Think of these no-bake peanut butter chocolate bars as a life-sized Reese’s peanut butter cup. Only in bar form. And 100 times better!

Dude, I don’t know about you but in the warm summer months I nearly weep at the thought of turning on my oven and heating up the kitchen and house…even with the A/C running.

But here’s the deal, I can’t live without my sweets. I just can’t. And I can only dip my paws into the industrial-sized bag of Ghirardelli Bittersweet chips to fill my cravings so many times before I need something a bit more…well…homemade.

Blue plate with three-layer peanut butter chocolate bars cut in small squares.

Which is why these decadent no-bake (no-bake!) bars are perfect for summer time. And perfect for sweet-eaters like myself. Think of them as a life-sized Reese’s peanut butter cup. Only in bar form. And only 100 times better.

Not healthy. Oh no. But tremendously delicious.

Thanks to them being no-bake, I didn’t shed tears about oven usage. The only tears spotting my cheeks were tears of immense and utter joy. Peanut butter and chocolate do that to me, what can I say.

Blue plate with three-layer chocolate peanut butter bars cut into squares.

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No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

4.69 stars (22 ratings)

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 2 cups (200 g) graham cracker crumbs
  • 10 tablespoons (140 g) butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Peanut Butter Filling:

  • 1 cup (255 g) creamy peanut butter
  • 4 tablespoons (57 g) butter, softened
  • 1 cup (114 g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Topping:

  • 4 ounces (113 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • cup heavy cream

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch baking pan.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl using a handheld mixer, mix the peanut butter, softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is completely combined and is smooth. Spread over the crumb mixture, smoothing the top with an offset or rubber spatula. Chill the bars for at least an hour, until the filling is set.
  • Heat the chocolate and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter filling and evenly spread with an offset spatula. Chill the bars for at least an hour, until the chocolate topping is set. Run a knife under hot water and wipe clean. Slice the bars with the warm knife. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serving: 1 Bar, Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 34mg, Sodium: 270mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 15g
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Recipe Source: adapted from Sweet Designs by Amy Atlas