No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

These crunchy no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars taste amazing and only require 5 simple ingredients to make! They’re guaranteed to satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth.

I love baking, but sometimes I just want something sweet and delicious without turning on my oven or doing a lot of work, especially when it’s warm out. But of course, I still want it to taste like it came from a quality bakery.

Fortunately, these no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars are here for those very moments. If you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do, than these babies are for you!

These bars are hassle-free, friendly to your dishes, and don’t even require an oven. Made with two delicious layers, the peanut butter on bottom is sweet while the chocolate topping is bitter, creating the perfect balance. Have I convinced you yet?

Besides, chocolate and peanut butter make the world a better place – or at least my world.

What’s in no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars?

The peanut butter layer is made of a combination of melted butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and either ground graham cracker or vanilla wafer. You can use whichever cookies – both are delicious! Simply pulse them in a food processor or blender until ground.

The second layer is basically pure chocolate, so you know it has to be good. All it takes is melting some dark chocolate with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.

Sound good? Let’s get baking!

How to make no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars

These bars are incredibly easy to make.

1. Combine melted butter and peanut butter. Mix until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar. Use a whisk to remove any clumps.
3. Incorporate the cookie crumbs. Mix until combined.
4. Spread evenly into a 9×9-inch baking pan, with both the bottom and sides lined with parchment paper.
5. Chill. Chill the peanut butter layer while you make the chocolate topping.
6. Make the chocolate layer. In the microwave or using a double boiler, melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted.
7. Spread evenly over the peanut butter layer and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm. Then, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares.

That’s it! These delicious bars taste just like a Reese’s peanut butter cup in bar form. And when you eat one, you get the added joy of eating something homemade 🙂

What kind of peanut butter should I use?

I prefer using an unnatural, creamy peanut butter, like Skippy or Jif. They contain stabilizers that make the peanut butter thick and keep them from separating. They also contain salt and sugar which provides flavor to these bars. Natural peanut butter is runnier and contains no sugar, so if using, you may need to add some more powdered sugar and cookie crumbs to keep the bars firm and compensate for the lack of salt and sugar.

Tips for making no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars

-I don’t like overly sweet candies, so the amount of powdered sugar in this recipe is perfect for my taste. However, after adding all the ingredients, you may want to taste the batter to see if it’s sweet enough for you. If you’d like your bars to be sweeter, I’d suggest only adding up to ¼ cup more.

-If you use the microwave to melt the chocolate, be careful not to burn it. Microwave it in 20 second intervals and stir in between. Be sure to also lick the bowl between each interval if it makes you happy.

More of my favorite no-bake recipes

• Corn flake marshmallow treats: Made with cornflakes, rice krispies, and melted marshmallows!
• No-Bake Cookies: Made with oats, chocolate, and peanut butter – these have amazing texture!
• Individual No-Bake Cheesecake: Creamy, decadent, and mousse-like.

5 from 3 votes

Print

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

These crunchy, no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars call for only 5 ingredients, making them a quick, easy, and delectable treat!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Chill time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

YIELD 9 ×9-inch pan (16 bars)

Ingredients

Peanut butter layer:

• ¾ cup (1.5 stick/170g) butter, melted
• ¾ cup (190g) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
• 1 ¼ cups (150g) powdered sugar
• 1 ½ cups (150g) graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs (pulse in a food processor or blender until finely ground, then measure)

Chocolate topping:

• 200 g/7oz dark chocolate , coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons (30g) peanut butter

Instructions

1. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides for lifting the bars out of the pan once set.
2. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. Add graham cracker or vanilla wafer crumbs and mix until combined. Spread evenly onto prepared baking sheet. Chill mixture while you make the chocolate topping.
3. In a small heat-proof bowl, place chocolate and peanut butter. Melt in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted. Alternatively, set over a saucepan of simmering water while stirring occasionally. Spread evenly over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until firm, then lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares.
4. Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.