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!
Reese's Peanut Butter Bars {No Bake!}
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 9x13 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!
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
what about oatmeal? do you think oatmeal (like, blended to almost a powder) could be substituted for graham crackers? would they still taste as good i wonder?
Kayla- it would probably work with natural PB. It tends to be a bit more gooey, so you may need some extra graham cracker crumbs to hold it all together.
Do you think I could use natural peanut butter in these? Would they still turn out ok?
It worked just great with natural pb for me. We find the bars too sweet and mushy (even with conventional pb) so I alter the recipe: 2cups: (natural) peanut butter, powdered sugar, crushed graham crackers and 1/2 cup butter. We love ’em!
Oh, I've made these before and they are to DIE for!! So easy. And you make them look so lovely!!
I love it. I made it the other night! I just love coming here and learning more about cooking and baking! Thanks for sharing!!
My daughter's homework this weekend was to find a no bake cookie recipe. Well, there are a million versions of the ubiquitous cocoa, oatmeal, and peanut butter no bake cookies out there, but that's about it. I'm so glad you posted this recipe!!
🙂
ButterYum
I made these yesterday, using the 'add peanut butter to the choco chips' trick, and they are FABULOUS! Thank you thank you for adding to my no-bake desserts stable 🙂
Jenn- you got it! I've actually done it just like that and it works great. A little time consuming, but they turn out awesome 🙂
Ok – I'm back again to ask another question …
I'm going to make this recipe, but want to make them into little mini cups like reeses cups….
what would be the best way to do that? Use foil liners in a mini muffin pan and then paint the sides with chocoalte and let harden and then place pb ball inside and then let set and then pour melted chocolate over top?
that's how I'm envisioning it but is that the best way?
if you check out post # 84.1 , I added my 2 cents for a chocolate bottom crust, that could be useful for what you want to do…
I would place a tiny bit in the bottom of each cup, and tap it down with a dowel, or pestle….( fingers ) or what-have-you….tightly into the bottom of each paper cup…
then, add the p-butter and tap that down, and cover it with the melted chocolate….
good luck… and do let us know how it came out
: )
( although I like the mini cup idea, and may just have to try this tonight, for a party I’m going to tomorrow )
thank for the idea !!
I love Reeses Cups and can't wait to try these out! Also love your blog and practically drool over every post!
I make basically this exact recipe, but I freeze mine and serve them frozen. Yummy! That was you don't have to add shortening or peanut butter to the chocolate chips. You kind of have to chip them out of the pan, and they don't turn out super pretty, but they are SO good frozen!!!
Peanut butter would be so good in those pumpkin muffins i love so much!
I've just had a really, really hard day; and I'm currently fighting a major migraine. However: next to my beautiful baby girl, the photos of this dessert is the most gorgeous thing I've seen all day! There's something about the glossiness factor of the chocolate mixture that can make a girl lose her mind! Beautiful stuff ladies…Keep it up 🙂
Just made these with my girls!! My 7yo said we should make these for Santa instead of cookies because they taste good with milk!
Yum! I love these!
I made these for the first time last night and they are BEYOND yummy!!! SO good and addicting!
just made these – OMG – DIVINE!
made them with nutter butter cookies crushed instead of graham crackers and then peanut butter instead of shortening with the chocolate.
can't wait to try them.
My mom has made these for years and I just love the recipe. I don't know why I don't make them more often. Oh wait, bc I will eat the whole pan 🙂
This is the exact same recipe I use for my hand dipped chocolate peanut butter balls. well except I obviously roll my peanut butter into balls and they are the bomb. You just made it easier for me to get fat. thanks!!
I read this post and an hour later, my son and I made them so they can be ready for his sister when she got home from school. DEElicious! Thank you!!!
Sara
Love how such few ingredients can yield such a tasty treat–great recipe!
Those look great – too bad I'm starting my diet – but my family loves peanut butter & choc
Thanks
Just whipped up a batch and now waiting for them to chill out in the fridge while I clean up the kitchen…can't wait to try them!! Thanks for sharing!
These look perfect. The peanut butter is always the best part of Reese's, and these definitely reflect that.
Will have to make this soon 🙂
Commenting on Easy Pretzel Turtles to let you know that they are REALLY cute and very tasty with a candy corn squished on top! Couldn't figure out a way to comment with the original post, so here you go!
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Love the tip about melting chocolate in the microwave on defrost! Worked like a charm! I added heavy cream to the chocolate and made a thick ganache instead of using the shortening. 🙂
I didn't have any graham crackers or anything cookie-like to use so I put oatmeal in the food processor and made it fairly fine. It turned out pretty good. I also only had choc. and pb chips (bag of mixed) and I used those with a dollop of pb when I melted them and it tasted pretty yummy. The kids loved them and have already asked for one in their school lunches tomorrow.
And Boot~C, I also remember these being made in my elementary school cafeteria too!
I love to make these. I like to keep them in the freezer and eat them cold, or better yet crushed and put on ice cream or make a shake with them. 🙂
My son claims to not eat sweets, but this is the one dessert he will always eat. He's now hooked his Boston friends, so he never leaves home without a pan to share.
@mommieof4munchkins – you could always use kinnikinnick S'moreables … they taste just like regular graham crackers but are Gluten Free!!!