Sometimes you just want to take it easy. You know take it down 10 notches or so in life. And these no-bake peanut butter bars are exactly that. Takin it easy...no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars, what can be better.
We have all been pretty much home bound, in one way or another for basically a decade (I kid, I know it's been one year, but tell me it doesn't feel like a decade to you). And thanks to social media, it definitely appears to me that we have been baking our asses off. While it is hands-down my passion, and maybe yours too, sometimes we just want to make it a quickie. We don't want to preheat the oven, measure out the dry ingredients in a separate bowl or set a timer...we don't want to sift sh-t. We just want to throw everything in a bowl, mix it up, chill it and eat it.
What I really should call these is no-bake reese's peanut butter bars since they are just like the candy except better. The peanut butter to chocolate ratio is what we secretly all wish reese's were like.
What you'll need
- butter
- powdered sugar
- lil bit of brown sugar
- vanilla
- peanut butter
- graham cracker crumbs
- salt
- chocolate
Can I use any kind of peanut butter?
You sure can. I like to use ½ creamy and ½ chunky for this no bake peanut butter bars recipe, but you can certainly use all creamy or all chunky. I would not recommend using natural-style peanut butter (like this one), the texture will not be right, use your usual JIF or Skippy (or whatever store kind you use).
These no-bake peanut butter bars freeze really, really well by the way. So you can totally make them, cut them into squares and freeze to pull out one at a time when you need a quick snack.
No bake peanut butter bars
Ingredients
For the bars
- 1 stick of butter either salted or unsalted at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups of peanut butter I use a miz of creamy and chunky but use whatever you have or whatever you like
- 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups of powdered sugar aka confectioners sugar
- pinch of salt if using salted butter just a tiny pinch, if using unsalted butter make it a hefty pinch
For the chocolate top
- 8 oz dark chocolate or use 1 cup of chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons of heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon of butter
Instructions
To make the peanut butter bars
- Line an 8- or 9- inch square baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking In a stand mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy with the paddle attachment. Add the brown sugar and beat until incorporated. Next add the peanut butter, graham crumbs, vanilla and salt, and beat well until fully combined. Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar, increasing the speed once it has incorporated. Mix until fully combined. Press the peanut butter mixture into the pan until even. CHill in fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding the glaze.
To make the chocolate glaze
- Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate and the butter. Pour the glaze over the chilled peanut butter bars, spreading until even, and chill in fridge until firm. Cut into bars and enjoy.
