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!
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Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars {No Bake!}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Refrigeration Time: 20+ minutes
- 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!
Keywords: Peanut butter, dessert bars, chocolate peanut butter
very easy and fun, tasted great…peanutbuttery yum!
This is also really good with white chocolate chips melted on top!!
These are SO delish!! I’ve made then twice and the kids go crazy for them. I wanted to comment that the conversion for the powdered sugar is wrong. 2 cups=1 lb (16 oz).
One pound of water is 2 cups, powdered sugar is less dense than water and it is 3.5 cups of powdered sugar is a “box” (or pound) of powdered sugar. Since “cup” is a volume measurement you cannot assume a constant 8oz of everything per cup. Darn density…
They look so yummy cant wait to make them:)
These were a little slice of heaven!!!
Just wanted to add another tip: Instead of melting the chocolate chips you can just sprinkle them on, then pop them in the oven on broil for a few minutes until they’re shiny and spread them with a spatula. Even easier! 🙂
I made these and sold them at a church “bake” sale. It went well, and they tasted amazing. These were eaiser to make than the peanut butter cups i make at christmas time. I had a slightly hard time getting the peanut butter layer evenly in the pan, any suggestions? By the way ladies, i just wanted to say agian how much i love your blog, and i appreciate the lovely pictures and step by step instructions. I dont watch t.v. or videos, so the pics really help me out! Thank you agian, you ladies are awesome!
P.S. just purchased your book, and i am in love! will purchase more, to give out as gifts!
suggestion for spreading the peanut butter layer evenly::::
you could try coating a rubber spatula with either melted butter wiped on with a paper towel, or spray with butter flavored cooking spray, and use that to smooth the peanut butter mixture evenly..
it helps, because it stops the peanut butter mix from sticking to the spreading implement…
: )
hope this helps
This looks amazing! I see that it calls for real butter, would that be salted or unsalted? Thanks for this recipe!
I made these the other day (for the hundredth time it seems) but with a twist…I made them on top of a marshmallow treat base. They were fantastic!!:) I was going to take a photo and post in on your FB page but they were gone before I got a chance.
I made these for my boyfriend for valentines day using PB in the chocolate. They turned out quite yummy!
Rather than cutting them into squares though, I used my tall heart shaped cookie cutter to make him pb/reeses hearts. I haven't given them to him yet, but they look absolutely cute wrapped up in my fridge 🙂 AND I got to snack on the trimmings.
Great tip to use a shaped cookie cutter! Thanks!
Oh I'm so happy! I am going to make these tonight. I do NOT like peanut butter. I will occassionally eat a PB&J sandwich but any sugared peanut butter thing – ick. Which means these are PERFECT considering I am on a low carb diet and my family and a friend we have visiting this weekend will love them. It's a win win! I will just eat my sugar free jello.
I made a double batch of these tonight. I followed the recipe exactly as written (with the pb in chocolate tip.) They are unbelievable. I boxed them up into Valentine boxes to give as gifts. My family thought they tasted exactly like Reeses PB cups. I had to hide the extras from myself in the back of the fridge.
These were so easy to make and how can you beat a no-bake recipe? I didn't have any regular graham crackers, nor did I have nutter butters (but I LOVE that idea), but it still works with chocolate graham crackers (and tastes great too!)
I just have to stop somewhere and tell you that since I stumbled upon your blog about 2 hours ago, I've read and bookmarked at least 20 of your recipe! They all sound SO good – and doable!
Thank you so much!
Yes, a little oil will work!
So is there if I have zero shortening and zero creamy peanut butter left is there another alternative to making the chocolate smooth?
Could I add a little veg or canola oil?
These Peanut Butter bars are amazing! They are easy to make and a hit with guests. If you are a peanut butter fan, you will love these!
To be alittle healthier make the peanut butter part with: peanut butter, as much honey as you want to make it sweet enough and enough powdered milk to make it into the dough consistency. Then apply the chocolate 🙂
It looks very delicious and you have a very beautiful and interesting blog!
I would like to ask you if you are agree with a banner change. My email adress is [email protected].
Kisses with all my heart!
Iulia
These are to die for! I started making these years ago when I got the recipe from my sister-in-law who is from Utah. =D
I just found your blog today… read about it in the Mormon Times that I just got today. Already saved!!as
I MAY have just made a mini batch of these by scaling everything down to fit a grab-it bowl. I MAY have desperately subbed in crushed PB puff cereal for the graham crackers and found out they were delicious. And I MAY have scarfed down the entire mini batch in one sitting.
Or I may not have…
PS – I realized as I made these that it's essentially the recipe for the PB balls (aka, buckeyes) that my mom makes at Christmas every year, only without all the tedious dipping. This is a VERY dangerous realization, as those have always been my favorite Christmas treat.
yum… i'm very happy to have bumped into your blog! mucho gracias!!
WOW! These are so great! Alot like the ones we used to have at our H.S. cafeteria (and that's a compliment because they were Awesome and there were never any left overs!!). I didn't have enough semi-sweet chocolate chips so I made 1/2 that way and then on the other half I patted some toffee bits into the peanut butter and covered it with melted Almond Bark mixed with a little peanut butter. They turned out Wonderfully! So fast, so easy, so tasty! Thank you!!
I know I'm a little late commenting on these, but I wanted to post one more tip for everyone. If you let them sit on the counter for about five minutes and then lightly score the chocolate, you can chill them as long as you need to and it will still cut just fine.
Thanks for all your great recipes. I'm fairly new to your blog and I'm having such a great time just going through your recipe index!
I have made these 2 times(I have some cooling now)and I think the 1 cup butter is too much.I always have to add some more powdered sugar to them,but my family loves them.I would suggest using 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup melted butter.
I made these for the second time tonight. Everyone loves them!! The tip about the peanut butter was great!
I bet if you blend the oatmeal WITH brown sugar the crust would taste divine. We, however, are about to try them with oreos as the crust. It's what I've got. 🙂
I made these for a function we went to Saturday and they were half gone before it began! Some old men were nibbling ahead of time. 🙂 They taste like a pb fudge to me! Yum yum! Thanks!
Clarks- I know I read a comment somewhere (here or on facebook) where someone said they used oats and it worked. I would imagine it would taste better with the crackers, but oats would work!
I made the peanut butter bars this weekend. SO good! Thanks for another great treat! 🙂