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This is the BEST No Bake Peanut Butter Bar Recipe. It tastes like a peanut butter cup! With just 5 ingredients you can make copycat Reese’s bars at home and they’re no bake. Everyone loves these peanut butter bars!
Seriously, I dare you to eat just one!
Why We Love Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
These are one of our favorite treats: they taste like a peanut butter cup in bar form! These are one of those things my husband can’t resist – and neither can I. We love these because:
-They’re no-bake, perfect for the summer months
-The peanut butter has a bit of texture to it thanks to the crushed crackers
-No one can resist them!
Peanut Butter Bars Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: use unsalted butter and melt it
- Peanut Butter: creamy or crunchy will work but make sure to use a regular store peanut butter (not one you need to stir)
- Ritz Crackers: this recipe works with crushed Ritz Crackers OR any kind of buttery cracker (or even crushed graham crackers)
- Powdered Sugar: this helps to bind the whole thing, and adds sweetness
- Chocolate Chips: we melt it with some peanut butter for the coating
How do you make Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars?
- Mix: mix together the melted butter, peanut butter, cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. It’ll be thick.
- Press: press into a foil-lined 9×13-inch pan. (Want THICK bars? Use a 9×9-inc pan.)
- Melt: melt the chocolate chips with remaining peanut butter. Doing this helps the chocolate slice without splintering once it’s hardened on the bars. Spread it over the bars.
- Chill. Chill to set, then slice into bars.
How To Store Peanut Butter Bars?
Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them!
I’m no stranger to making peanut butter bars. I have ones made with pretzels, some with extra peanut butter, some with marshmallows, and even some made with Oreos. These are the most simple version but I love them the most.
This is such a classic recipe and it’s one we make all the time. The peanut butter is sweetened with powdered sugar and the crushed ritz crackers give them a little crunch. You can use any cracker for this recipe (Ritz, Keebler, graham crackers, etc) as long as it’s a buttery cracker that crushes easily. Even digestive biscuits would work (hiiii England and Australia!)
Of course all of those are mixed with melted butter (butter makes everything better) and forms into a gooey and rich mixture. As they cool they harden but stay soft, like the inside of a peanut butter cup.
The top is a mixture of chocolate chips and peanut butter, which helps melt the chocolate as well as temper it enough that it won’t crack when you cut the bars.
Basically, these peanut butter bars are a homemade Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in bar form!
Make the BEST No Bake Peanut Butter Bars with crushed Ritz crackers – they taste like the inside of a peanut butter cup!
Peanut butter bars like these are so easy to make. They’re made in under 20 minutes and then they just have to chill. Slice them big or small (a little goes a long way) but people will be coming back for seconds and thirds!
How to make copycat peanut butter bars:
- Use your favorite peanut butter, creamy or crunchy. I have not tried this with a natural peanut butter, so I suggest using a traditional kind.
- I love using crushed Ritz crackers. One “tube” of them is about 30 crackers, and you need about 60 crackers to make 2 cups of crushed crumbs.
- Use milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips, whatever you like best!
Enjoy!
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The BEST No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons 113g unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs about 60 crackers or about 194g
- 1 1/4 cups 142g powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter divided
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 9×9-inch or 9×13-inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. (Or you can use any size pan in between; the bigger the pan the thinner the bars.)
- Place melted butter, Ritz cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and 3/4 cup peanut butter in a large bowl. Mix by hand until combined. Press firmly into prepared pan.
- Place chocolate chips and remaining 2 tablespoons peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Pour over bars and spread with a spatula to evenly coat.
- Chill for at least 1 hour to set, slice into bars. **It’s best to slice them at room temperature so your chocolate doesn’t shatter.**
- These can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator, depending on how warm your house is. The chocolate will get melty if it’s too hot, so use your judgement on where you should store them.
Recipe Nutrition
I cannot get enough of these easy peanut butter bars! I can’t wait to try Melissa’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars and this Low Carb Peanut Butter Bar!
S’mores Peanut Butter Bars have marshmallows!
Peanut Butter Oreo Bars are a no bake peanut butter bar made with OREOS!
DOUBLE Peanut Butter Bars are all peanut butter!
**Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!**
Last Updated on September 28, 2020
Lovely recipes
Delicious! My grandkids want me to have an endless supply for them.
When you said hi England, I made me smile. Hello back! I’m definitely going to try this recipe. With digestive biscuits. Xx
Could you possibly substitute the powder sugar with monkfruit sweetner
Yes I am 99% sure you can do that.
I believe I have made these 4 times already! Didn’t want them too sweet, so I reduced the powdered sugar to 1/2 cup, and used saltine crackers because that’s what was in the pantry. Made them this way once and loved it, so that’s how I continue to make it. Love this recipe and its versatility!
The instructions say to press the graham mixture firmly. Mine is very goopy so no way to press firmly. I followed the directions exactly
Try spraying your hands with cooking spray to get them pressed down. They’ll harden in the fridge!
I like the recipe but don’t want all the irrelevant information with it; just the recipe thank you!
You’re welcome for the free recipe.
Marijke, that’s why there’s a handy dandy “JUMP TO RECIPE” button at the start of the post. Some us find the information more relevant than others.
Dorothy, love your comments and humor on all of your recipes! You are one of my favorites along with your recipes. Keep your relevent information flowing! I look forward to a good read when I see your email in my in box.
Wow..that’s pretty rude. If you think the info is irrelevant then hit the “jump to recipe” button and you’ll never see it. Even as a seasoned cook, I continue to learn and try new suggestions. Keep the info coming!!
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