These delicious No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars come together in less than 30 minutes with a few simple ingredients. They taste like Reese's peanut butter cups and are sure to please all the chocolate lovers in your life!
Peanut butter and chocolate are a classic combination that people have been enjoying for years! Learn more about the science of why peanut butter and chocolate make such a great match.
Your people will enjoy these bars any time of the year but they are particularly popular for holidays!
If you like these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars you'll love some of my other easy chocolate desserts like these S'mores in the Oven and Chocolate Rice Krispies Squares.
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Ingredients
Here's what you need to make No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars:
- butter
- powdered sugar
- graham cracker crumbs
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- creamy peanut butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here's how to make No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars:
1. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, melted peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar.
2. Stir or use a mixer until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
3. Press the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. (Line the pan with parchment for easy removal later.)
4. Place the chocolate chips and 2 teaspoon of butter in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until everything is melted. Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Cool the bars in the refrigerator for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Hint: To melt the butter and peanut butter, put them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until both are melted.
Substitutions
Want to substitute an ingredient for these Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars? Here's how:
- butter - I use salted butter for this recipe but you can use an equal amount of unsalted butter, just add ¼ teaspoon salt into the peanut butter mixture with the butter.
- chocolate chips - use an equal amount of milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips in place of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- peanut butter- substitute an equal amount of any nut butter for the peanut butter.
Variations
Try one of these variations of Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars:
- white chocolate - substitute an equal amount of white chocolate in place of the chocolate chips.
- gluten-free - use an equal amount of gluten-free graham cracker crumbs in place of traditional graham cracker crumbs to make this recipe gluten-free.
- salted - sprinkle ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt on top of the melted chocolate immediately after spreading to add an extra touch.
Equipment
Here are a few tools that come in handy when making No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars:
Storage
Store No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. These bars also freeze well for up to 90 days, just thaw in the fridge before serving.
Top tip
I like to refrigerate these Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars to help them cool faster and last longer but I like to serve them at room temperature for the best texture so I recommend removing them from the fridge 1 hour before serving.
FAQ
Yes! And it is highly recommended! Chocolate and peanut butter are one of the most beloved food pairings in the world. This flavor duo is a classic combination that's beloved by many and is exemplified by the popularity of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.
Related
Looking for other easy dessert recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars after any of these dinner recipes for a fun meal the whole family will love:
Recipe
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup peanut butter, melted
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, with 2 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the melted butter, melted peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir or use a mixer until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Press the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. (Line the pan with parchment for easy removal later.)
- Place the chocolate chips and 2 teaspoon of butter in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until everything is melted. Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer.
- Cool the bars in the refrigerator for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Shannon
A crowd-pleaser!