These easy Buckeye Bars are a no-bake dessert made with the classic combination of a peanut butter and chocolate layered and sliced into perfect handheld dessert bars!
If you love easy no-bake desserts, be sure to make these chocolate-covered almond treats followed by my easy Rolo turtles recipe and these Chocolate Haystacks. Your whole family will thank you!
Table of contents
Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars
I love a good no-bake dessert especially in the summertime because it means no turning on the oven! This is a quick and easy no-fuss peanut butter treat recipe that requires just a few ingredients and is perfect for peanut butter or chocolate fans and anyone who loves the classic buckeye combination.
These peanut butter and chocolate squares are thick, rich, and a mouthful of magic. I make them for any and every holiday, but they’re also easily portable for potlucks, the recipe makes enough to serve a crowd for game day gatherings, and they’re great for bake sales since they are naturally gluten-free.
These chocolate peanut butter bars are sinfully delicious. They’re a decadent bite, made with a sweet and chewy peanut butter layer topped with a layer of smooth hardened chocolate that just melts in your mouth. There’s just something so amazing about an easy dessert that is so irresistible.
Why this recipe works
- A quick and easy dessert that come together in 10 minutes.
- No need to heat up the kitchen with the oven.
- Made with just 6 simple ingredients most of which you probably have in your kitchen cupboards.
- Everyone loves the combination of peanut butter and chocolate!
- They easily serve a crowd and can be cut into mini squares for mini desserts if necessary.
- A flexible recipe that can be made with a few twists.
- Similar to Peanut Butter Balls, another peanut butter chocolate recipe we love.
Ingredients/shopping list
- Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter works best for this recipe. It gives the peanut butter layer a smooth consistency which is nicer to bite into.
- Butter – Softened, which will help make the peanut butter even more buttery, soft and just plain delicious.
- Powdered sugar – Gives the peanut butter mixture a nice sweetness but also helps with the texture, giving it a little chewiness and structure.
- Chocolate chips – Depend on your tastes you can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and even dark chocolate. Each will have a different flavor, but each will turn out perfect.
- Coconut oil – Adding coconut oil is optional, but when melted with the chocolate it helps create a smooth finish with a bit of an extra sheen to it. It solidifies nicely along with the chocolate and gives it a melt in your mouth experience.
How to Make this Recipe
This recipe will come together in 10 minutes and the chill time of 2 hours is definitely worth it!
Step 1: Mix peanut butter and softened butter together in the large bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer. Beat until fully blended, scraping down the sides as you go.
Step 2: Turn the speed down to low and add vanilla extract followed by the slow addition of the powdered sugar. Continue mixing at low speed until a ball forms.
Step 3: Pour mixture into the bottom of a prepared 9×9 square baking pan, lined with parchment paper or wax paper, and press down with fingers or the back of a wooden spoon, making sure to get it in the edges of pan..
Step 4: Place chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwaveable bowl and heat for a total of 1 minute, stirring halfway through. Pour melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer and spread using a spatula. Chill the bars in the fridge for about 2 hours until fully hardened.
TIP: Top with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt before serving, if desired. The sweet and salty flavor balance is out of this world!
Variations/ Substitutions
1: Add a cup of Rice Krispies cereal to the peanut butter mixture fif desired.
2: Top with chopped peanuts before placing the bars into the refrigerator to set.
3. Crumble chopped pretzels over the top of melted chocolate before placing them in the refrigerator
4. Swap the peanut butter for almond butter for a twist.
Tips
- Use processed peanut butter. It would be difficult to use natural peanut butter for this recipe, as the oils separate and it doesn’t hold as nicely together as processed peanut butter does.
- Using parchment paper will allow easy lifting out of the pan.
- Don’t skip the chill time. Allowing the bars to set nicely, will give them time to solidify and hold their shape. It’s much easier to cut them and nicer looking when you serve them.
- Use a sharp knife or serrated knife to cut them to as big or as small pieces as needed.
- With that being said, if they are too cold or to solid, you’ll need to allow them to sit for abot 10 minutes at room temperature for easy slicing.
FAQ’s
This is a fantastic dessert to make up to a day ahead and keep them chilled in the fridge overnight in the pan. Anything past that you’ll need to transfer them to an airtight container. They will keep fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge.
You can! Wrap them individually for easy storing in a Ziploc bag and that way you can just grab a couple at a time. Allow thawing before enjoying all over again.
Other Dessert Bars Recipes
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Buckeye Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar do not pack
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil optional
Instructions
- Line a square 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add the peanut butter and softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed with a paddle attachment until combined thoroughly, scraping down the sides as it blends.1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 stick butter
- Add the vanilla extract and blend on low speed and then add the powdered sugar slowly. (careful not to over pack the measuring cup. see notes)1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Once all powdered sugar is added, continue to mix on low speed until a ball forms. The dough should not be too wet. If it is add a little more powdered sugar.
- Transfer the peanut butter mixture to the lined pan and press it down with fingers or he back of wooden spoon (press into the corners well)
- In a separate microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil and microwave for 30 seconds then stir and heat for 20-30 more seconds.2 cups chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer and use a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly over top.
- Place the bars in the refrigerator for approximately 2 hours to allow the chocolate to fully hardened.
- Top with sea salt, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Jem
I’d like to weigh the powdered
sugar as you suggested. What is the correct weight? I can’t find it in the recipe.
Nancy
I have made these twice now and everyone loves them. Thanks so much!
Sherri
That makes me so happy to hear!!
Lizzy
Is the butter salted or unsalted?
The recipe does not indicate.
Victoria McAdams
yummy
B Heinold
I add 1 cup Rice Krispies and that also makes stiffer and great tasting. Have made this in ball’s especially for Christmas with my grandchildren, tradition and fun
bb
peanut butter to soft could not pick the square up why would this be followed recipe to a T.
Kellie
I just made these very good taste but the peanut butter mixture is to soft even after frig for two hours.anyway to make it not so soft.ideas would be great.
Sherri
That may happen if too much peanut butter is used and the batter is too wet. I usually measure very carefully or weigh it with a food scale if you have one.
Karen
I make a recipe similar to this and adding graham cracker crumbs helps hold it all together.
Sue
I agree with BB…..the base of this dessert is not substantial enough to support the topping. I added more powder sugar to make it dryer as instructed in the recipe. I am deleting this from my collection..
Michelle
Can I use shortening instead of coconut oil?
Martha Griffin
Love chocolate and peanut butter together
K
Would these freeze well?
Sherri
They freeze great for me!
Pam Defeo
Yes, can you freeze this?
Sherri
Yes you sure can! I like to freeze them individually in plastic wrap placed in a freezer bag or container.