No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

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Using just 5 ingredients, these easy no bake peanut butter bars are a rich and decadent treat that taste exactly like homemade Reese’s peanut butter cups! 

Bite taken out of no bake peanut butter bar

These no bake peanut butter bars are an old-school cafeteria recipe from back in the days when the lunch ladies would come in at the break of dawn and set to making the day’s meals from scratch. These ladies were our mothers away from home, always there to make sure we got enough to eat! Peanut butter treats were usually in abundance since peanut butter was a government commodity, provided in large quantities to lunchrooms.

This is a great homemade dessert recipe that uses only 5 ingredients, requires no baking, and ends up tasting like what a Reese’s peanut butter cup aspires to be. It features a rich and thick peanut butter layer that’s boosted with sugar, vanilla extract, and butter flavors. Then it’s topped with a decadent chocolate layer. This chocolate peanut butter bar recipe results in treats that are fudgy, creamy, and will disappear in an instant!

Labeled recipe ingredients for no bake peanut butter bars.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Confectioner’s sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Unsalted butter
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips

You don’t have to have a whole tub of peanut butter like I have pictured here so don’t worry about that. My family just happens to think peanut butter is the best thing since… well, peanut butter, so I tend to buy it in large quantities. 

How To Make No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Place all ingredients into a large bowl.

Microwave until the butter and peanut butter are both melted. This will take about a minute or so.

NOTE: Check it after 45 seconds and make sure though because microwaves vary so greatly.

Melted ingredients in mixing bowl.

This is our melted “stuff”.

Mix ingredients together.

Now take a spoon and give it a really good stir. 

Finished dough for no bake peanut butter bars.

NOTE: At first this peanut butter bar mixture will seem like a big old mess, but after several stirs, it will all come together and leave the sides of the bowl.

Transfer peanut butter mixture to prepared pan.

Now transfer your peanut butter mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

Pat mixture into pan with your hands.

Pat it out into the pan with your hands.

Melt chocolate in microwave.

Time to crank up that microwave again! Pour the entire package of chocolate chips into a bowl and microwave them at 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until completely melted.

Pour melted chocolate over peanut butter mixture in pan.

Pour the melted chocolate chips over your peanut butter mixture.

Spread chocolate until evenly covered.

Spread it all around until the top is evenly covered.

No bake peanut butter bars ready for the fridge.

Now the hard part: waiting for these no bake peanut butter bars to harden.

TIP: You can do this at room temperature or you can do like me and place it in the fridge for about half an hour or so.

Cut into bars and serve.

Cut into bars and serve.

Stack of no-bake peanut butter bars.

Enjoy!

Storage

  • Leftovers can be stored in your cookie jar on the counter or in the refrigerator, whatever cranks your tractor. They will last up to 1 week.
  • These no bake dessert bars also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

Recipe Notes

  • You can add a cup of graham cracker crumbs to your peanut butter layer for added flavor.
  • I don’t recommend using crunchy peanut butter, natural peanut butter, or any natural nut butter like almond butter in this recipe. They just don’t have the same consistency as processed smooth peanut butter like Jif and Skippy.
  • If you like, you can use an 8×8 baking pan or a 9×9 pan. The cooling time will be the same.
  • While I prefer milk chocolate chips, feel free to top your bars with melted dark chocolate.
  • To make the chocolate peanut butter bars easy to remove from the pan, line it with parchment paper you can lift and remove with ease.

You may also like these bar recipes:

Lemon Bars Recipe and Video Tutorial

Chewy Pear Bars 

Lela’s Fried Peach Pie Bars

And here are some peanut butter recipes you might like:

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Fudge Icing

Refrigerator Peanut Butter & Milk Granola Bars

Plate of no-bake peanut butter bars.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Using just 5 ingredients, these easy no bake peanut butter bars are a rich and decadent treat that taste exactly like homemade Reese's peanut butter cups! 
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, peanutbutter
Servings: 4
Calories: 532kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar light or dark
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Place all of the ingredients (except the milk chocolate chips) in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the butter and peanut butter are melted (1 to 2 minutes). Time will vary by microwave.
    1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups creamy peanut butter, 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
  • Remove from the microwave and use a large spoon to stir all of the ingredients together (except chocolate chips) until they form a ball of dough that leaves the side of the bowl. Pat into a 9x13 pan.
  • Pour the chocolate chips into another microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted. Spoon over the top of the peanut butter mixture and spread evenly.
    2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Allow the peanut butter bars to cool completely at room temperature until the chocolate hardens again or place in the refrigerator for faster hardening. Cut into squares and serve to some awfully happy people!

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

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227 Comments

  1. The peanut butter layer of this has all the ingredients of my peanut butter icing I use for cakes, so I KNOW it’s good 🙂 Gotta make this real soon! Thanks for sharing another GREAT recipe 🙂 The pineapple cobbler was DELISCIOUS 🙂

  2. I will definitely be trying this. My hubby will love this and I’m all about easy. I love the idea of melting everything in the microwave. And most of the ingredients are around the house…just need to pick up some chocolate chips.

  3. oh, my! homemade Reese’s in the MICROWAVE? this could be DANGEROUS!! I am looking forward to making this and perusing your other recipes. The pineapple cobbler sounds similar to my Mom’s Pineapple cheese casserole. I think I will make it today for a get together, since I am out of eggs, and it does not call for them. I make my own bisquick using whole wheat four to be A LITTLE more healthy.

  4. I must say that as a former cook in a high school, these did go over extremely well!! I used a pizza cutter sometimes or there was a great thing that looked like 5 pizza cutters in a row, it worked the best!!

    My Granny used to make these for us when we would stay at her house for a week or so! Every time I open my email, there is always something that reminds me of my Granny-It is such fun to go down memory lane! Everyone is so busy now that the days of going to Granny’s every week is a thing of the past ;-(

  5. I bought some white chocolate reese cups recently and I bet the white almond bark would be great with this too. May just have to try it!!!!!

  6. Thank you! I remember these fondly from Bear Road Elementary in Clay, NY. Our cafeteria ladies would just dot the top with chocolate chips, instead of melting it, so that’s how I made them. I ran out of creamy, so I substituted cruchy for the second cup. It made for a pleasing texture.

  7. Christy — you have made my whole family happy with this recipe. Living in Germany, Reese’s peanut butter cups are extremely hard to come by, and IF you can get them, they’re super expensive. I made this recipe yesterday and my family (husband and 2 kids) couldn’t get enough — my husband said they taste even better than Reese’s! So easy to make, and all the ingredients easily available in Germany, this recipe satisfies those peanut-butter-cup-cravings…. Thanks again!!

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