackers in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. I just always make a mess when I do that, so I prefer using the processor to contain the crumbs.

You can cut them as large or as small as you want. So you can have a ton of little squares for a bigger party.

Or you can cut yourself a nice big hunk to enjoy. That way you can say you only had one piece.

They freeze beautifully, so you can keep them on hand and just grab one from the freezer when your sweet tooth strikes. Or you can make them ahead of time and have them ready for whatever event you are prepping for.

For thicker bars, you can make this recipe in an eight or nine inch square baking dish. They taste great either way, so it is just a matter of preference.

Finished pan of peanut butter bars topped with chocolate and chopped peanut butter cups.

Tips for Cutting Nice Pieces

If you want to line your pan with parchement or foil, you can lift the bars out of the pan to cut. This makes getting nice clean pieces easier.

I find it easiest to cut these bars when the chocolate topping isn’t super cold. So I like to let it set at room temperature, then cut the bars.

After the bars are cut, put them in the refrigerator to set completely. They are easiest to serve cold.

Stack of peanut butter bars topped with chocolate and peanut butter cups.

They taste amazing cold or at room temperature. They will get soft in warm weather.

Don’t worry though, they will still taste amazing. You just might have to lick the extra chocolate off of your fingers!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you store peanut butter bars?

You can just cover the pan and store your peanut butter bars in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or transfer leftovers to an airtight container for storage.

They can also be frozen for up to three months. Though they never last longer than a day or two at our house!

What can I use instead of graham crackers?

Any plain, dry cookie would work. Vanilla wafers would be a great option as would shortbread cookies.

More great no bake peanut butter chocolate treats

If you like these, you are going to love buckeyes. They are on of our favorite Christmas treats, but there is no reason you can’t make them year round!

Or try chocolate peanut butter bites for a crunchier treat. The filling goes between two pretzels and the whole thing is dunked in delicious chocolate.

Hand holding peanut butter bar with chocolate topping, ready to eat.

No bake oatmeal cookies are another great option. They come together in a just a few minutes and they are loaded with this tasty flavor combination.

If you love peanut butter and chocolate treats as much as we do, these are a perfect treat.  What are your favorite chocolate and peanut butter recipes?

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

Stack of peanut butter bars topped with chocolate topping and chopped peanut butter cups.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Carlee
No bake peanut butter bars are basically like buckeye bars, but with graham cracker crumbs mixed in. They taste amazing and are really easy to make. They may just become your new favorite no-bake bar!
4.87 from 15 ratings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 Servings
Calories 320 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter divided
  • ¾ cup salted butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 cups graham cracker crumbs about 1.5 sleeves
  • cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional: 12 mini peanut butter cups chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, beat room temperature butter until smooth. Add 1½ cups of the peanut butter and mix until combined.
    ¾ cup salted butter
  • Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
    2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Add the graham cracker crumbs and mix until uniform. The mixture will be a little bit crumbly.
    3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • Dump the peanut butter mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 pan and press to form a cohesive layer of peanut butter.
  • Put remaining ½ cup of peanut butter and chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second increments until you can stir the mixture smooth.
    1½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Once the chocolate mixture is melted and smooth, spread over the peanut butter layer. Top with chopped peanut butter cups if desired and refrigerate until set.
    optional: 12 mini peanut butter cups
  • They are the easiest to cut and serve while still slightly chilled, but taste best at room temperature. They will get soft in the summer heat but still taste amazing!

Notes

We use salted butter for these bars. If you use unsalted, you may want to add a pinch of salt or even a heavy pinch if you like more salt in you sweet and salty treats.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 204mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20g
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Recipe Rating




Andrea Nine

Monday 22nd of March 2021

Oh Yes! My entire family and myself are going to need these yummies!!!!

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Friday 11th of August 2017

One of my all time favorite treats!

Carlee

Saturday 12th of August 2017

Mine too! We could probably live on these alone and be perfectly happy ;-)

Carlee

Monday 7th of August 2017

It's never too early! Besides no bake is perfect for this heat!

Debra

Sunday 6th of August 2017

I love the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter together. Plus it is an easy recipe so how can you go wrong?

Carlee

Monday 7th of August 2017

Easy and delicious is always a winning combination (just like chocolate and peanut butter!) Thanks, Debra!

Beverly @Across the Blvd

Saturday 5th of August 2017

It's hard to beat a combination of chocolate and peanut butter! These bars look delicious. I can see why they go fast when served! Thanks for sharing at Snickerdoodle, Carlee! This is the Most Clicked Feature at today's party. It's featured in our party email and all of the co-hosts will be featuring it.

Carlee

Monday 7th of August 2017

I agree completely! Chocolate and peanut butter belong together. Thank you so much for the feature and the party!