No bake desserts are always a big hit around here. Especially when we are in a hurry or need something quick, like when your teenager says they signed you up for a dessert that they need that day! Peanut butter bars are always popular with everyone, especially my kids.
So when you combine peanut butter and chocolate and it’s a no bake dessert, you definitely have a winner!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
This recipe uses semi sweet chocolate for the topping. If you want it a big sweeter, and closer to the flavor of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, simply substitute milk chocolate for the semi sweet. I prefer to use baking chocolate, but you can certainly use chocolate chips instead.
These are so easy to make and believe it or not, they’ll be cut into squares and ready to be eaten in 30 minutes or less! Great for unexpected company or that last minute teen request. Chances are you have most of these ingredients in your pantry, if not all of them!
ONE-PAN DESSERTS COOKBOOK!
The one-pan dessert is ideal for all occasions including potlucks, holidays, barbecues and birthdays. Several of these desserts do not require baking making them perfect for summer. See ALL my cookbooks here!
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Do these taste like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? Yes, however, as I mentioned before, Reese’s uses a milk chocolate, this recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate. They are pretty addicting, so watch out. Save some for yourself, but send the rest packing, or if you like, freeze small batches of them for later.
Do you have any favorite no bake desserts? Care to share? With spring and summer on the horizon, and hot weather arriving soon, baking is not as welcome in the kitchen as it is in the cooler months. So I am all ears and would love to hear your ideas and recipes! Here are a few more that I found that you may like.
More – No Bake Desserts
Chocolate Mousse
No Bake Cheesecake Dessert Shots – Madigan Made
Strawberry and Blueberry Trifle – Big Bear’s Wife
Chocolate Caramel Chews – Baking and Boys
No Bake Dessert: Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted 2 sticks
- 2 cups animal cracker crumbs or vanilla wafers, graham crackers, etc
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
Topping
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
Instructions
- In a mixer or a food processor, combine the first four ingredients until smooth. Spread into a 13x9 baking pan.
- For the topping, melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir. If not completely melted you can heat in 10 second intervals until smooth. Spread over the top of the peanut butter layer.
- Chill dessert in the refrigerator for about an hour, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.
Nutrition
Amanda Formaro
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Janice says
May I.. I made this the other night. It wasn’t the exact measurements as your recipe but called for the same ingredients and it called for graham crackers. I substituted with vanilla wafers I had leftover from making cheesecake. I have to say. I didn’t even use butter and it still turned out amazing. !!! Just a hint ;)
Chloe Bliven says
Wow! Those seem really yummy 😋. I’m thinking about making some for my Step-mother, Deena.
Jenna says
Got a question. Is it 1 cup AND 2 sticks butter? (which would make it two cups) or is it just saying that 1 cup IS two sticks of butter? Gotta make sure to put the right amount in.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Jenna, I’ve corrected the formatting on the recipe. 2 sticks. :)
Andrea says
This recipe is SO excellent! Easy and turned out PERFECT! When the oven breaks and your kids are needing dessert, this is it. Thank you.
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you so much Andrea!! So glad you guys loved them :)
Charlie says
These turned out wonderfully! Thank you for the recipe! :D
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, so glad you loved it!
Kaia says
Amazing so good just a lot of peanut butter!!
Amanda Formaro says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Linda Davis says
I love desert food and crock pot dishes. And the recipes are hard to find. Thank you for sending & sharing your recipes.
Wendy Lindsey says
In the fridge setting up now! Can’t wait to serve these to my family for desert tonight. I have no doubt they’ll be anything short of spectacular after having licked all my spoons clean! lol
Thanks so much!
Amanda Formaro says
Ha ha! I know the “lick the spoons clean” trick, hope you enjoyed them! :)
Katrina says
Thanks again for the link love. I love that you used animal crackers in these. An old roommate of mine has wanted me to make these and put them on my blog for years and I never have. Maybe I’ll surprise her and finally do it. Your recipe looks the same. Freezer treats are the best (or giving stuff away, definitely).
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says
These look so good and I love how simple they sound to make!
Julie says
These are so much easier to make than Buckeyes candy and just as yummy! Another great substitute to the animal cracker crumbs is crushed rice crispie cereal!
Amanda Formaro says
Good idea Julie!
Amy Williams says
I made these but did not have two sticks of butter just one. I decided to substitute one cup coconut oil for a stick of butter. It is delicious. However, coconut oil liquefies at a lower temperature than oil. If I don’t keep my dessert cold it becomes very soft and messy.
[email protected] says
These were a family favorite growing up, especially in the summer when my mom didn’t want to turn on the oven!
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says
Peanut butter, chocolate, and no baking. I’d say that’s pretty darned close to the perfect recipe, Amanda! Another thing that’s great for hot weather is icebox cakes. No baking required, just layering up yummy ingredients. I have one coming up on my blog soon.
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
It’s already hitting 80 degree highs here (with lows in the high 60s) so I’ll be veering off to no-bake desserts more often.
Deborah says
I love no bake anything, and these look fabulous!