Recipes · Easy Desserts
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars: A Graham Cracker Base, a Smooth Chocolate Top and Only 10 Minutes of Work
Think of it as a giant homemade peanut butter cup. A buttery peanut butter and graham cracker layer is pressed into a pan, covered with melted chocolate and chilled until set, with no oven involved at any point.
Seven ingredients, one bowl, no oven.
Few flavor pairings are as dependable as chocolate and peanut butter, and these bars put them in their simplest form. Food blogger Brita Britnell of Food with Feeling built the recipe around a base of graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, powdered sugar, sea salt and natural peanut butter, then topped it with a layer of melted chocolate loosened with a little coconut oil. The base is dense and sweet, the top is smooth and snappy, and together they taste like a peanut butter cup in bar form. The hands-on work takes about 10 minutes, the mixture is made in a single bowl, and the only waiting is roughly 30 minutes in the refrigerator, which makes the bars a good choice for last minute gatherings, bake sales and cold weather cravings. More easy kitchen ideas are collected in the Sustainable Action Now recipes collection.
What Goes Into the Bars
Each ingredient does a specific job. The graham cracker crumbs give the base structure and a faint honeyed toastiness, and they should be ground finely, to about the texture of bread crumbs, either in a food processor or blender or by sealing the crackers in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. Gluten free graham crackers work for anyone who needs them. Melted butter, salted or unsalted according to preference, binds the crumbs, while powdered sugar sweetens the base and dissolves smoothly without leaving grit. A half teaspoon of sea salt balances the sweetness and brings out the roasted flavor of the peanut butter.
The recipe was developed with a drippy, natural peanut butter, which blends easily into the crumbs, and the author believes a thicker commercial style such as Jif would work as well, although she has only tested the natural kind. For the topping, plain chocolate chips are used and dark chocolate is suggested as a delicious alternative. A tablespoon of melted coconut oil, or butter, goes into the chocolate to make it smooth and easy to spread, and it helps the layer slice cleanly once it sets.
Why is chocolate and peanut butter so good? Nobody has a better answer than a second bar.
How to Make Them
Start by preparing the graham cracker crumbs if they are not ready, then line a square pan with parchment paper. The author has made the bars in both an 8 by 8 inch and a 9 by 9 inch pan, with the smaller pan giving thicker bars. In a large bowl, combine one cup of crumbs with half a cup of melted butter, one cup of powdered sugar, the sea salt and one cup of peanut butter, and stir until the mixture is fully combined. Transfer it to the pan and press it into an even layer, using the back of a spoon or a flat measuring cup for a smooth surface.
In the same bowl, melt one cup of chocolate chips with the coconut oil, which saves washing a second dish. The recipe suggests the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each, so the chocolate melts gently and does not scorch. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer and spread it evenly to the edges. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until the chocolate is firm, then lift the block out by the parchment and cut it into 12 squares.
Tips for Clean Slices and Smooth Chocolate
Let the bars sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes before cutting, since very cold chocolate can crack. Wipe the knife between cuts for neat edges. Stirring the chocolate often while it melts, and stopping while a few chips remain unmelted, helps keep it glossy. These are guidelines drawn from general candy making and not from the original recipe.
Storing and Serving
The source recipe does not give storage instructions. Because the bars contain butter and a chocolate topping, they are best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they can be served straight from the fridge for a firm bite or after a few minutes on the counter for a softer one. Their estimated nutrition per bar is 350 calories, with 30 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein, 25 grams of fat, 22 grams of sugar and 208 milligrams of sodium. These figures are automatically calculated and approximate. The recipe is vegetarian, and cooks who want a dairy free version can look for plant based butter and dairy free chocolate chips, though that swap has not been tested by the author.
The author invites readers who make the bars to share the results, either by leaving a comment on her blog or by tagging her on Instagram at foodwithfeeling.
Peanut Butter Bars
Recipe by Brita Britnell of Food with Feeling · Prep 10 min · Chill about 30 min · Makes 12 bars · Dessert · Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or butter
Instructions
- Make the crumbs. Crush the graham crackers in a blender or food processor, or in a plastic bag with a rolling pin, until finely crushed, similar to bread crumbs.
- Line the pan. Line a square pan with parchment paper. An 8 by 8 inch or 9 by 9 inch pan works.
- Mix the base. In a large bowl, combine the crumbs, melted butter, powdered sugar, sea salt and peanut butter until well combined. Pour into the pan and spread evenly.
- Add the chocolate. In the same bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil, in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Pour over the peanut butter layer and spread evenly.
- Chill. Refrigerate until hardened, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Gluten free graham crackers can be used.
- Dark chocolate is a good alternative to plain chocolate chips.
- Salted or unsalted butter both work.
Nutrition per bar, estimated
350 calories, 30 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 25 g fat (11 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 22 g sugar, 208 mg sodium, 178 mg potassium, 29 mg calcium, 1 mg iron. Values are automatically calculated and approximate.
