No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

These No Bake Peanut Butter Bars are an old family favorite. They take minutes to put together. The hardest part is waiting for the chocolate glaze to firm up! Plus, they taste like a homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup!

Craving an easy chocolate dessert? This Oreo Mug Cake is for you!

We call these Peanut Butter Goodies in our house. They are reminiscent of the peanut butter bars that Rick had in elementary school at lunch. I was on a mission to recreate them, so this recipe was born. They get a giant thumbs up from the Mister and he can hardly stay away from them when I make these.

Ingredients for No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

• Butter
• Salt (only if using unsalted butter)
• Powdered Sugar
• Peanut Butter
• Vanilla Extract
• Dark Chocolate Chips

Recipe Alternatives

• Salted vs Unsalted Butter: You can use either in this recipe. I typically only use unsalted butter, so I add a pinch of salt to the batter and a teeny sprinkle to the top of the chocolate.
• Brown Butter: This adds about 10 minutes of prep time but what a difference it makes. Browning butter brings out an inherent nutty flavor in the bars! It is definitely worth the extra time!
• Nut Butters: Feel free to explore this. You can easily substitute a different nut butter in this recipe. I would caution to not use a nut butter that is super oily. This will cause the base to be very oily and not stick together.
• Chocolate: You can really use any chocolate you want here. I’m a dark chocolate girl, so I’ll use that any day over milk, semi-sweet, or white chocolate. I prefer that these No Bake Peanut Butter Bars aren’t so sweet, so dark chocolate it is.
• Binding Agents: There are a lot of recipes that call for graham crackers or oatmeal. You can choose to use 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs or blended oatmeal. I choose not to use them because this was most like what Rick enjoyed growing up.

How to make a giant Peanut Butter Cup!

You can really make an impression by making a giant Peanut Butter Cup. It requires a little more work but, is always a hit, especially with the kiddos!

• You will need to double your chocolate. Melt 1 /2 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of either creamy peanut butter or coconut oil.
• Pour this in the bottom of your prepared baking dish.
• Allow to set for at least 10-15 minutes in the freezer or an hour in the fridge.
• Make your peanut butter filing as normal.
• Press peanut butter filling on top of the set chocolate. Be careful not to spread filling all the way to the edges of the dish.
• Next, melt another 1/2 cup chocolate with 1 tablespoon of creamy peanut butter or coconut oil.
• Spread chocolate mixture on top of the peanut butter filling and let spill down into the crevasses to surround the filling.
• Allow to finish setting in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

When it’s done, you have a giant shareable peanut butter cup, just like a Reese’s!

I usually make a couple batches of these No Bake Peanut Butter Bars for every family function. They never ever last long! I love that they take just a few minutes of actual work to put together and that I don’t need to heat up the kitchen. They were born to help Rick remember one of his favorite childhood treats and how he and all his friends clamored for them. Anything to bring a happy memory and a smile to his face.

If you like these No Bake Peanut Butter Bars, then you’ll love these Fluffernutter Bars!

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