These No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars taste like Reece’s peanut butter cups! A soft peanut butter biscuit base topped with a peanut butter flavoured chocolate, all you need are 5 ingredients: biscuits, butter, chocolate, peanut butter and sugar.
This is the ultimate emergency sweet-treat!
NO BAKE Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
When it comes to sweet treats, these No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are probably what I make the most often because it’s so quick to pull together, no bake, and WHO DOESN’T LOVE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS???
Plus, I almost always have everything I need to make these. Even though biscuits aren’t part of my weekly shop, usually if I dig deep into the giant baskets into which I toss everything that doesn’t have an obvious dedicated position in the pantry, then usually I’ll find some sort of biscuit suitable to use.
A month past the due by date, perhaps. Pffff! That’s fine. Everyone knows that the used by date for things like dried goods are conservative. Right? 😜
And actually, here’s proof of how frequently I make these: I just realised as I was pulling together the photos for this post how they don’t fit together like a set, and it’s because I shot them all on different days.
The photos you see in this post are from 3 different batches where I snapped a quick photo thinking hmm, I really should re-publish these Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars recipe with a video soon, and finally I got my butt into gear and actually did it.
Albeit I’ve ended up with a weird set of photos from three different days. Four actually – because the step photos were taken while making the recipe video! 🙈
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars recipe truly is pure gold. It was given to me by a reader, the lovely Dorothy from Tennessee, way back when I started this blog. It’s only 5 ingredients – crackers, peanut butter, chocolate, icing sugar (confectionary sugar) and butter. That’s it.
And it’s NO BAKE. Waiting for it to set is the hardest part of this recipe.
I usually approach “5 ingredient” recipes with caution. I find that many “5 Ingredient” recipes I see usually include a store bought sauce or similar. Like 5 ingredient BBQ chicken which includes a “bottle of your favourite barbecue sauce”.
When I see recipes like that, I instantly think that’s cheating!! 😂
Please don’t ask me why in my twisted mind, this counts as a 5 ingredient recipe “made from scratch” even though it is made using crackers. It just is.
#FemaleLogic
– Nagi x
For the Peanut Butter Obsessed
-
Peanut Butter Caramel Pie – dangerously easy, outrageously decadent
-
3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies – just 3 ingredients!
More irresistible bars and slices
-
Brownies!! AND Salted Caramel Stuffed Brownies – ooh la la!
-
Caramel Slice (aka Millionaire’s Bar!) – the great Aussie favourite!
-
Strawberry Bars – made with tons of fresh strawberries!
-
Easiest Ever Raspberries Jam Bars and Lemon Bars
And more emergency sweet treats – 3 Ingredient Desserts!!
-
1 ingredient Dulce de Leche – Slow Cooker Caramel
-
Classic Scones – and faster Lemonade Scones – both 3 ingredients!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sometimes it helps to have a visual so watch me make these Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars!
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5 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (NO BAKE!)
Ingredients
Base
- 115g / 1/2 cup / 1 US stick melted salted butter (or unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt)
- 1 cup crushed Arnott's Marie crackers (11 crackers) or graham cracker crumbs (8 crackers) (Note 1)
- 1 cup icing sugar / powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth)
Topping
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips - the melting kind (US: semi sweet) (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (smooth)
Instructions
- Butter and line a 8" / 20cm square dish or pan with baking paper.
- Place the Base ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Press into the prepared pan.
- Melt the Topping ingredients (I do it in the microwave in 2 x 30 second bursts). Pour and spread over the Base - smooth the top or do swirls (see photos for examples of each).
- Refrigerate until set - about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from fridge, allow to come to room temp slightly (so top cuts neatly). Cut into 16 squares (or whatever shape you want!). Best served at room temperature.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars recipe was originally published January 2018. Updated for some housekeeping matters in October 2018, no change to recipe!
LIFE OF DOZER
That time he snuck on mum’s couch and we wondered how many cushions we could pile on him. We ran out of cushions.
Made this Sunday and it was awesome, it is now Tuesday and none left LOL
You mean it lasted 3 days? Longer than it does in MY household! 😉 So glad you enjoyed it!!! Easy, wasn’t it? Dangerously so. I know the recipe off by heart. Very VERY dangerous. N x
One of my all-time favorite treats, and the photos are excellent as well. Very nice.
Thanks very much Andrew! Hope you love it! N x
Dear Nagi, your recipe looks amazing, beautiful and mouthwatering to say in few words. Your food photography is also incredible and I can tell you you have inspired me to take that extra step 🙂 I am lately very much into no-bake recipes because as the summer approaches cold foods appeals more to me but also because having being a busy working mom with four kids these come in really handy. Awesome job!
Hi Silvia! Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂 I know what you mean about summer and no bake treats! And…did you say FOUR kids? I have no idea how you do it all – you rock! N x
Made these yesterday- DELICIOUS! Used plain gluten free biscuits in the base and tempered the chocolate for the top. So good. Only thing is- definitely didn’t make 16 portions! Maybe my portion size is too big 😉 Love from Glasgow, UK.
Ha ha!!! Sometimes I think this only makes 1. 😉 Thank you for taking the time to let me know you loved it!!! I should have added in the recipe that it works with gluten free biscuits, a friend of mine just asked the same thing.
Thanks again! So glad you loved it!! N x
HI Nagi,
My little girls and I made this yesterday. we all enjoyed it very much. Very very decadent… I only let them have a marble size bite at a time.
Of couse, little later, they were bouncing off walls. -.-;
I’m nibbling on a piece as I type this.
This should be stored in the fridge, right? Also, is there a way to have sturdier structured base?
Thank you as always!
I have visions of your girls running around like loonies around your house!! Too funny!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 What do you mean about a sturdier base? I find that it holds together really well – like in the pictures, you can see that it didn’t crumble when I cut it. Did you find that yours crumbled? If so, it is probably the brand of biscuits you are using for the base. All you need to do is add either a bit of extra peanut butter or melted butter so that the base is more like a “dough”. You can tell it will hold together when you mix it up when you press it into the tin, bits shouldn’t crumble 🙂 Hope that makes sense!
I agree, small pieces are very sensible. 🙂 I store it in the fridge in warmer months but during the cooler months, it is fine to keep in the pantry. 🙂 So glad you loved it!! Thank you for coming back to let me know! Nx
The last photo made me smile. Such a dainty bite. I bet you didn’t bite like that when nobody was looking!
You think I bite into it? No no. The whole thing gets shoved into my mouth!
Oh WOW Nagi!! Now this is my kinda food!!! Yum!!
TOTALLY know that Lucy! I actually popped onto your site first to see if you had posted one 🙂
Sorry Nagi, I’m one crazy woman, we are North Westerly from Newcastle but on the East coast otherwise we’d be living in the ocean. Lol at the moment we have this gorgeously huge green tree frog perched up on the beam of our verandah just catching a little morning sun. Gorgeous!
These look beautiful and I can’t believe how easy to make they are! Pinning to try them!
Thank you so much Mira!! I was hoping the Baking Queen would approve! 🙂
How funny! My teenage daughter found this recipe via online a few month ago and we made it together. They were quite rich but really delicious. I was gonna post the adapted recipe but you beat me. LOL!
Too funny!! I have seen many variations of this type of bar online 🙂 I really like this one from Dorothy though, it’s the easiest and just as delicious! 🙂
Hi Nagi I’m from Aus. And just had to try this recipe as my hubby just adores peanut butter and is a chock-a-holick. So to keep up his energy levels as he just loves to dig holes for me on request (he has to) on our acres, I have to keep him happy and obliging. As he like dark and I like white I varied it a bit with swirls of white chock (as I had some in the fridge) using a skewer, very decorative and utterly delicious! Love the fudgy base. Thank you so much
Carmen!!! You’re hubby is one LUCKY guy. Not only do you make these for him but you do swirls to accommodate the both of you!! Soooo cute 🙂 Where in Aus are you? I’m up in the northern beaches are of Sydney! N x
Thanks Nagi for the lovely complement. My husband and I retired here onto our 5acre property just on ten years ago from the Central Coast just about an hour North Easterly from Newcastlein in the lovely little country town of Barrington just 5ks further on from Gloucester. This arvo I made the criss-crossed cheese and garlic stuffed sour dough bread to complement my chicken and veg soup for a late lunch, soo lovely. I will definitely make it for our family sometime! Love checking out your recipes as they are soo simplistic.
I LOVE Barrington!! We got camping at the Barrington River – a place called the Steps! And I am very fond of the town pub – we always stop by in the way there AND on the way home!
Oooh, so glad you tried the crack bread. It’s CRAZY delicious isn’t it! N x
These look so beautiful – and more importantly super inviting. Mel and I will have to share!
Dorothy is a kicker, right? Always fun to interact with and her husband gets fed very well 😉
Pinning and making this one soon.
Her husband is seriously one lucky guy! PS Looks like you had a FAB grill out on the weekend! 😉
We did indeed, thanks to you. Sorry for my quick iPhone pic, but we devoured that Thai chicken rather quickly. 🙂
I lived many years there and I’m a certified Tennessee VOL but I never had this recipe. I wish I’d known Dorothy then but it’s quite possible she wasn’t born yet. 🙂
Dorothy, I think I’m in love with you. I’ll give you my finest East Tennessee phrase. “You’re finer than a frog hair split four ways!”
I’m off to make these.
Hi Maureen! We are transplants from MI and love it here in TN! As to age, well I’m guessing that I’ve got some years on you! Thank you for the kind comments!
Maureen, when she reads this, I think you’ll make her day 🙂 Thank you for such a sweet comment!! N x
This looks great! I love chocolate and peanut butter. Is there a reason why it has to be smooth peanut butter? I love crunchy PB.
Hi Nisi! Go wild – use crunchy!!! 🙂
This look so tempting! Bookmarking to try out soon <3
Hope you do Priya!! 🙂 N x
Wow these look so good. And so perfectly sliced too!
He he!! Everyone keeps comment on the slicing….I didn’t even think about it! Just CUT it!! 🙂
When I saw this recipe/photo, I did my best not to squeal like the little chocolate and peanut butter piglet that I am! I love the fact that it’s NO BAKE and who doesn’t have these ingredients in their pantry? I’m going to take inspiration from this and try a sugar free version for me, myself, and I because it looks like they would be hard to share! I want them all to myself! Gorgeous photo And thank you Dorothy for the recipe!
You crack me up!! Chocolate and peanut butter piglet? He he he!!! You are TOO FUNNY!! Dorothy is the best. She has such great taste! This recipe is totally GOLD. 🙂
Yum! These remind me of buckeyes but without all the work of rolling them into balls and dipping. If you want even more crunch you can mix in some Rice Krispies cereal into the base layer – so good!
Oooh, I got that tip from another reader! I should add that into the recipe. Thanks Tara!! Happy weekend! N x
Love the pic with the bite taken – these look as tempting Nagi – even for me who does have much of a sweet tooth. Your images are just so beautiful and tempting!
Thanks Rachel! You and I are two peas in a pod….95% of the recipes I share are savoury because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth either. When I go to restaurants, I usually can’t fit in in 3 full course so I choose 2 and I always choose an entree and main, rather than main and dessert!! Though I have also been known to do 2 x entrees and dessert!! N x
Heyya.. That looks like my kind of treat! Thanks to Dorothy for sharing it with you… your food styling is really incredible Nagi. That slice that you’ve bitten looks so yummy. I’m also wondering about how you managed to cut them so clean, they look perfect. 🙂 Thanks for sharing… 🙂
Hi Sneha! Honestly no trick to cutting them clean 🙂 All I did was run a large sharp knife under hot water, wipe it dry then slice! I think because the slice base isn’t crumbly that’s why it sliced so neatly! 🙂