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
Print
No-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.
Hey you want something really good Use saltines instead of graham crackers… that salt and sugar combo is..GREAT. I stopped using graham crachers years ago.
Love the saltines swap – can you tell me how many it took to equal the grahams? Thank you!
Sooo soo good. Was an instant hit with the kids
This is already a healthy treat but I did some twists to make it even healthier. I reduced the sugar to 1 cup, used 1 pack of graham crackers (8 sheets) plus 1/2 cup of unsweetened oat cereals and mixed them with unsalted no added sugar peanut butter. It might be quite bland for a sweet tooth but it came out perfect to me.
I made this with vegan butter and vegan chocolate chips . It was a huge hit with everyone, not just the one person I made it for!
Just to let you know your wonderful recipe is floating around Europe! I do a lot of baking and boy, have I been asked for your recipe! Thank you-Love your site, and recipes!
Guess who
Hello again! Sorry, I have some time off and I am baking and making gifts to send to my loved ones. I want to make these bars for my wonderful son- in-law who has taken care of and supported my crazy daughter for almost 20 years, Will I be okay to pack these like cookies and ship to Indiana from Tennessee? As always thank you all for this wonderful inter active site and the fail proof recipes.
Hi Tara, unfortunately these aren’t ideal for mailing where you can’t control the climate. These should be kept refrigerated. We do share some of the best cookies to ship in this post, if you’re interested!
I’ve made these twice now but a tad adjusted. Basically doubled the recipe except the powdered sugar.
13×9 pan
2 pks graham crackers, 18 full crackers because it’s just easier
Substitute 1/2 cup chocolate chips with candy melts.
I was doubling it but forgot to double the sugar and it’s perfect.
I know you said not to use homemade peanut butter but what would happen if you used a store bought brand with a layer of oil on top? I was given several jars of this and need something easy to do with it. What if i dispose of the oil layer?
Thanks
Hi Conni! The bars will end up quite greasy with natural style PB. If you are looking for a recipe to use natural style peanut butter, these peanut butter cookies are for you.
the recipe is filed under gluten free, but uses graham crackers. What can I substitute so that my Celiac husband can eat these? Thanks!
Hi Victoria, this recipe can be made gluten free by using gluten free graham crackers. If you’re interested, here are more of our favorite gluten free dessert recipes. Enjoy!
Hi! I have tried these homemade peanut butter cup bars, and they are good, as well as being a healthier version of the storebought brand.
We are having a get-together at my church, where we are to bring copies of a favorite recipe. Would it be OK to print up about 10 copies of your recipe to distribute there?
Thanks much for all the yummy recipes, as well as all the detailed instructions, testing, and video tutorials you do!! And thanks for the humor you put in along the way! God bless you and your team! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!
Hi Cheryl, Absolutely! So glad you enjoy these!
They remind me of the ones we would get in school many moons ago. The only thing I do different is I use Golden Grahams cereal instead of graham crackers.
If wanting to fit this in a 9×13 pan, should I just do 1.5x ingredients? I think that math makes sense but just wanted to check 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Laura, you can double the recipe for a 9×13 pan. Hope you enjoy them!
Very good! Simple to make. Lots of compliments when I served them at a party!
If made tonight can they sit overnight in the fridge or do they need to be covered?
Hi Lisa, we recommend covering them. Hope you enjoy!
Hese were delicious and so easy to make. Followed the recipe exactly. Thank you!!
I just made this recipe using petit Beurre biscuits and followed the recipe using metric measurements. The mixture was too runny for some reason; it could have been the biscuits themselves. I added some quick oats to lessen the sweetness and to thicken the peanut butter mixture. I also added vanilla extract in the peanut butter mixture, and then sprinkled some roughly crushed roasted peanuts on top of the chocolate layer and drizzled some melted biscoff spread. I wanted to make dulce de leche use it a middle layer but the bars are already sweet as they are and I didn’t want them to be overwhelmingly sweet. Thank you putting the exact measurements in grams!
I used gluten free graham crackers to make for a friend at work and they came out perfectly. She was happy and had no issues. Thank you.
Easy to make and satisfies the chocolate/peanut butter craving without wasting time on filler. I made them in muffin tins, 2 Tbsp per cuplet, for individual-serving treats. More time intensive to prepare but it helps me with portion control, I tend to nibble around the edges of pan desserts.
Best peanut butter bars!
Easy, delicious I make in a foil lined 8 X 8 dish. Heavenly!
I also weigh all my ingredients & love that this recipe lists the weights. Makes it all go quicker!
This recipe is great. I am wondering if I could substitute the Graham crackers with Biscoff cookies.
Hi Heather, sure can!
Could you substitute rice krispies for graham crackers?
Hi Sally, We haven’t tested any substitutes for graham crackers, but other bakers have reported using Rice Krispies or Rice Chex in the place of the graham crackers (turned to crumbs). Something crispy and crunchy should work well. Let us know what you try!
Hi Sally, what can you use in place of graham crackers please.?
These were absolutely delicious! As a note— I made these gluten and dairy free. Instead of graham crackers I used Schär’s Honeygrams and instead of butter I used Miyoko’s vegan butter. The Honeygrams worked really well, although were a little dry and sweet. I would use less sugar next time and brown the butter!
Made these in silicone cups for individual servings and they turned out great. I loved this recipe, it was so good!! Thank you!
I loved these bars! They were smooth, rich and super easy to make. Totally recommend these! I didn’t use any sugar and it still turned out great! Just had to add 4 more crushed graham cracker squares to the main dough to thicken it. I also just froze the peanut butter layer while preparing the chocolate glaze so it wouldn’t melt it. I left the finished bars in the freezer for about 20 minutes and they were ready to enjoy after that! Definitely making these again – thanks for this wonderful recipe, Sally & team!
My mom began making these YEARS ago, quickly became a favorite of the family. I have been making them for over 40 years now and they become a favorite to people that have never had them. A friend made them, and we tasted them, yuk! ( she make them with natural pb) they were dry, crumbly. If you want extra pb. Just melt some and drizzle on top. If you have never made these, they are a must. ( they do need to be kept in the refrigerator, they soften and get messy). If you take someplace put ice in a container, and set the bars on top to keep them cool. I think I’ll head for the kitchen.
I love this idea so much! Have you ever made with pretzels added for a salt crunch to contrast the chocolate and smooth PB?
We haven’t, but that sounds delicious! Let us know if you give it a try 🙂
I had to come up with a quick pot luck dessert! Had all the ingredients on hand! Never made them before! Put them in frig while I got everything and everyone ready to go! Sliced them soooo easily, arranged on pretty plate and out the door! First dessert to go!! My husband who is not a sweet eater even asked, Who made these? Really good!” Will be my new go-to dessert!
Absolutely delicious
Simple recipe to follow! I will make again & again.
I love the No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Very easy and delicious!