No Bake Peanut Butter Bars + Video
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No Bake Peanut Butter Bars are a delicious treat for peanut butter lovers! Make this easy no bake recipe for your next picnic or potluck.
This simple dessert has a scrumptious crunchy peanut butter base topped with a glorious chocolate ganache that will blow your mind!!
It comes together without turning on the stove and with just 5 ingredients. That is my kind of recipe.
There is nothing I love more than no-bake desserts in the middle of the summer. I don’t like to wait in front of a hot oven for dessert, do you?
Have you tried my No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake yet? It’s the perfect seasonal dessert to kick off summer. Or try our scotcheroos, they’re loaded with chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch!
Lucky Charms Ice Box Cake is unlike anything you’ve ever had before.
No-Bake Rocky Road Avalanche Bars are a simple recipe with chocolate, peanut butter, and a candy crunch. Everyone raves about them!
Tips for Making No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Graham cracker crumbs – Graham crackers really have to be crumbs to work properly in this recipe. Process them in your food processor to be sure they are fine enough.
- Butter – You can use unsalted butter if you like. Just add 1/4 teaspoon of salt with the peanut butter.
- Peanut butter – If you use natural peanut butter, the bars will need to be refrigerated to stay firm.
- Chilling – These bars will need to be refrigerated for one to two hours so make sure that you plan ahead when making them.
- Freezing – These bars freeze great! Just be sure not to stack them or they’ll stick together.
Frequently asked questions
Can no bake bars be frozen?
Whether or not you can freeze desserts like this really depends on the recipe. But this one is very freezer friendly.
Just cut them into individual serving sizes. Then, place the bars (not touching) in a freezer container that’s been lined with foil.
Freeze the bars for up to 6 months. Then, just thaw them in the refrigerator when you’re ready to eat them.
Can I use creamy peanut butter instead?
Yes, you can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter.
If you love chopped nuts in your peanut butter bars, then using chunky peanut butter is a great idea.
If you don’t have honey roasted peanut butter, you can use plain peanut butter instead as well.
What types of chocolate chips are best?
I use milk chocolate chips for this recipe because the final taste really reminds me of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
But, if you want to, you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips or even dark chocolate chips instead. Or, kick it up a notch and try white chocolate chips instead.
What about healthy peanut butter bars?
If you want to make the no bake peanut butter bars a little bit healthier, you can use a one to one stevia blend instead of the powdered sugar.
That will help cut the sugar content. And, you can use PB2 made into peanut butter to cut the calories and the fat. It’s still a delicious treat!
Can I make a bar dessert without graham crackers?
You will need to have some type of cracker or cookie crumb for the base of these bars.
If you prefer not to use graham crackers, you can try any of the following instead:
- Nilla Wafers
- Oreo Cookies
- Gingersnaps
- Chocolate wafer cookies
- Nutter Butter cookies (for the REAL peanut butter lover!)
And, you can make gluten free peanut butter bars by using gluten-free graham crackers.
Or, for a slightly different taste, you can try crushed pretzels for a pretzel crust.
The salty and sweet combination is delicious.
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Storage
You will want to keep this dessert in the refrigerator. The peanut butter and the chocolate will melt or become soft if they are exposed to warm temperatures.
They can stay out for a few hours while you plate and serve them, but for longer periods, store them in the refrigerator.
Other peanut butter desserts to make:
Enjoy!
With love from our simple kitchen to yours.
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RECIPE VIDEO
Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make this recipe!
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars + Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, 2 sticks
- 2 1/2 cups honey roasted crunchy peanut butter, divided
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Add butter to a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Heat in the microwave until the butter is completely melted. Stir in the peanut butter. Once combined add the graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Stir until everything is completely incorporated.
- Pour mixture into a 9×13 baking pan and spread evenly. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the ganache topping.
- Heat the chocolate chips and remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat 30 seconds at a time and stir between intervals.
- Pour the ganache over the peanut butter layer. Smooth into an even layer.
- Refrigerate 1-2 hours. Cut and serve. Store bars in the refrigerator.
Video
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published October 2017, updated and republished August 2020
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SO GOOD!!!! If you are a peanut butter/chocolate fanatic like me, then you will love this. I followed other reviewers suggestions to make the recipe easier by melting the peanut butter with butter, then mixing with graham crackers and powdered sugar. Also, chill the peanut butter base for 15 minutes before topping with chocolate mixture.
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When I was a kid, my favorite treat was the peanut butter squares we got at lunchtime in elementary school. I've tried this recipe with creamy peanut butter and the graham crackers just didnt do it for me, so I tried it without the Graham crackers and it was much better, more like what I enjoyed as a kid.
So do can we just follow the same recipe but leave out the crackers. I’ve been looking for a recipe for the peanut butter bars from school for ever. Those were my favorite and sometimes the only thing I wanted at lunch.
I’m in Australia and a couple of ingredients are foreign to me. The crackers have me scratching my head. The only one I can find here are Oreo’s which I think will make the bars ! too rich. Aha! I’ve just seen that I can use normal peanut butter so that solves that problem.
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Try wheatmill biscuits
The same crackers as for s'mores. Digestive biscuits or granita biscuits. Have fun!
Instead of graham cracker crumbs could you use like rice krispies?
Yes i do these all the time just use the 1/2 cup PB with the melted chocolate chips on top . They are yum.
how long does they stay fresh?
I put peanut butter in the melted chocolate chips for extra yum factor and sometimes use rice crispy as a bottom as well. 3 different ways right there to play with my food lol.
My mom makes these and she gets compliments on them all the time. They are so good and so much better than reese’s. I beg her for them all the time!
can I use semi sweet chocolate chips instead?
Hi Bonnie,
You can use any kid of chocolate chips, I have even used dark chocolate and it was delicious! Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
TSRI Team Member,
Holli