No-bake chocolate peanut butter bars are thick, rich, and decadent. Originally published in 2013 and made from only 5 simple ingredients, these are a delicious treat anytime of the year. No oven required!
It’s no secret that many bakers love baking with peanut butter. Like these peanut butter cookies, a recipe that has lived on my site for years and serves as the base for so many of our other peanut butter favorites like peanut butter blossoms. But what about NO BAKING with peanut butter? No bake chocolate peanut butter bars combine an alluring flavor combination that we all love: chocolate and peanut butter. In this easy dessert, velvety smooth chocolate sits on top of a thick layer of peanut buttery goodness. The peanut butter layer tastes remarkably similar to the center of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
The best part of all? They’re made from just 5 simple ingredients!
These no-bake peanut butter bars are a family favorite recipe. Every Christmas, my mom made a large tray of mini pecan pies, coconut macaroons, snowball cookies, and these glorious peanut butter bars. The competition was high, but you can imagine which dessert disappeared first.
I look forward to these bars every holiday season, so I quit limiting them to December. We make these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars all year long and they always cause a frenzy. In fact, I’ve never regretted making a double batch!
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter Bars
- Taste like peanut butter cups
- Only 5 ingredients
- Quick to make and even quicker to disappear
- Cut them as large or small as you want
- Freeze beautifully
- No oven needed
- Chocolate + peanut butter (!!)
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar Ingredients
There are only 5 ingredients required for no bake chocolate peanut butter bars and I bet you have each one in your kitchen right now.
- Butter: Butter binds the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If using unsalted, add 1/4 teaspoon salt when you add the peanut butter.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: Graham cracker crumbs add structure and texture. You need about 8 full-sheet graham crackers for 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs. If desired, use gluten free graham crackers to make these a gluten free dessert recipe.
- Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is the main ingredient and it’s actually used in both layers. For best texture, I suggest a processed creamy peanut butter such as Skippy. (I do not recommend oily or natural style peanut butter for this recipe, though I do make homemade peanut butter all the time! If you are looking for a recipe to use natural style peanut butter, these peanut butter cookies are for you.)
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar keeps everything together and adds sweetness.
- Chocolate Chips: Because we can’t have chocolate peanut butter bars without chocolate!
How to Make No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
The first step is to melt the butter. Mix the butter with the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and peanut butter. Press into a 9-inch square pan. Melt remaining peanut butter with chocolate chips. Pour on top of the peanut butter layer. Chill in the refrigerator until set, then cut into squares.
That’s it. You’re done. This is probably the easiest dessert you’ll ever make. Even easier than peanut butter balls and peanut butter eggs!
These 5 ingredient no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars are so easy. They’re fudgy, creamy, absolutely irresistible, and taste like peanut butter cups! Step away from the computer and run (don’t walk) to the kitchen to get started. Like, right now.
More Peanut Butter + Chocolate Recipes
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Scotcheroos
- Peanut Butter Cup Tart
- Peanut Butter Balls
- No-Bake Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cupcakes
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie
More 5 Ingredient or Less Recipes
PrintNo-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: 20-24 squares
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars are incredibly decadent and made from only 5 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) salted butter, melted*
- 1 cup (120g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sheet graham crackers)*
- 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (280g) creamy peanut butter, divided
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup (250g) of peanut butter, then press evenly into prepared baking pan.
- Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. Stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.
- Chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve chilled. Setting them out for a few hours at room temperature for serving is OK.
- Cover leftover bars tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cover bars tightly, as a whole or cut into individual squares, and freeze for up to 3 months. I simply line the squares in a freezer-friendly container between sheets of parchment paper. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan or 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Rubber Spatula
- Butter: Unsalted butter can be used instead. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt with the peanut butter in step 2.
- Peanut Butter: For best texture, I strongly suggest a processed creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. I do not recommend oily or natural style peanut butter for this recipe. You can use chunky-style peanut butter, though the bars can get a little crumbly.
- Graham Crackers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 120g ground digestive biscuits instead (about 8 biscuits).
- This recipe was updated in 2019 with more confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter to produce thicker bars.
I used Adams 100% crunchy peanut butter in this recipe, and they turned out perfectly.
Oh WOW ! These could definitely be Reece peanut butter cups ! I used wheaten biscuits and an Aldi peanut butter and milk chocolate melts – perfect and my grandchildren who are very partial to Reece’s PB cups declared them to be identical – high praise indeed. Thanks Sally – you’re a star.
Easy to make and very tasty. Thanks!
You can make these with half the sugar and they’re just as great!!
These bars are delicious and so easy to make!
These bars exactly replicate the slightly sandy texture of peanut butter cups! They are drop dead easy to make and super delicious! Really, really good! 🙂
My family loves these peanut butter bars. I add a little bit of salt to help cut all the sweetness. Reese’s Peanut Butter has a salty taste to them. To coin the phrase…Sorry, Not Sorry.
have you ever made this recipe without graham cracker to make gluten free?
I use Kinnikinnick gluten free graham crumbs, they come in a box already crushed!
Delicious and easy to make!!
This is one of my all-time favorites, Sally! I’ve made them countless times and usually double the recipe. When life gets tough, baking and sharing the goodies with others brings peace. Thanks for all you do, Sally! Your blog always inspires and encourages me. 🙂
Best no bake Peanut butter bars….have tried others, but they don’t compare to these & so easy & fast to make….I crush the graham crackers in my food processor…..
We used chocolate Almond bark in place of chocolate chips because that’s what I had on hand. It held up perfectly! Thank you this was a hit and so simple. We WILL be making this again!
Hi there
Is it possible to use regular sugar instead of confectioner’s?
Hi Sarah, the confectioners’ sugar works as a dry ingredient here, binding the other ingredients together. I don’t recommend the substitution. Plus, you will taste the sugar granules when using regular granulated sugar here.
My daughter made these last night so I could have a dessert with everyone else. A perfect gluten free dessert that everyone loved! Totally could not tell we used gluten free graham crackers. It taste like a Reese cup.
Hi! Does it matter whether we use salted or unsalted peanut butter?
Hi Christine, You can use either here. Enjoy!
Seriously amazing!! To me they taste just like Reese’s peanut butter Christmas trees!! The only thing I did differently was for the chocolate I used 6 Classic Hershey bars because I happened to have them on hand.
My husband felt these weren’t sweet enough but me my son and my parents think they’re perfect!
Tried it with Kix instead of Graham Crackers, seems like it’ll work out just fine!
I made the bars last night but didn’t have my gluten free graham crackers, so I used gluten free Snack Factory Pretzel Crisps. I crashed the pretzels with a rolling pin which left nice chunks. They have the taste and texture of Clark Bars! Yum! They won’t last long!
So i nick-named these Tagalong bars for my family because they literally taste like the peanut buttery goodness that you get from the classic girl scout cookie. So easy to make. Don’t worry too much about the measuring, i ended up using maybe a half cup less confectioners sugar, a little more graham crackers, etc. and it came out perfect. I added salt and crushed heath bar bits on top, too. Next time i think i’ll add pretzels to the top or in the base. Thanks for the recipe!
These are awesome! I make them all the time as written but I tried something different yesterday. Instead of Graham cracker crumbs, I used Ritz cracker crumbs and they’re amazing with that little extra bit of saltiness. Thanks for the incredible recipe as always Sally
I was craving the peanut butter chocolate combo and found this recipe! I didn’t have graham crackers at home, so I used pretzel chips and left out the salt. They turned out SO good! Definitely filled my sweet and salty craving 🙂 This recipe is definitely a go-to now for a quick and easy dessert!
Delicious for sure -next time I would definitely add more chocolate as I felt the ratio was off. Also you can elevate the recipe by using Lindt chocolate.
Just made these with saltine crackers and coconut oil (it’s what I had on hand). They were still delicious!!
They do get soft pretty quickly due to the coconut oil, so keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy them.
Hi Sally, Can I use unsalted butter instead?
Thank you.
Helen
Yes, see recipe notes.
These are so good! They are rich so don’t eat too much at once! Very easy to make.
What about mailing these? It usually takes maybe three days at most to ship to my son and he is a peanut butter and chocolate lover. Any advice would be great. Love your recipes!!!!! Thanks
Hi Jane, unfortunately these aren’t ideal for mailing where you can’t control the climate. These should be kept refrigerated.
This is pretty much the same as something my mom used to make and I love it! You can mail them with dry ice or try freezing them and seeing if they make it in a cheap lunchbox! You can get a nicer cooler if your son sends it back for his next batch of treats and you can turn your freezer to its coldest setting gaining time until they thaw.
Best peanut butter bars recipe we’ve tried. And easy too! Thick and don’t crumble like others. But they’re still super soft.
thank you for this recipe Sally. It saved our easter! With public transportation shut down there has been no way to get to the store. I found this recipe and it was the only ingredients I had left. I was able to make eggs and bars from this! Happy Easter to you and yours and thank you for the work you do. It truly is a blessing!
Love this recipe! I am not into “overly” sweet desserts, but I have always loved me a Reese’s PB cup. I used 2 tablespoons of the sugar instead of the instructed amount. I also used Cinnamon Grahams which seem more sugary? So I felt like I didn’t want to overdose the sugar. I also used an organic/natural peanut butter that was lightly salted with light sugar added. Just a preference thing to JIF or other peanut butters. Anyway – these bars are a HIT! I shared with neighbors, family and friends and everyone loves them, including me!!
I just made these and they are delicious! I did choose to use milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet for a more authentic flavor.
Next time, I think I will make them more true to size by pressing into a 9×13 rather than a 9×9 so that the peanut butter/chocolate ratio is more like the real deal.
I was thinking I’d do it in a larger pan too. Did you try it yet?
I did them in a 9 x 13 and they were PERFECT!!!
Thanks Kelly! I did it in a 9×13 but didn’t go all the way to the edge. I probably did like 9×11.5! Haha Anyway, yes, it worked out really well! I must have cut about 6 or 7 dozen from that size.