Last updated on August 1st, 2024
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are a homemade, all-natural no-bake confection with a layer of creamy, sweet peanut butter topped with chocolate. This recipe is also known by other names such as: “peanut butter buckeye bars”, “lunch-lady peanut butter bars,” or “no-bake peanut butter bars.”
Vintage inspiration: from my grandmother’s wooden box of hand-typed recipes.
Baker’s tips for Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars:
Crush your own whole graham crackers:
Crush your own graham crackers fresh instead of buying them in a pre-ground box so they taste fresh. I use the Nabisco brand which doesn’t have as many chemicals, artificial flavoring, or high fructose corn syrup as some other leading brands. If you need these to be gluten-free use gluten-free graham crackers or I’ve used crushed Rice Krispies .
Chocolate:
The recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but depending on how you sweet or dark you like your chocolate you can use milk or dark chocolate chips. I like to use a combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips. For the best flavor, use chocolate chips that do not contain artificial ingredients. The easiest way to melt chocolate chips is in the microwave by placing half of the chocolate into a glass bowl and microwave for 30-seconds. Then add an additional half of the chocolate and continue to melt in 30-second increments until it is all melted and smooth.
Use high-quality peanut butter, or grind your own:
Use a combination of chunky and creamy peanut butter to give a little more texture into the base. Be sure to use an-all natural peanut butter that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. You can easily make your own homemade peanut butter from fresh roasted, salted peanuts in which you just place in food processor and blend until creamy.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
BASE LAYER
- Gluten-Free Cupcake Baking Mix
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- 1/2 c. butter soft
- 2 eggs
MIDDLE LAYER
- 3 c. mini marshmallows
BOTTOM LAYER
- 1 c. chunky peanut butter
- ½ c. white Karo syrup
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/3 c. lightly salted peanuts rough chop
- 2 c. Rice Krispies
Instructions
- Grease 9×13 pan. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
BASE LAYER
- Place cupcake mix in mixer and add soft butter and eggs. Mix together and place in bottom layer of pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
MIDDLE LAYER
- Place mini marshmallows over the base layer and bake 2-3 minutes until melted. Remove from oven. Grease an off-set spatula with non-stick cooking spray and then spread the melted marshmallows. Or if using marshmallow cream simply spread over base layer.
TOP LAYER
- Place a bowl over simmering pot of water and melt together peanut butter, Karo syrup, butter, and vanilla.
- Stir in peanuts and Rice Krispies and spread mixture over the marshmallow layer. Let cool and cut into bars.
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Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @vintagebakedmodern on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagebakedmodern
