No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
These no bake peanut butter bars come together quickly, and they can be ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry, so there is a good chance you can make a pan tonight without a trip to the store.
If you have ever enjoyed Buckeye Brownie Cookies, these bars will feel familiar. Same chocolate and peanut butter pairing, same rich bite, but no baking is involved at all. The oven stays off, the kitchen stays cool, and dessert still shows up.
Jump to:
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Why this recipe works
- Ingredients you will need
- Ingredient Info and Substitute Suggestions
- How to Make Peanut Butter Bars
- Serving Suggestions
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Before You Begin
- Recipe details
- FAQs
- What can I use instead of animal crackers in no bake peanut butter bars?
- How long do no bake peanut butter bars need to chill before serving?
- Can I use natural peanut butter in no bake peanut butter bars?
- How should I store no bake peanut butter bars and how long do they last?
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Last Step:
- Nutrition
- Did you make this recipe?
Why this recipe works
No bake recipes are easy, and they work any time of year. The real win is summer, when nobody wants to heat up the kitchen just to satisfy a sweet tooth. A hot pan of brownies in July is a tough sell. A cold peanut butter bar is not.
Because the prep is quick, these bars are perfect for unexpected company. They are also a great answer when a last minute request for dessert lands in your lap. Mix, spread, chill, cut, and you are done.
I keep the base ingredients on hand all summer for exactly this reason. When the kids ask for something sweet after dinner, I can have a pan chilling before the table is cleared. There is no waiting for the oven to preheat and no cooling time to plan around.
They also hold up well. A pan of bars sits happily in the refrigerator, ready whenever someone wants a piece.
Ingredients you will need
This recipe uses seven ingredients in two parts: a peanut butter base and a chocolate peanut butter topping. You will also need a 13×9 baking pan, plus a mixer or a food processor.
Nothing here is hard to find. Animal crackers, powdered sugar, butter, peanut butter, and chocolate cover the whole list.
Complete measurements, ingredients, and instructions are available in the printable version located at the end of the post.
Ingredient Info and Substitute Suggestions
Chocolate choices matter more than you might think here. I prefer baking chocolate because it melts more easily and gives you a smooth, glossy topping. Chocolate chips work too, and semi sweet, dark, or milk chocolate are all fine options. Pick the one that matches the sweetness you like best.
For the peanut butter, the recipe uses regular creamy peanut butter. It has not been tested with natural peanut butter, mainly because natural peanut butter separates and the oil can keep the bars from setting up the way you expect.
Some readers have suggested adding extra animal cracker or graham cracker crumbs when using natural peanut butter, which helps the mixture solidify. If you want to experiment, treat that as a test batch rather than a guaranteed result.
For the crumbs, animal crackers are the standard here, but vanilla wafers and graham crackers are listed alternatives. Each one brings a slightly different flavor. Graham crackers lean a little honeyed, while animal crackers stay mild and let the peanut butter lead.
Stick with regular creamy peanut butter the first time you make these bars. Once you know how the texture should look, you can start playing with swaps.
How to Make Peanut Butter Bars
The steps are simple, and the photos below walk you through the texture at each stage. Measurements and full instructions live in the printable recipe at the end of this post.
- Make the base. In a mixer or a food processor, combine the first four ingredients until smooth. Spread the mixture into a 13×9 baking pan.
- Make the topping. Melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir. If it is not completely melted, heat in 10 second intervals until smooth. Spread it over the top of the peanut butter layer.
- Chill and cut. Chill the dessert in the refrigerator for about an hour, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.
A food processor gives you the smoothest base, though a hand mixer gets the job done with a slightly coarser texture. Either way, spread the mixture evenly into the pan so the bars cut cleanly and the topping sits level.
Keep an eye on the chocolate in the microwave. It can go from solid to scorched faster than you expect, so stay close, stop at the one minute mark, and stir before adding more time. The 10 second intervals are there for a reason.
Serving Suggestions
These bars suit anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter together, and they are ready to eat in less than 30 minutes. Serve them chilled or just above room temperature if you want a softer bite.
Keep in mind that the chocolate gets melty as it warms at room temperature. It still tastes great, but it will be a little messy on your fingers. On a hot day, I pull the pan straight from the refrigerator and serve them cold.
They travel well to potlucks, picnics, and summer cookouts. Cut them into 24 bars for a generous size, or smaller squares if there are other desserts on the table. A cold bar next to a slice of watermelon is a pretty great summer plate.
For a softer, creamier bite, let a bar sit on the counter for a few minutes before eating. The peanut butter base loosens up and the chocolate softens just enough.
Ingredients
Here is the full list, divided into the base and the topping.
| Part | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| Base | 1 cup unsalted butter, melted |
| Base | 2 cups animal cracker crumbs (or vanilla wafers, graham crackers, and similar) |
| Base | 2 cups powdered sugar |
| Base | 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter |
| Topping | 1/4 cup peanut butter |
| Topping | 10 oz semi sweet chocolate, chopped |
Instructions
- In a mixer or a food processor, combine 1 cup melted unsalted butter, 2 cups animal cracker crumbs, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter until smooth. Spread the base into a 13×9 baking pan.
- For the topping, microwave 1/4 cup peanut butter and 10 oz semi sweet chocolate together for 1 minute, then stir. If it is not completely melted, heat in 10 second intervals until smooth. Spread the topping over the peanut butter layer.
- Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.
Before You Begin
No food processor? No problem. A hand mixer or a blender can substitute, though the food processor produces the smoothest mixture. If you are using a blender, work in batches so you do not overload the motor.
The topping is made with semi sweet chocolate. For a sweeter result that tastes closer to a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, substitute milk chocolate for the semi sweet. That single swap changes the whole personality of the bar.
Baking chocolate is preferred because it melts smoothly, but chocolate chips work as well. If you go with chips, stir them often and use the short microwave intervals so they melt evenly instead of scorching.
One more note on the base. If your mixture looks loose, give it another few seconds in the mixer. The crumbs, sugar, butter, and peanut butter should come together into something thick and spreadable, not crumbly.
Recipe details
This recipe yields 24 bars and takes about 25 minutes of total time, with no cooking required.
Here is the nutrition information per bar, based on the source recipe.
| Nutrient | Amount per bar |
|---|---|
| Calories | 329 |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Saturated fat | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 21 mg |
| Sodium | 184 mg |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
Storage. Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you stack them, place parchment paper between the layers so they do not stick together.
Freezing. These bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Flash freeze them first, then transfer the bars to a large ziptop bag or an airtight container. Pull out as many as you need and let them thaw in the refrigerator.
Because the recipe makes 24 bars, you can serve half now and freeze the rest. That makes it an easy dessert to keep on hand for a busy week.
If you want the cleanest squares, line the pan with parchment before you spread the base. Once the bars are chilled, you can lift the whole slab out and cut it on a board.
FAQs
What can I use instead of animal crackers in no bake peanut butter bars?
You can easily substitute the animal cracker crumbs with an equal amount of graham cracker crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs. Using 2 cups of either alternative will provide a similar texture and structure for the base of the bars.
How long do no bake peanut butter bars need to chill before serving?
For the best texture, chill the bars in the refrigerator for about one hour until they are firm. If you are short on time, you can place them in the freezer for 15 minutes, which will also allow you to cut them into neat squares.
Can I use natural peanut butter in no bake peanut butter bars?
This recipe is tested with regular creamy peanut butter, as natural peanut butter can separate and make the bars oily. Some readers have found success by adding extra graham cracker or animal cracker crumbs to help the mixture solidify when using natural peanut butter.
How should I store no bake peanut butter bars and how long do they last?
Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, placing parchment paper between layers if stacking. For longer storage, flash freeze the bars on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a ziptop bag or container; they will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars These no bake peanut butter bars come together quickly, and they can be ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry, so there is a good chance you can make a pan tonight without a trip to the store.
- Total Time: 25 min
- Yield: 24 1x
Ingredients
Base
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 cups animal cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
Topping
1/4 cup peanut butter
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Instructions
1-In a mixer or a food processor,: In a mixer or a food processor, combine the first four ingredients until smooth. Spread into a 13×9 baking pan.
2-For the topping, melt the chocolate and: 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.
3-Chill dessert in the refrigerator for about: Chill dessert in the refrigerator for about an hour, or in the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.
Last Step:
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- Cook Time: 0 min
- Method: no_cook
Nutrition
- Calories: 329cal
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 184mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 21mg
