Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars (Printable)
Creamy peanut butter and chocolate layers on a graham cracker crust. No baking required.
# What You'll Need:
→ Base Layer
01 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
04 - 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
→ Chocolate Topping
05 - 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
06 - 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
# Directions:
01 - Line a 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter and 1 cup of peanut butter. Stir until completely smooth. Add the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs, then mix thoroughly until a thick, uniform dough forms.
03 - Transfer the dough into the prepared baking dish. Press it down evenly using a spatula, smoothing the top surface to create a flat, even layer.
04 - Place the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the mixture is fully melted and glossy.
05 - Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter base, spreading it into an even layer across the entire surface.
06 - Place the dish in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours, or until the chocolate topping is firm to the touch.
07 - Lift the chilled slab out of the dish using the parchment paper overhang. Place on a cutting board and slice into 16 even squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- No oven, no stovetop, no fancy equipment, just a bowl and a little patience while the fridge does the real work.
- The chocolate peanut butter combination hits that perfect balance between salty and sweet that makes it impossible to stop at one square.
02 -
- Humidity is the enemy of powdered sugar, so if your kitchen feels sticky, work quickly when mixing the base or the sugar will clump stubbornly.
- Leaving the bars out at room temperature for more than an hour softens the base to a fudgy consistency that some people actually prefer, so experiment before deciding which texture is yours.
03 -
- Score the chocolate layer lightly with a knife after about ninety minutes in the fridge, before it is fully set, and the final cuts will be perfectly clean.
- A tiny sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the wet chocolate transforms these from a backyard bake sale treat into something guests will ask about by name.