These Reese’s peanut Butter Bars only take a few ingredients and you don’t even have to bake them. The best part? They taste just like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Seriously, they’ll make you swoon.
Ingredient Notes
- Graham Crackers – Do you seem to always have an opened package of graham crackers that are a little stale? Those will work just as well as fresh ones here!
- Peanut Butter – Smooth or creamy peanut butter both work here, but this recipe is written with standard peanut butter in mind, not natural peanut butter which has a different texture.
- Shortening – a small amount of vegetable shortening is melted into chocolate chips for the topping. The shortening prevents the chocolate from hardening completely. I love a tip from one of our readers- if you’d like to leave the shortening out, replace it with a spoon of peanut butter. The topping will stay soft this way and as a bonus you get some more peanut buttery goodness!
- Butter – Use real (salted) butter here!
How To Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
- Start with some crushed graham crackers. If you’re like me and find half-eaten packs in the back of your pantry that are too stale for eating, they work great.
- Then in goes powdered sugar and some peanut butter. Chunky or smooth peanut butter will work, but I think smooth is better.
- And just in case something made out of powdered sugar, graham crackers and peanut butter isn’t good enough, let’s add a bunch of melted butter. To be on the safe side.
- Next, press it into a pan. Line it with something (parchment, foil, waxed paper) to make your life easier a couple hours from now.
- Set that aside and get out some chocolate chips. Melt them in the microwave with a bit of shortening to make it easier to work with. *Tip: Love this tip from one you readers! Instead of adding shortening to the chocolate topping, add a scoop of peanut butter. That will prevent the top from getting solid and it will taste yummy!
- Keep melting until it’s nice and smooth
- And then dump it on top of the peanut butter mixture.
Let’s do it in slow motion just for dramatic effect.
There it goes…
That’s the good stuff right there.
Now spread it out nice and smooth and pop that pan in the fridge.
The trick is to let the bars chill until the chocolate is just set so it’s still easy to cut. Otherwise you get a soft bottom and a really hard top, so you just smash everything. However, if you happen to let it chill all the way, it’s not the end of the world, I actually did that with this batch pictured. The trick then is to use a sharp serrated knife and score the cuts a few times until you cut all the way through. It works great!
Once the bars are cut, they can go back into the fridge to set all the way.
Or you can just eat them. You’ll probably want to just eat them.
Serving Suggestions
Are you craving peanut butter? You might like these other recipes!
- Peanut Butter and Jam Cookie Bars
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate-Frosted Peanut butter Cookie Bars
- Giant Loaded Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
- Big Giant Peanut butter Cookie
Want to provide guests a peanut-free alternative to these for an event? Check out these other fantastic dessert bars from Our Best Bites:
- Oatmeal M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting
- Raspberry-Almond Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Lime Bars with Coconut Shortbread Crust
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
FAQs
- Can I use dairy free substitutes/ natural peanut butter/ gluten free graham crackers? I get these questions a lot! This is one recipe that has not been tested with alternative ingredients. As noted above, traditional peanut butter probably works best texture-wise over natural peanut butter. Gluten free graham crackers will likely be ok if you want to give them a try. As for dairy substitutions, your best bet is to use a butter substitute that has a similar fat content and texture to butter. Coconut oil often works well, but you will need to add an extra pinch of salt and possibly a few drops of butter flavoring. If you try any substitutions, let me know how they work out so I can update this post for others!
- Can I use an alternative to peanut butter? Short answer: you could. Longer answer: In general, I have found that recipes that rely heavily on peanut butter are just not the same when other nut butters are used as a substitute. Your best bet would be to choose a recipe that was specifically written using a different nut butter, or to take a look at the Serving Suggestions section above for a list of other delicious peanut-free bars from Our Best Bites!
Did You Make This?
I’d love to hear from you! Snap a picture and tag me on Instagram, and then come back and give this recipe a rating!
PrintReese’s Peanut Butter Bars {No Bake!}
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
A classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate– these no bake Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars are a fantastic option when you need quick and easy dessert.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 pound (3 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup (2 sticks) real butter, melted
1 12-ounce bag chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, you pick!)
2 teaspoons shortening
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter and butter and beat until combined. Press into a parchment (or waxed paper or foil) lined 9×13 pan.
Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over peanut butter mixture and spread out evenly. Place pan in the fridge just until chocolate is set and then cut into bars.
Notes
- If the bars chill until the chocolate is too hard to easily cut, use a sharp knife and score the cuts first, then gently cut through. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temp. They will stay firmer if stored in the fridge.
- Love this tip from one of our readers: Instead of adding shortening to the chocolate topping, add a scoop of peanut butter. That will prevent the top from getting solid and it will taste yummy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Refrigeration Time: 20+ minutes
Questions & Reviews
O.M.Goodness!!!
These look soooo absolutely delicious!!! I can't wait to make some!!! These are much easier than the bars I try to make at the holidays and to not have to be baked or anything? EVEN BETTER!!!
Maybe I can make these instead of standard peanut butter balls (buckeyes)
love peanut butter bars, but i've never had no bake ones!!!
Oh my goodness! When I was in college I worked at a Mrs. Fields and loved the peanut butter dream bars. I think these could make a great substitute (especially if you crushed up cookies instead of graham crackers.
Reese's are my all time favorite candy bar. I know I'll eat the whole pan when I make these. Thanks for the recipes. By the way, cute little square plate that you displayed them on.
These are always a instant winner. Love no-bakes in a hurry!
I think this is a sign! I saw this recipe on another site I frequent yesterday! I think God wants me to make these. 😉
Oh Christi Christi Christi…I think you might be onto something there!
and Good tip Sue!
Another good tip for these yummies…I run a sharp knife under hot water and dry off and make quick slice through the goodies. The heat melts the chocy and makes for a nice smooth cut as well.
these look awesome! I'll have to try them… I think they'd be even better with crushed nutter butter cookies instead of graham crackers though.
I LOVE these!!!! My grandmothers trick to melting chocolate in the microwave is to put it on defrost… guaranteed to not get over done!
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
These bars are awesome!! Yummy one of my favorites:)
These are one of my all-time favorite desserts. I usually keep the whole pan in my fridge and take a swipe every time I open the door (which ends up being a lot). I always think if I cut them into bars I'll them too fast, but I think my way is worse!
You misspelled my name where you announced the winner. In fact your spelling wasn't even close! Oh well, I'll still accept my prize. So excited!! 😉
I HAVE to try these – I love anything with peanut butter and chocolate! My kids will love them too.
They look delicious (although I'd prefer a bit more chocolate…) I love that they're no bake!
looks AMAZING! yummm can't wait to try them! thank you!! 😀
sara
these look so good, wonder what would happen if you left out the graham crackers. I am on a gluten free diet … hmmm
I have been gluten free my whole life. If you used crushed nuts they work just fine! Hope your four munchkins like them!
We used gluten free granola (Nature Valley Pumpkin Flax) and 1/2 cup less sugar and it was delicious!
thank you for this. I was hoping to get the recipe for these that my mom makes, but I did not before her passing last week. I was wondering how I could find it (haven't gone through her things yet) and here you are with a very similar recipe. I think she said hers had 4 ingredients-so very, very close.
My friends mom used to always make these for us and I always wanted to hang out at his house just on the possibility that she might make them! Thanks for the awesome reminder! 🙂
my friends mom used to make these “homemade” oreo type cookies. I used to do the same thing. Hang out and hopefully she would make them. I am still looking for that recipe online.
These are so good!! We use to make them when I was growing up.
Lisle- that is a *great* idea!
Ramsey- I think it's a little over 1 pack.
SMW- glad I'm not the only one who has the urge to eat during Biggest Loser! lol
oh my!!! now, this is lowfat, right?? 🙂 i'm so making these soon! i'm sure I can come up with a reason!!
Oh my, I laughed at the Biggest Loser comment. That show always makes me so hungry for some reason!
Yummy! We all love the chocolate peanut butter combo at our house:)
How many graham crackers make up 1 1/2 cups crushed?
Approx. a pack and a half make 1 1/2 cups of chrushed graham crackers
That's my kind of treat. I'll just ahve to share with others so I don't eat the whole pan by myself!
I love making these! I like them with chunky peanut butter. At my house, because I am the girl who puts stuff in the fridge to cool and forgets time, I skip the shortening with the chocolate, and use a tablespoon or so of creamy peanut butter with the chocolate chips for the topping. It never sets up as hard, and keeps the awesome flavor going.
Wowww it looks so yummmmy!Lovely blog sweetie!
These are one of my fave all time cookie bars. Back when I was a young dinosaur these were served in my school cafeteria(you know, when lunch ladies still cooked everything from scratch). I found an issue of Family Circle years ago that had this bar in it & the grease stained pages are a tesament to how much I love them.
Those look so yummy! Peanut butter is a biggie in our house. Plus, anything that doesn't require baking has my vote!
P.S. I think I believe you now since you posted it on your blog (hee hee).