Last minute dinner plans? No worries! You have plenty of time to make this easy no-bake dessert. Make it right now and let it harden in the fridge until it’s time for dessert. Plus it’s only a handful of ingredients, so you won’t have to pull out every single thing in your pantry or fridge.
Start with softened butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract in your mixing bowl. While that’s creaming, dump some graham crackers into a zippered bag and start crushing them into crumbs. Once your peanut butter mixture is perfectly creamy, add the graham cracker crumbs plus powdered sugar and salt.
Time is of the essence when you’re prepping a last minute meal, so let that churn away in your mixer while you line an 8×8” square pan with parchment paper. Dump that creamy goodness into the pan and smooth out. Tip: a wooden spatula seems to work best with sticky mixtures!
One last quick step! Melt the chocolate and peanut butter topping. Either microwave it for a minute and stir, continuing that pattern until it’s fully melted, or melt it over a double broiler (my preferred method).
The last part is to evenly spoon the melted topping over the peanut butter base. As long as it covers the base, it’s fine to have swirls or mounds. (Besides, doesn’t everyone want a slice of dessert with extra portions of the yummy topping?)
Pop that pan in the fridge and get started with dinner. It will be ready when you are! All you need to do is slice it up and serve it. I prefer it cold, but it’s just as delicious at room temperature.
What to do with leftovers (if there are any!)? Store in the fridge. Or individually wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for another time!
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Have 20 minutes? That’s plenty of time to create this easy no-bake dessert. Perfect for chocolate lovers, peanut butter fanatics, or anyone in the mood for a sweet treat!
Ingredients
For the bars
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 1½ cups peanut butter (or any nut butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ tsp salt
For the topping
- 1½ cups chocolate chips, semi-sweet
- 2 Tbsp peanut butter
Instructions
- Cream softened butter, peanut butter, and vanilla in a stand mixer.
- Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and the salt. (If the mixture is too wet, add more graham cracker crumbs until it thickens!)
- Pour into an 8x8” square pan with parchment paper. Smooth out with a spatula.
- Melt the chocolate chips and peanut butter for the topping (either in the microwave or on the stovetop).
- Once melted, pour on the base and smooth out.
- Cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until the topping is hardened.
- Cut into squares and serve cold or slightly warmed to room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 308Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 210mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 3gSugar: 19gProtein: 7g
