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These no-bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars are a rich, decadent and easy dessert! The sweet and salty goodies are perfect for summer picnics, family cookouts, after-school treats or late-night snacking. Peanut butter, chocolate and graham crackers come together in a magical way, with only 15 minutes of prep. Serve them alongside a cold glass of milk for the best peanut butter bars ever!
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If you love no bake dessert recipes as much as we do, be sure to try this strawberry cream cheese icebox cake, a key lime icebox cake, and this ice cream sandwich cake, too!
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Fast, easy peanut butter desserts are always a hit around here! Better yet if the no-bake peanut butter chocolate bars only require 6 ingredients and a few minutes of prep. If you like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, then you’re going to love these treats. They’re thick, rich, and loaded with peanut butter and chocolate flavor. Definitely one of the easiest and most delicious no-bake desserts you’ll ever sink your teeth into!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make a batch of chocolate peanut butter bars. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: I prefer salted butter for that salty-sweet taste that works so well in a chocolate-peanut butter dessert.
- Peanut butter: we like Jif brand smooth and creamy peanut butter.
- Vanilla extract: for flavor.
- Confectioners’ sugar: to sweeten the peanut butter base.
- Graham cracker crumbs: you’ll need about 2 cups of crumbs, so you can purchase graham cracker crumbs at the store or make your own crumbs at home. I use 16 full sheets of graham crackers to equal about 2 cups finely crushed.
- Chocolate chips: semi-sweet chocolate chips are our preference for a less-sweet topping that pairs nicely with the peanut butter base. You can use any type of chocolate chips that you prefer.
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
These decadent no-bake peanut butter bars taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups, but way better! They’re thicker, richer and more flavorful. Plus, these bars are some of the quickest and easiest treats that you’ll ever prepare from scratch…
- Combine warm melted butter, peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Whisk in confectioners’ sugar, then stir in the graham cracker crumbs.
- Press the mixture into a 9-inch (or 8-inch) square baking dish.
- Prepare the top layer by melting together the chocolate chips and a little bit more peanut butter. I use the microwave for this step!
- Spread the melted chocolate over the top of the peanut butter layer.
- Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 2 hours.
- Slice into squares and serve!
Storage
Once the bars are set, slice them into squares and store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can I freeze no bake peanut butter bars with chocolate?
Yes! These peanut butter chocolate bars freeze really well. Just wrap them tightly and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving, and store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Variations: Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Bars
- I used a 9-inch square baking pan here, which I think creates perfectly-thick bars. You can use an 8-inch square pan for even thicker bars, or use a 9 x 13-inch baking dish for thin bars. Any of these options will work, so it’s just a matter of personal preference.
- Use store-bought graham cracker crumbs for a shortcut, or crush your own graham crackers at home. I place 16 full-sheet graham crackers in a large Ziploc bag and then use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.
- Any variety of chocolate chips will work for the topping. I prefer semi-sweet with this recipe, since it’s a good balance to the sweet peanut butter base. That said, if you like milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or even white chocolate chips…go for it!
- Sprinkle a little bit of flaky sea salt on top of the chocolate before it sets. This will really bring out the delicious sweet-and-salty flavors in the bars.
Tips for the Best No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
- Line the pan with an overhang of parchment paper. This makes it easy to lift the bars straight out of the pan once they’re set. That way you can cut them into squares on a cutting board.
- Use a processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than all-natural peanut butter. The processed nut butters do not separate, which yields a better quality bar.
- Use the microwave to melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter. I place the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup and then microwave on high for a total of about 1 ½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Be careful not to scorch the chocolate.
- Allow plenty of time for the bars to chill and set up before you slice into them. If they’re too hard when you first pull them out of the fridge, just let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing.
- I cut the recipe into 16 squares here, but the bars are so rich that you can really get closer to 25 squares if you like a smaller bite.
More No-Bake Dessert Recipes to Try
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
- Cornflake Cookies
- 5-Ingredient Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
- Quick and Easy Banana Pudding
- Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Eclair Cake
- Old-Fashioned Icebox Cake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars {No-Bake!}
Ingredients
BOTTOM LAYER:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (such as Jif or Skippy brands)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 cups finely-crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full-sheet graham crackers)
TOP LAYER:
- 6 ounces (about 1 cup) chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
Instructions
PREPARE THE BOTTOM LAYER:
- Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish or line with parchment paper. I like to let the parchment paper overhang the sides of the pan so that I can easily lift up the bars once they're cool. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Stir in graham cracker crumbs until completely combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
PREPARE THE TOP LAYER:
- Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer.
- Chill in the refrigerator until firm and set, about 2 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Line the pan with an overhang of parchment paper. This makes it easy to lift the bars straight out of the pan once they’re set. That way you can easily cut them into squares on a cutting board.
- Use a processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than all-natural peanut butter. The processed nut butters do not separate, which yields a better quality bar.
- Use the microwave to melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter. I place the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup and then microwave on high for a total of about 1 ½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Be careful not to scorch the chocolate.
- Allow plenty of time for the bars to chill and set up before you slice into them. If they’re too hard when you first pull them out of the fridge, just let them sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing.
- I cut the recipe into 16 squares here, but the bars are so rich that you can really get closer to 25 squares if you like a smaller bite.
- I used a 9-inch square baking pan here, which I think creates perfectly-thick bars. You can use an 8-inch square pan for even thicker bars, or use a 9 x 13-inch baking pan for thinner bars. Any of these options will work, so it’s just a matter of personal preference.
- Use store-bought graham cracker crumbs for a shortcut, or crush your own graham crackers at home. I place 16 full-sheet graham crackers in a large Ziploc bag and then use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.
- Any variety of chocolate chips will work for the topping. I prefer semi-sweet with this recipe, since it’s a good balance to the sweet peanut butter base. That said, if you like milk chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, or even white chocolate chips…go for it!
- Sprinkle a little bit of flaky sea salt on top of the chocolate before it sets. This will really bring out the delicious sweet-and-salty flavors in the bars.
