Peanut Butter Bars – A Beautiful Mess

When it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth without cranking up the oven, no-bake recipes are THE BEST! Among all the delicious no-bake treats, peanut butter bars stand out as a timeless favorite. With their rich, creamy peanut butter flavor and irresistible combination of textures, these peanut butter bars are a hit at parties, potlucks, or simply as a quick treat for yourself.

This peanut butter bar recipe requires only five ingredients and no baking—what’s not to love?!

Related: If you love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do, next you should try Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies or my Soft Peanut Butter Cookies with a few chocolate chips added.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Graham Crackers – crushed
• Powdered Sugar – also called confectioner’s sugar
• Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Chips

I also add flaky sea salt to the top of these bars but it’s optional.

Directions

Crush the graham crackers.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter.

Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper and add this peanut butter mixture to the pan, smoothing in an even layer.

In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted. This usually takes around 1 minute and 30 seconds. You can also do this in a double boiler on the stove top if you prefer.

Pour the chocolate over the top of the peanut butter mixture, smoothing into an even layer. If using sea salt, sprinkle it on top now.

Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours or overnight. Then slice into bars and enjoy!

Tips for Making

• The easiest way to crush graham crackers into crumbs is to put them in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to smash/roll them into crumbs.
• If you don’t have an 8×8 square baking pan or something similar in size, you could also divide the batter and chocolate topping into a standard (12) muffin tin for individual peanut butter cups. Just be sure to grease the pan well as parchment won’t easily work for this kind of pan.
• I like standard, creamy peanut butter (like Jif), but you can use natural or even chunky peanut butter in this recipe and still have success.

More No-Bake Recipes:

These no-bake peanut butter bars are a delicious treat that requires minimal effort and yields maximum satisfaction. With a creamy, crunchy peanut butter base and a decadent chocolate topping, these bars are a true crowd-pleaser!