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People go wild for these No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars! They only take 5 ingredients and 10 minutes (plus chilling time) to make, and they take just seconds to disappear. This is my grandma’s recipe which she dubbed “Almost Reese’s.”
These no-bake peanut butter bars are a must-make for anyone who loves the timeless combination of chocolate and peanut butter.
I’ve had this recipe on my site for years, and it’s always been popular. The only issue is, some readers complained the peanut butter mixture was “grainy” if the brown sugar didn’t dissolve properly in the melted butter.
We reworked the recipe and swapped out all the brown sugar for an equal amount of graham cracker crumbs. I personally think it’s better (sorry grandma!) and there are no issues with graininess anymore. I hope you love it! And if you like the old way better, you can continue to 1 ½ cups brown sugar instead of the graham cracker crumbs.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power (that’s ten percent!) for 1 minute. Afterward, gently press on the butter with your finger. If still too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Graham cracker crumbs: The original version of this recipe was prone to grittiness (the brown sugar would not always dissolve completely in the melted butter). To fix this issue, we updated the recipe to use graham cracker crumbs instead of brown sugar, and it’s fabulous. But if you miss the old way, just substitute an equal amount of brown sugar for the graham cracker crumbs.
- Peanut butter: I use store-bought peanut butter for this recipe, and Skippy is my favorite brand.
- Chocolate: I like regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate if you prefer that.
Step-by-step instructions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with a foil sling for easy cleanup and coat with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, cream 5 tablespoons butter, graham crackers, and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in peanut butter.
- Mix well and press into prepared pan.
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and remaining 5 tablespoons butter for 1 minute. Stir carefully and continue to microwave in 30-second increments until smooth, stirring after each increment. Pour over peanut butter filling and spread evenly.
- Chill until completely firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: I calculated the yield based on using an 8-inch by 8-inch pan and cutting the bars into 2-inch squares. This makes 16 bars. Your yield may vary depending on which size pan you use and how you cut the bars. The bars are very rich, so smaller pieces may be appreciated by some guests.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Or, if you live in a cold climate and the temperature is 40 degrees or less, feel free to store these in the pan in your garage or on your patio.
- Make ahead: These bars need some time to set up, so plan on chilling them at least a few hours, preferably overnight.
- Freezer: The Peanut Butter Bars can be frozen for up to 2 months. You can either freeze them unsliced in the pan, or slice them into pieces and store them in layers between parchment paper.
Recipe FAQs
Some cooks prefer crunchy peanut butter for the bottom layer, and even chop up peanuts for pressing over the warm chocolate before it sets up. Get creative!
If I’m using a 9″x 13″ baking pan for this recipe, I will usually make a double batch. BUT, readers have used a larger pan for a single recipe and have been happy too, claiming it makes a thinner bar that is more like the real thing.
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No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons butter room temperature, divided (see note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (see note 2)
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter (see note 3)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips (see note 4)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with a foil sling for easy cleanup and coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, cream 5 tablespoons butter, graham crackers, and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well and press into prepared pan.
- In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and remaining 5 tablespoons butter for 1 minute. Stir carefully and continue to microwave in 30-second increments until smooth, stirring after each increment. Pour over peanut butter filling and spread evenly.
- Chill until completely firm, at least 3 hours or overnight. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power (that’s ten percent!) for 1 minute. Afterward, gently press on the butter with your finger. If still too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
- Graham cracker crumbs: The original version of this recipe was prone to grittiness (the brown sugar would not always dissolve completely in the melted butter). To fix this issue, we updated the recipe to use graham cracker crumbs instead of brown sugar, and it’s fabulous. But if you miss the old way, just substitute an equal amount of brown sugar for the graham cracker crumbs.
- Peanut butter: I use store-bought peanut butter for this recipe, and Skippy is my favorite brand.
- Chocolate: I like regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use milk chocolate if you prefer that.
- Yield: I calculated the yield based on using an 8-inch by 8-inch pan and cutting the bars into 2-inch squares. This makes 16 bars. Your yield may vary depending on which size pan you use and how you cut the bars. The bars are very rich, so smaller pieces may be appreciated by some guests.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. Or, if you live in a cold climate and the temperature is 40 degrees or less, feel free to store these in the pan in your garage or on your patio.
- Make ahead: These bars need some time to set up, so plan on chilling them at least a few hours, preferably overnight.
- Freezer: The Peanut Butter Bars can be frozen for up to 2 months. You can either freeze them unsliced in the pan, or slice them into pieces and store them in layers between parchment paper.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
When I made these, I replaced 1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter with 1/2 C Crunchy. They were super good! The next time, I will use a 9X13 pan to achieve the thinner bar – and I might use more crunchy vs creamy PB.
I know they’ll be great either way.
I love hearing how people customize my recipes with great results! – Meggan
Can this recipe be doubled for a 13×9 baking pan? They do look amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Hi LuAnn, yes! If I’m using a 9″x 13″ baking pan for this recipe, I will usually make a double batch. Some readers have used a larger pan for a single recipe and have been happy too, claiming it makes a thinner bar that is more like the real thing. Please let me know how they turn out! – Meggan
These are fabulous. Adults love them as well as the younger crowd. They look and taste far more complicated than they are to make.
I’m so glad you loved them, Terry! Thank you for the comment! – Meggan
I love these! I prefer the brown sugar recipe. I guess I like them gritty lol!
Hi Jenny, so happy you love them! – Meggan
today is going to be my second time making these. They are so good and my family loves them! I have to say the first time I had no graham crackers and used Ritz crackers which worked well. Today I’m going to make them the right way! Thanks for a recipe keeper!
Hi Meggan, what do you think about using 1/2 Graham crackers and 1/2 brown sugar for the Graham cracker part? Do you think that would turn out ok?
Hi Diane, yes! Just make sure to mix it well so the brown sugar dissolves. Take care! – Meggan
i would like to make some peanut butter bars , you have listed ingredients but not the amounts to use properly. please advise.
Hi Brett, please continue scrolling to the recipe card towards the bottom of the post and you will see the ingredients, amounts, and directions. You can also clip the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post. Take care!
Do these need to be kept refrigerated?
Will they melt or get mushy if left out?
Hi Pat, yes! I recommend keeping them refrigerated up until you serve them and storing the leftovers in the fridge as well. – Meggan
HI MEGAN,
IT IS 04/10/22 AT 1530 HOURS AND I’VE GOT A POWERFUL “HANKRIN” FOR PEANUT BUTTER BARS. I CAME ACROSS YOUR WEBSITE AND MY TUMMY SAID YUMMM!!! THAT IS UNTIL I NOTICED THAT YOUR VIDEO HAD NO AMOUNTS FOR THE INGREDIENTS. SO I WENT TO “GET THE RECIPE: http://www.culinaryhill.com/chocolate.” ( I really dislike having to got to a 2nd site just to get recipe amounts) IT STARTED OFF WITH “People go wild for my grandma’s no-bake Peanut Butter Bars!” BUT AS I STARTED SCROLLING DOWN, THE PAGE STARTED DROPPING DOWN BEFORE I GOT TO THE INGREDIENT AMOUNTS, IT RESTARTED TO “People go wild for my grandma’s no-bake Peanut Butter Bars!” 5 TIMES UNTIL THE PAGE DISAPPEARED TO ONE VERY VERY LONG WHITE SCREEN. FINALLY GOT BACK TO THE PICTURE OF THE INGREDIENTS , IN BOWLS AND ON TO THE BOTTOM AND THE INFORMATION THAT I NEEDED.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW TO CHECK YOUR WEBSITE JUST IN CASE IT WASN’T MY DESKTOP SCREWING UP. EXCUSE ME NOW, I’VE GOT A TUMMY TO ATTEND TO.
Hi Lee, I’m sorry that you’re having computer issues! Sounds like a browser issue. Thank you for leaving a comment so I can check on our side. Take care! – Meggan
I was wondering if adding butterscotch chips to the chocolate chips would be good.??I love it on the scotcheroos.
Hi Shirley, that pairing sounds great! I’ve never tested it myself but I don’t see what could go wrong. Hope you enjoy, come back and let me know how it goes! – Meggan
I use icing sugar and graham cracker crumbs instead of brown sugar and a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter in with the chocolate chips instead of butter. These are definitely a few interesting changes though, I really like the idea of brown sugar ya!
Oh and when it comes to melting chocolate, am I the only one who, instead of using the double boiler method, just puts a small pot over the rear burner and turns the oven on? Lol. It works like a charm, every time!
Hi, those are interesting substitutions, I’m glad it came out well! I haven’t tried doing that to melt chocolate, I would worry that I’d forget it and it would burn. Take care – Meggan
Just made these, and oh my goodness! Tastes like a peanut butter cup. Such a creamy and rich texture Used semi-sweet chips and wow, delicious. Very easy recipe to throw together quickly.
I’m confused regarding the serving size and carbohydrates. Are these the nutrition fax for a 2 x 2“ bar? Or the whole thing?
Hi susan, so sorry about that. It’s supposed to say 1 (2″x2″) bar. But I see it looks like 12×2″ bar. The nutrition label program squishes all the fields together. So it should be just 1 bar. Thanks! I’ll go figure out how to make that make sense. -Meggan
I actually made a shortbread crust for these so they would be more portable. I would probably use less brown sugar.I did heat butter and brown sugar but still crunchy,sugar texture.These are good but maybe not great.
Thank you. You were correct. This recipe has become our favorite dessert for special occasions. Easy to make and oh so decadent! Hardest part is the time waiting for it to set
So easy; thank you!
Sooo tasty! I’ve been looking for an old tried and true recipe with no luck, but I’ve been craving those bars so bad recently and figured this recipe looked close enough. Turns out, these taste exactly how I remembered them! Only twist I may try next time is to add about 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract when creaming the butter and sugar, and perhaps an extra pinch of salt or a sprinkle of flake salt on top while the chocolate is still melty (I’m a fan of desserts on the more salty side). Would highly recommend even for beginners!
Sooo tasty! I’ve been looking for an old tried and true recipe with no luck, but I’ve been craving those bars so bad recently and figured this recipe looked close enough. Turns out, these taste exactly how I remembered them! Only twist I may try next time is to add about 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract when creaming the butter and sugar, and perhaps an extra pinch of salt (I’m a big fan of desserts on the more salty side). Would highly recommend even for beginners!
Hi Alex, thank you so much! I agree about both the vanilla and the salt. I had posted this recipe a million years ago on my blog, just the way my grandma gave it to me, so now I’m kinda stuck. If I make changes, people will be confused and angry LOL. But I will try vanilla and salt when I make these for Christmas because I think it will be amazing. And then I can add it to the recipe notes if nothing else. Thank you!!! -Meggan
Love these, especially because there is no yucky shortening in them and they have less sugar than other recipes. When I have them on hand, I like to put broken pretzel pieces over the melted chocolate before chilling. Since there is no graham crust, the pretzels give these bars an added crunch and saltiness
This looks great! May I ask why the butter in this recipe?
Hi Mak, the butter adds flavor as well as fat to the recipe. It’s how my Grandma made them! Thank you! – Meggan
Any tips for cutting these into squares without the chocolate topping cracking? When I cut mine sometimes the chocolate top cracks.
Hi Liz, you can try adding one tablespoon of oil (coconut or vegetable) to the hot chocolate mixture before pouring. You could also try using a hot knife (soak the knife in water, then dry it before slicing. Repeat the process when cutting all the squares.) Good luck! -Meggan
Definitely a Reese’s dup!!! Nice job! Very delicious….and I am hard to amaze….my dad who is a junkie is going to try them next….he will be the real test! But me and my husband – 5 Stars All Around!!!Easy to make too!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! My mother used to make about a dozen different cookies, candies and bars to hand out as Christmas presents. My grandparents, aunts and uncles always received their own tin full of the wide variety of goodies. The only rule was to return the said tin if they wanted it filled again the following year. My favorite part of this process was the month leading up to the big day. I was her #1 taste tester, of course! I’ve not had one in years since her passing. I can’t wait to try this recipe as I have no doubt these will taste just like home.
My Aunty Jean made these years ago! Always looked forward to Sunday afternoons and her peanut butter bars! Just delicious!
Awww, I just love stories like this! Thanks Aliceanne! -Meggan
I don’T like peanutbutter, but i do like almond butter i will try this with that. I can not have regraler sugar so i wil try a unsugar brand. I will let you know who it came out at all or it good and i will keep making them.
Sooooo good!!
HI, should I pack the brown sugar when measuring?
Hi Miranda, yes! I’ll fix the recipe so it says that. Thanks! -Meggan
Reese’s is making several of their candy bars with white chocolate which I love. I’m going to make my bars with the white.
Mmmmcmmm these are delicious I’ve made these almost every week during quarantine and my family loves them. Taste just like reeses!!
Would I use light or dark brown sugar?
Hi Jenna, I always use light brown sugar because that’s what I have on hand. I should start specifying it thought. Thank you! -Meggan
I have a ridiculous amount of Hershey kisses on hand, and I use those for the chocolate? These look delicious
Hi Missy, I think so I can’t think of why not! You can melt them either in the microwave (50% power for 1 minute, stir, then 30-second intervals always at 50% power) or double-boiler method. You should be good! Thanks – Meggan
I love this recipe and have tweaked it to make it my own. I use coconut oil and usually opt for the homemade brown sugar as it tastes more like reese’s. I make these into cupcake-like candies and all my friends ask for them when we get together!
Can I add oats to the recipe and what else would be needed to add?
How much peters chocolate melts should I substitute for the chocolate chips? Prefer using them In recipes calling for chips as less paraffin
Hi Marilyn, I wish I knew! I never actually heard of Peters Chocolates before, but after visiting their website, it looks like I’m probably missing out big time. I guess I would assume you’d use the same amount as chips, but if you are familiar with them you probably know more than I do. Wish I could help you more. Thanks for introducing me to them. I am going to track some down and play around and put them to use! -Meggan
I’d like to make this tonight and was wondering if people are using SKIPPY type peanut butter that already has sugar in it OR using natural non-sugar added peanut butter.
Would it hurt to cut back on the brown sugar and powdered sugar amounts if I’m using the Skippy? We tend to like our sweets a bit less sweet. 🙂
I don’t want to mess it up and would love to get feedback.
Thanks,
Donna
Hi Donna, my Grandma always used regular peanut butter, like skippy, so that is the only way I have ever tested it. Unfortunately, I won’t have time to test it for you in the next few days. Some people have said that they are too sweet, but I don’t know what it would do to the consistency if you changed the sugar. My initial thought is to use a natural peanut butter and keep the sugar amounts the same, just because I don’t think that would make the consistency that different. I’m sorry that I don’t have better information for you right now. Good luck! -Meggan
Couple of brands i liked when making these…i used the Adams no stir peanut butter, half creamy and half crunchy..and i also use the Ghiradelli Blue bag Milk chocolate chips! So delicious!!
How firm are these bars? I’m making a chocolate peanut butter cake for my son’s birthday and was thinking I could either cut letters out of the bars or simply form them into letters instead of putting them in a pan. Suggestions? Would they stay together if I coated them in chocolate after they are chilled?
Hi Sheryl, yes I think they would stay together if they are chilled. If you know the cake will be sitting at room temperature for a long time, you could even freeze them to give them a little extra staying power. But if you serve it straight from the refrigerator, you should be fine just like hat.
Here are all my ideas:
If you decide to go with the cookie-cutter letters, you might want to use a larger pan (such as a 9×13) for the peanut butter base so you have more to work with. In fact, I would spread the pb base, chill it, cut the letters but NOT REMOVE THEM, and remove (sort of peel away) the remaining pb base that isn’t letters. Then I would transfer the pan to the freezer (on wax or parchment paper so they don’t stick) so those letters are frozen solid, and then I would coat them in the chocolate. That way you are working with the stablest version of the pb letter as possible.
If you are going to form the letters by hand, you’ll have to see how it handles as the pb base warms in your hands. Frequent re-chilling may be required (depending on if your son’s name is Tim or Bartholomew). I would still probably freeze the formed letters before coating them in chocolate.
I hope this was helpful. I love your idea. Good luck! If you have any other questions or you think I didn’t answer your sufficiently, just let me know. Thank you! -Meggan
I am this is a few months old.. But when I made these last week.. I was keeping them out in my garage only – set the chocolate out there and everything. I found I like them a lot better at room temperature – I like the peanut butter consistency better. Anyways.. Having ate some being cold, and some being room temp.. They help up fine being cut, and thrown into a baggy.. So I dont see why this wouldn’t work.
Do I double or triple the recipie for a 9×13 pan?
Hi Nancy, I would double the recipe for a 9×13 pan. The final product will just be a little bit taller than they are in my recipe, so you will be able to get away with cutting them a little smaller than if you were using an 8×8 or 9×9 pan. -Meggan
I make these so often, they are the best dessert in the entire world. I love Reese’s, it’s my favorite treat, and these are seriously so close to that but even better. Seriously amazing. My son is allergic to gluten, too, so the fact that these are gluten-free is so freaking awesome. Thanks for sharing!!!
It’s the next morning. They are fantastic, just tried one. No issues with separation of chocolate. I’m going to try the Twix recipe next.
Thank you for the recipe!
Just put them in the fridge to chill.. They look great.
Dang these are good! My three sons devoured the whole tray in a weekend. Easy enough to modify and make a double batch next time.
I made these yesterday to take to a potluck. I did everything correct and when it was time to pull them out of the fridge and cut them, it was a disaster. First it was really hard to cut without breaking them and ALL the chocolate separated from the bar itself. And I mean all of it. I was so mad. I NEVER bring a new item to a potluck that I haven’t already made before or tested before and this item was no exception. Thank god I made 2 things to bring in case these bars didn’t turn out. They looked beautiful until I went to cut them and the chocolate top separated from the bar. Does anyone has a suggestion on how to fix that?
Bummer. Mine turned out perfect.
Fabulous, what a weblog it is! This blog provides helpful data to
us, keep it up.
These ARE way better than the ones that use graham crackers. I probably never will get them cut as perfectly as you , though, but I’ll have fun trying.
This is my kind of dessert. Give me all the chocolate and peanut butter 🙂
These look amazing!!
Do NOT use natural pb for this recipe! Way to oily!!! Am going to try melting butter and combining with brown sugar and then mixing with the other ingredients. Gritty or not it’s yum yum yum! Nothing beats peanut butter and chocolate! Thanks for the recipe without graham crumbs….have tried those and didn’t really like the graininess. Thanks again! Will make again for sure!
Your peanut butter and chocolate bars where so easy to make and they where extremely good
Where is the video tutorial
Hi Clarence, it should be immediately below the line of text that reads “Or, freeze up to 2 months in advance and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.” Right there, right below that. If you still don’t see it, it’s also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SJG-Any2AQ&t=8s
Thank you! Sorry about that!
The recipe only includes directions for 5 of the 10 TBSP of butter. I assume you cream the brown and powdered sugar with the other 5. Melted? Or just softened ?
Hi Krista! Sorry for the typo! 5 tablespoons room temperature butter is creamed with the brown sugar and the powdered sugar. The remaining 5 tablespoons is melted with the chocolate in the microwave. Thanks for the question!
This recipe looks amazing. Would like to make them and send to my mom in another state, but I am not sure they will be ok if you are saying that they need to be refigerated. Priority Mail takes 2 to 3 days. Do you think they would be ok if I froze them befire shipping?
Thanks so much!
Thanks For sharing such a heavenly delicious mouthwatering recipe. I will soon visit your blog to check more interesting recipes to learn something new. I hope you will too like my blog indiatourfood.com
I doubled the recipe, got 2 pans cooling in the fridge.
Hi Judith! One for me, one for you I hope? LOL! Thanks for trying out the recipe!
Attempted to make these a couple nights ago for a cookie exchange and they came back out so gritty I ended up throwing everything away. 🙁 will use powdered sugar only next time.
Hi Emily, I’m so sorry about this. I’m going to recipe-test it again to see if combining just the butter and sugars first, before stirring in the peanut butter, makes a difference. A lot of people have had success with the recipe but enough (such as yourself) have had gritty results. It’s so sad! So I have to figure out what’s going on. Sorry for the trouble.
Hi Emily, We tested this recipe extensively using melted butter, room temperature butter, and cold butter. Room temperature butter was the clear winner and we’ve updated the recipe accordingly. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for your feedback. You help make the recipes on this site the best they can be!
Hi, I did make these and they are delicious but when I cut them they broke. Should I have let it stand out of the fridge longer or any addition tips? I did use the foil. Thanks.
Dark chocolate all the way. The darker the better.
I found a recipe just like this a few years ago. Every year since then i make them a few days before Christmas. Last year i tried a different recipe that used sweetened condensed milk. They wouldn’t set even after i put them in the fridge overnight. I won’t make that mistake this year! My family loves these and i usually make a few batches and give to friends and family. Better than Reese’s! I always use semi-sweet chocolate chips too!
these are a great alternative to peanut butter balls, I would mix the brown sugar with the butter first to get a smoother and less gritty texture
Hi Cheryl, thank you so much for this tip! I’m going to recipe-test with your suggestion and see if it eliminates the grittiness. I appreciate you! Thanks again.
Hi Meggan, I noticed the bars in your photo look perfectly cut—any secrets to that? I’d like to make these for a friend’s going-away, and I want them to be presentable. 🙂 Appreciate any insight!
Hi Penelope! Thank you so much, you’re the nicest. 🙂 I made the aluminum foil sling as outlined in the recipe notes so I could just lift the bars directly out of the bottom of the pan. And, obviously the bars are chilled. Beyond that, just use a long, sharp knife (I used my chef’s knife) and clean it between each cut. That last thing, the cleaning part, is not necessary as far as taste goes, but it is one of the secrets to “perfect” looking bars! Please let me know if I can help with anything else! Thanks. 🙂
Hi! The recipe looks great! I have a question though-do these stay firm at all at room temp? I know they need to be refrigerated to set up, and it states to refrigerate leftovers so I’m curious.
I have made a similar recipe in the past and while they were amazing-they were almost gooey at room temp. Far too messy for gifting at the holidays etc.
Thank you!
Hi Maria! These start to get gooey at room temperature. They will last for a bit, maybe an hour, but I wouldn’t set them out for hours on end. If you wanted to take them to a potluck or something, I would probably freeze them in advance. Then by the time you get there and it’s time to eat or whatever, they should still be cold. I don’t think they’d make an ideal gift-giving treat, unfortunately (unless you are having an outdoor party in a cold climate, ha ha!). Glad you asked!
hello.. i’m really looking forward to trying this recipe, however it seems that the 24 servings in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan would be somewhat small and i’d like to share the bars between home and my husbands work so i’d like to make them using a 9×13 cake pan.. could you tell me how I should increase the amounts of the ingredients for this recipe, because I think just doubling them might be a bit too much? thank you for your time 🙂
Hi Danielle! These bites are small but rich, but yes, 24 servings seems to small. First, I’ll change that to 16 servings. Next, I think doubling the recipe would be fine. If anything, the bars might be slightly taller (but not by much) and you could cut them to whatever size you see fit. Thanks for the question and sorry about that! Thank you for your help on the size, too! 🙂
I used Splenda brown sugar because that’s what I had and regular powdered sugar, I did use PB2 made peanut butter with the last of the jar of regular smooth stuff( my kids use the PB2 for smoothies) and dang they still turned out amazing. Slightly and I mean slightly more healthy, as healthy goes!!!
I’m obsessed with PB2! What a great idea. So many great ideas Chari! Thank you for sharing! Even slightly healthy is better than nothing. 🙂
I made these and used exact recipe and instructions. The brown sugar left the peanut butter grainy instead of smooth. Any thoughts.
THanks
Sarah
We tested this recipe extensively using melted butter, room temperature butter, and cold butter. Room temperature butter was the clear winner and we’ve updated the recipe accordingly. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for your feedback. You help make the recipes on this site the best they can be!
Hello! Lovely recipe! I made these on the fly after my husband requested something – I didn’t have to run to the store! I usually completely fail and the PB balls, so am thrilled these turned out well. I noticed another comment about cooking with a toddler and wanted to comment also. We used crunchy PB, and I made them with my 3 year old. The brown sugar is still gritty, but I assumed that was because of how slow I work with a toddler. I suspect that if we blended the brown sugar with the butter quickly, and while still warm, and then added the rest, we might have a smoother consistency. Either way, a true win for a quick and easy treat!
After these bars firm enough to make in candy molds for a specific shaped bar for a party?
I am from Utah and have found that in general here men prefer dark, and women prefer milk chocolate. Odd that this preference is upside down from other places. I teach cooking classes, including a whole class dedicated to just chocolate, and so have had opportunities to speak with lots of people about this. How interesting.
I thought your comment about imported chocolate being preferable for milk chocolate interesting. Traditionally there have only been one or two American manufacturers that make edible chocolate. All the other stuff like Hershey’s and Nestlè are just terrible. The problem is they use inferior beans, and don’t process them well. The gourmet chocolate being produced by a few French and Italian companies has changed the way I think about chocolate, both milk and dark. Because of this, I think, there are now a number of American bean-to-bar companies that are doing amazing and wonderful things with chocolate.
Thanks for the delightful recipe.
Hey Matthew, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment. It’s slightly anxiety-inducing to have a professional such as yourself be on my blog, ha ha! I didn’t know much about the process big American chocolate companies were using to make their inferior product, but what you said makes perfect sense. It still begs the question, why can’t they do a better job? Perhaps Americans just don’t know any better or don’t care how it tastes as long as it’s sweet. Thanks again for stopping by and I appreciate your input. Take care!
Is this recipe gluten free?
Technically yes, provided none of your ingredients have been cross contaminated. But none of the ingredients inherently contain gluten. Great question! Thanks Emilia.
Hello, Is it 5 Tablespoons of butter per 1 cup of chips to melt? When I use your slider to increase the recipe it doesn’t change the butter in the recipe. Thank you.
I LOVE this recipe! I was wondering if you think they would hold up rolled into balls and put on abstick before dipped into the chocolate?
Hi Jerrica! I think so! But I would roll the balls and chill them for 30 minutes or so before dipping in chocolate. Then you should have no problem! Thanks for your question. 🙂
I made these today with my 3 year old. They were super easy! However, I miss read the directions and microwaved the sugar with the butter. That’s what happens when cooking with a 3 year old. They came out really gritty. I was expecting a smooth crust.
Hi Amanda, I think it’s a bit gritty. I don’t know about “a lot” gritty, but definitely some grit. Chances are you didn’t do anything wrong and you just don’t care for the recipe, but I’m speculating. 🙂 I can’t really see why microwaving the sugar would make it “more” gritty! Great you’re cooking with a child, though. Mine always want to help!
My wife and I seem to break your “survey” on dark vs milk chocolate. I prefer extra dark chocolate (75% and above cacao content) while my wife prefers milk chocolate and would prefer to stay below 65% cacao.
These “almost Reeses” sound wonderful. I can also see adjustments to the recipe, such as not just which chocolate to use, but also creamy vs chuncy peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate hazelnut spread (you know the brand) You could make a whole variety pack for yourself or as holiday gifts.
That’s so interesting, Mark! And you’re right, there are a lot of ways you could change these up. Nutella definitely needs to be added here, among other things. 🙂 Thanks so much for your comment.
Super yummy but I do not like the grit from the brown sugar. I like the smooth peanut butter bottom. Next time I will use all powdered sugar.
It’s weird, I actually like that grittiness so that must be a personal preference. I make peanut butter balls and I grind up graham crackers in them to make them grittier! Glad you can find a way that makes you happy, that’s what counts. Happy New Year!
Making these tonight for my boss! I’lol let you know how they turn out.
dark chocolate every time
YES! Love to hear that. 🙂 Thanks James!
Bang on!!
I like milk chocolate, the wife prefers dark chocolate!
Dark chocolate is my favorite. Besides that, it’s good for you. My husband prefers milk chocolate but will eat whichever I use in a recipe because he doesn’t want to do the cooking.
Oh yummy. These are just delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Quick, easy and soooo good! Will be making these again and again. Thanks for this recipe! Directions were perfect also! 🙂
Hooray Donna, that’s great news! I’m so happy you liked them. Thank you so much. 🙂 I hope you have a teriffic week!
I have always preferred dark chocolate by far, although with Reese’s I still like the milk chocolate so that it does not over power the peanut butter flavor (and maybe I just like the traditional flavor). I do like Mounds and other candies in the newer dark chocolate variety. I was looking for my elementary school peanut butter bar recipe that did not include chocolate, The no-bake recipe attracted me to your website. I’ll now bookmark it and come here for future recipes.
Hi Ray! I do think with Reese’s I like the milk chocolate an awful lot, too. Especially the holiday peanut butter eggs that they put out because the Peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio is skewed in favor of PB. I love it! Thanks for the bookmark, I hope you find what you like if you come back. 🙂 Best wishes and thanks again!
Can’t wait to taste these! My husband and I are indiscriminate chocolate fans. However, he prefers dark, whereas I usually crave milk chocolate.
ok, finely got to make these after I saw how many friends pinned these! The results are in……… Easy to make, very, very rich, freeze well but they are to rich for us! Will not be making these again, to each their own!
Appreciate the feedback, CC! Yes, they are quite rich. Thanks for giving the recipe a shot! 🙂 Take care.
Hi Meggan,
Thanks for the great recipes. I enjoy your blog !
My husband definitely prefers milk chocolate and me, dark chocolate rules. We meet in the middle, for most recipes, with semi-sweet chocolate !!
Thank you so much, I’m glad you are finding recipes you like. Semi-sweet is a good catch-all. Plus they taste the best in cookies I think. 🙂 Take care and thank you again for commenting!
Do you use light or dark brown sugar?
Hi Jeanie, I always use light brown sugar. I feel like it is more readily available (i.e., if stores have only one kind, it will be light; Target is an example). I will start specifying this in my recipes and I apologize for the confusion!
Have you made this for large crowd using a Costco size jelly roll pan, wondering how they turn out? And would I need to double or 1.5x, what is best?
Hi Renee! I haven’t made this in a Costco jelly roll pan. I am not sure the best way to proceed, but you could try doubling it and if you have too much peanut butter mixture, you could set some aside and press it into another smaller pan just to use it up. Good luck!
Just an update, I doubled the ingredients and it was perfect for the Costco size jelly roll pan! Great, easy recipe and they’re delicious, very rich!! So it’s more like the candy bar, but bite size pieces were great!! Served them at Teachers Appreciation and they were a hit!
Perfect, Renee! Yes, they are quite rich. When my grandma saw the size of the pieces I cut for the photos in my post, she was quite surprised and said they were WAY too big. 🙂 Well, I guess that’s just how I roll…. but I’m glad doubling worked out and I will add that info to the post and credit your insight. 🙂 Thank you so much and I’m glad it all worked out!
Delicious looking recipe! Back in our day (your Grandma’s and mine) natural or homemade peanut butter always had a layer of oil on it which probably would have made the bar runny. My chocolate preference? I’m a Milk Chocolate lover!
Hi, Deborah! You know, I’ve recently discovered that if it’s imported milk chocolate (from Europe or Australia), it’s really really REALLY good! So I guess I’m becoming a milk chocolate lover also! I do think the natural peanut butter might make the bars strange, too. Plus, if you are worried about the sugar in peanut butter, then the sugar in these bars probably isn’t right for you, either. 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by my blog!
I want to try this with sunbutter or almond butter so my daughter can have it. Yum!
And then blog it! I’d love to hear how it goes, and then I can list your recipe for people who have allergies. 🙂
This looks like fun to make and I’ll certainly try it out. I prefer either or, but more over I like milk chocolate.
Another vote for the milk chocolate! 🙂 Thanks for your comment and I hope you get a chance to try the bars at some point.
I like the sound of these will make them after shop day. But to answer your question I am more a normal chocolate rather then dark,I find the dark to strong. Oh just for the record I am Female.
Thank you for weighing in, Julie! 😀 I do really like semi-sweet too, that’s a great balance. Have a lovely day!
I’m a dark chocolate fan (mainly because I’m lactose intolerant and I have less of a reaction to dark chocolate). My husband prefers milk chocolate.
And also because dark chocolate is better. 😀 But I really do think there are some excellent dark chocolates out there, even if they are vegan. They are so flavorful! Thanks for stopping by Jenn!
How much butter doi i add to melt the chocolate
Hi Linda, 5 tablespoons or half the total amount of butter in the recipe. Sorry that wasn’t clear for you! I hope this makes sense and let me know if not. Thanks. -Meggan
You can’t put foil in micro.
Hi Pat, I will have to fix my wording of this recipe so it’s not as confusing. There isn’t a point where you actually put foil in the microwave. Basically, you line a pan with foil and then, in a separate bowl, microwave different ingredients. And ultimately those melted ingredients end up on the foil, but the foil never goes in the microwave. Sorry for confusion. I’ll reword this!!! Thanks.
Why can’t all-natural peanut butter be used?
Hi Liann, this is a note from my grandma’s original recipe. I guess I can’t think of a good reason WHY natural peanut butter wouldn’t work here. Might taste different but I would think it would still hold the shape… ? I guess I would have to test it myself to know if it actually makes a difference which I haven’t done.
These are drool worthy, Meggan! I can’t believe how simple they are to make, dangerously simple!! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
p.s. Keith and I are both in the dark chocolate camp – Theo 85% is our favorite!! 🙂
Wow these look awesome! Certainly on my to-do list. I make my own brown sugar too at home, the best part is I can adjust the molasses to my own liking. Love picture by the way. Cheers
Hi Vicki, I’m so sorry about this. I’m going to recipe-test it again to see if combining just the butter and sugars first, before stirring in the peanut butter, makes a difference. A lot of people have had success with the recipe but enough (such as yourself) have had gritty results. It’s so sad! So I have to figure out what’s going on. Sorry for the trouble.
Hi Vicki, We tested this recipe extensively using melted butter, room temperature butter, and cold butter. Room temperature butter was the clear winner and we’ve updated the recipe accordingly. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for your feedback. You help make the recipes on this site the best they can be!
Hi Andrea, We tested this recipe extensively using melted butter, room temperature butter, and cold butter. Room temperature butter was the clear winner and we’ve updated the recipe accordingly. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience! Thanks for your feedback. You help make the recipes on this site the best they can be!