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Satisfy your sweet tooth the easy way with these smooth, creamy no bake peanut butter bars without graham crackers. Add the almost-instant rich chocolate ganache topping, and they taste just like a peanut butter cup!
When you want a little something sweet without turning on the oven, these bars are the perfect treatโany month of the year. Plus, these naturally gluten free bars keep for ages in the freezer!
How to make peanut butter bars without graham crackers
These peanut butter bars are made of only 4 regular pantry ingredients, without graham crackers or any other base needed.
This recipe makes a rich peanut butter bar that's smooth as silk, and sets up even firmer. That means it's stable even after you remove it from the refrigerator.
- Melt the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter together. That way, you have the depth of flavor of brown sugar without any grittiness.
- Set the peanut butter mixture aside to cool briefly.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl.
- Pour in the peanut butter mixture, then mix into a stable dough.
- Transfer the dough to a lined square pan, press into an even layer, and chill until set.
How to make chocolate ganache
If you've ever had a rich chocolate truffle and thought that it must have been hard to make, get ready for a happy surprise! Truffles are just thick chocolate ganache rolled into balls and chilled.
You can do so many things with ganache, which is made simply like this:
- Place chocolate disks, chips, or chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl or measuring cup.
- Gently heat cream in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate pieces, and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
There's only one difference between the poured chocolate ganache here, truffles, and the whipped chocolate ganache I love for frosting on a rich gluten free chocolate cake: the relative balance of chocolate to cream.
Here, we use 8 ounces of chocolate pieces, and 4 fluid ounces of heavy whipping cream. If you'd like a harder, more rigid chocolate layer, try reducing the cream to 3 1/2 fluid ounces.
How to make no bake peanut butter bars without graham crackers
Yes! This peanut butter bar recipe is made without graham crackers. Some recipes for no bake peanut butter bars call for adding crushed graham crackers to the peanut butter mixture.
The cookie crumbs are usually used to replace some peanut butter, and also add a bit of crunch to the otherwise smooth bars.
That style of no bake bar recipe takes more planning. Not everyone has gluten free graham cracker crumbs on hand!
This recipe has more peanut butter than the graham cracker variety, too, which means a richer nut butter flavor. The graham cracker style of bars doesn't usually use less confectioners' sugar, either.
Can you freeze no bake peanut butter bars?
Yes! These bars are best chilled, and they can be stored in the refrigerator or even in the freezer.
These peanut butter bars don't actually freeze completely solid, so they can even be enjoyed right out of the freezer. For the best texture, though, let them sit on the counter for 10 minutes after you take them out of the freezer.
Ingredient substitution suggestions
Dairy-free vegan bars
The only dairy in the peanut butter layer of these bars is from the butter. You can try using vegan butter (Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt brands are best).
I've made vegan no bake peanut butter bars using virgin coconut oil in place of butter in this recipe. Virgin coconut oil is the type that's solid at cool room temperature.
You can either skip the chocolate topping, or make it dairy free by using dairy-free chocolate and replacing the heavy whipping cream with canned coconut cream.
Almond butter no bake bars
Try using smooth almond butter in place of the smooth peanut butter in this recipe, and you'll have a recipe for no bake peanut butter bars without peanut butter! I really like Barney Butter brand almond butter.
If you can find a smooth, no-stir cashew butter, you can even make cashew butter no bake bars. No stir nut butter is just the kind of nut butter that has little to no oil separated on top of the jar when first opened.
I wouldn't recommend trying Sunbutter. It's simply too soft and drippy to set up.
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
For the peanut butter layer
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, chopped
- 1 ยผ cups (273 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 ยฝ cups (385 g) smooth, no stir peanut butter
- 2 cups (230 g) confectionersโ sugar
For the chocolate ganache layer
- 8 ounces bittersweet, dark or milk chocolate, chopped (or you can use chocolate chips)
- ยฝ cup (4 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream
- Coarse salt, for finishing (optional)
Instructions
For the peanut butter bar layer
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a nonstick aluminum foil or regular foil, greased with cooking oil spray. Set the pan aside.
- Place a small, heavy-bottom sauce pan on the stovetop and place the chopped butter in it. Melt the butter over medium-low heat.
- Reduce the heat to low, and add the brown sugar. Mix to combine and continue to stir as the brown sugar begins to melt into the butter.
- Add the peanut butter, and mix again to combine well. The mixture will be much thinner.
- Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool briefly.
- Sift the confectionersโ sugar into a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the center of the sugar with a mixing spoon.
- Add the melted peanut butter mixture to the bowl, and mix until well-combined.
- The mixture will be thick. Keep pressing down with the bowl of your mixing spoon to ensure all the confectionersโ sugar is absorbed.
- Scatter the peanut butter mixture evenly in clumps in the prepared baking pan. Using a spatula, press it down into an even layer.
- Cover the mixture with a small piece of unbleached parchment paper or plastic wrap. Press down evenly with your hands to create a single, even layer. Set the pan aside.
For the chocolate ganache layer
- Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a medium-sized, heat-safe bowl or Pyrex measuring cup.
- Bring the cream to a simmer over low heat on the stovetop (or in the microwave, on low power) and pour over the chocolate.
- Allow the mixture to sit for about 1 minute before stirring until smooth. The chocolate should melt fully.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the peanut butter layer in the pan, and bang the pan flat on the counter a few times to break any large air bubbles.
- Allow the chocolate ganache to set for about 5 minutes before sprinkling with the optional coarse salt.
- Chill the pan in the refrigerator until set, at least 2 hours.
- Using a sharp knife, slice into 9 larger or 12 smaller square bars and serve chilled.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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