These Peanut Butter Bars are a classic recipe that your whole family will love. This melt in your mouth no bake dessert is easy to make, six ingredients, and melt in your mouth good!
My family loves to have what we call a “cookie making day” around the holidays. We whip up a ton of great treats and then give them out to our friends and neighbors.
No bake treats are one of my favorites to make around the holidays because you can make so many. This makes them perfect for our cookie making day. Additionally, no bake treats tend to be really easy for kids to make. These Peanut Butter Bars check all of those boxes, plus they are incredibly delicious. They are like Reese’s peanut butter cups in bar form!
How to Make Peanut Butter Bars
Often called lunch lady peanut butter bars, this is a brief overview of how to make this amazing no bake treat. For the full recipe with all of the measurements see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make graham cracker crumbs. Use a food processor to crush the graham crackers. Another suggestion would be to put them in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.
- Make the peanut butter layer. In a large bowl, combine the graham crackers, powdered sugar, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir until fully combined and then press into a 9 by 13 inch pan.
- Make the chocolate topping. Melt the remaining butter and chocolate together in a small bowl on half power.
- Allow to set. Pour the chocolate over the bars and allow to set, at least an hour in the refrigerator.
Powdered Sugar
You’ll notice we are using powdered sugar and not granulated sugar. This is the best call because it incorporates so perfectly. With granulated sugar you’re more likely to get a gritty texture.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap out the crackers. These would be great with Ritz crackers instead of graham crackers. Make certain you use unsalted butter.
- Change out the top layer. You could swap out the topping for some chocolate frosting. Make sure your bars are chilled for easy spreading.
Best Pan for Bars
Because these are no bake peanut butter bars, we don’t have to worry too much about what pan we use. On the other hand, in baking recipes, I like to recommend an aluminum pan because of how well it conducts heat. This pan also happens to come with straight edges, so I think it is perfect for any bar recipe, whether we are baking it or not.
Storing and Freezing
After they set, the bars can be taken out of the pan and cut. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Alternatively, this is a recipe that freezes great! I recommend freezing the bars in a single layer after cutting. You can freeze them for a few hours and then transfer the flash frozen bars to an air tight container where they can be stack. When ready to eat, let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
More Peanut Butter No Bake Treats
If you can’t get enough of peanut butter sweets, here are a few more you will love.
If you make these great Peanut Butter Bars, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (300 grams)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (226 grams) melted
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (283.75 grams)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (170 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips (170 grams)
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (113 grams)
Instructions
- Using a food processor, grind the graham crackers to a fine crumb. (If you don't have a food processor, you could put the crackers in a sealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them.)3 cups graham cracker crumbs
- In a large bowl stir together the crumbs, 1 cup melted butter, sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. It may be difficult to mix at first but will come together to be a thick dough.1 cup unsalted butter, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Press the dough into a 9 by 13 inch pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and chocolate. Cook for 1 minute, at half power, stir very well. Microwave in 15 second intervals stirring very well in between until smooth. Pour over bars. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before cutting.1 cup milk chocolate chips, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
Jo-Anne says
What are the portions for the butter? How much of the 2 1/2 cups of butter goes in the batter and how much goes in the chocolate. I didn’t see anywhere about how you divide it.
Sorry about that, it was broken down in the ingredient list, but I updated the instructions to make it more clear.
Dawn says
Hi Lisa, I have to ask… I just have to lol! What is the nutritive value of this dessert? Thanks!
Betty Chew says
My husband made this for Christmas this year. They were DELICIOUS!! The bottom layer did seem a bit dry and slightly crumbly, not too bad though. What would be easy to add to make it moister? We will definitely make them again.
I’m sorry it turned out crumbly! Is it possible that you used either a little more of graham cracker crumbs or powdered sugar? Next time if it feels like it’s too crumbly, you could try just adding a tiny bit (like less than a tablespoon) of melted butter at a time until you are getting consistency you want. You don’t want to add to much or it won’t set.
May Bochette says
Love these no bake sweet ideas. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward for more ideas
You’ll have to let me know what you try, Mae!
Linda says
If you can’t use butter what is a good replacement?
I’m sorry, Linda, I would need to test the recipe with butter replacements before I felt good about recommending one.
Carol says
I have a bag of pretzels to use up. I wonder if this would work with pretzels?? They are a little coarser and saltier so I don’t know.
This wouldn’t be my favorite way to use up pretzels. I think the coarseness is going to throw things off al little.
Joe Asi says
You are great Ma’am
Thank you!
Susan Delgado says
Delicious
Becky says
Do these need to be stored in the refrigerator?
They do not.
Naomi Morales says
I will make them for my family and friends.
I hope they love them!