Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are an easy, no-bake dessert! They taste like a peanut butter cup, are naturally-sweetened, and totally irresistible.
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re delicious. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, this combination is hard to resist. They taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups, without the processed sugar.
They are easy to prepare. All you need is 6 simple ingredients! Each layer can be stirred together in less than 5 minutes. The hardest part is waiting for these no bake chocolate peanut butter bars to firm up so you can eat them.
They are perfect for special diets. If you need a gluten-free, egg-free, or dairy-free option, these are for you! You can also swap the peanut butter for almond butter or sunflower seed butter, if you prefer.
They’re easy to customize. If you want to use a different topping, such as melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, or you prefer a graham cracker crust, feel free to modify this recipe as you like!
They are naturally sweet. Instead of using powdered sugar, the chocolate and peanut butter layers are sweetened with pure maple syrup. (This is not to be confused with a processed pancake syrup, which won’t give you the same results.)
Ingredients You’ll Need
The coconut oil acts as a binder in this recipe, because it is solid when chilled. It’s what will give these bars structure, but if you don’t care for a coconut flavor, use refined or expeller pressed coconut oil, which has zero coconut taste. Or, you can use regular butter, if you don’t need a dairy-free recipe.
Almond flour offers a gluten-free option that you don’t need to bake, but feel free to experiment with other options, if you don’t mind a little trial and error. If you’re not a peanut butter fan, you can also use almond butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter for another variation.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
1. Make the chocolate crust.
In a medium bowl, stir together the almond meal, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and coconut oil until a thick, uniform mixture is formed.
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (or similar size baking pan) with parchment paper, then press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place it in the freezer to set while you make the next layer.
2. Make the peanut butter filling.
In the same bowl, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and a pinch of salt.
Remove the chocolate crust from the freezer and spread the peanut butter mixture over the crust evenly, smoothing the top with a spatula. Return it to the freezer while you make the last layer.
3. Make the chocolate topping.
In the same mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, cacao powder, and maple syrup. Make sure the maple syrup is at room temperature, otherwise it may cause the mixture to thicken. (This can also happen in a cold kitchen, which happened while I was taking photos!)
Remove the loaf pan from the freezer, and spread the chocolate on top of the peanut butter layer. Return the pan to the freezer and let the bars set until they are firm, at least 1 hour.
4. Slice & enjoy!
When the peanut butter chocolate bars are frozen, use the parchment paper to remove them from the pan. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into squares, and then they are ready to eat.
These bars will soften and melt if you leave them at room temperature for too long, so be sure to store them in an airtight container and keep them chilled in the fridge or freezer. They should be served chilled for the best texture. (They are softer from the fridge, and firmer from the freezer– you can pick the texture you prefer!)
Chocolate peanut butter bars will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unsalted butter would be the most similar replacement, but if you need a dairy-free recipe, try using your favorite vegan butter, instead. The fat you use needs to be solid when chilled. If you’re trying to avoid a coconut flavor, use a highly refined coconut oil, instead.
I usually spoon the solid coconut oil into an oven-safe measuring cup, and place it in a warm oven to melt briefly while I measure everything else. However, you can also place it in a microwave-safe bowl and use the microwave to melt it in 30 second intervals, or melt it in a pan on the stove top.
I haven’t tested this recipe with a different flour yet, but you might be able to use another ground nut with similar results. Or check out my oat flour pie crust, if you want to try using that as a base, instead. (You could probably use half of that recipe.)
Of course! If you don’t mind a thinner bar, you can use an 8-inch square pan. Or, you can double the recipe if you’d like the layers to remain thick.
Looking for more peanut butter dessert ideas? Try Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Pie, Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies, or Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirled Fudge.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust:
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour (or almond meal)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- Pinch of sea salt
Peanut Butter Filling:
- ½ cup creamy all-natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (at room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate Topping:
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (at room temperature)
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. (Tip: Spray the pan lightly with oil to help the parchment paper stay in place.)
- In a medium bowl, stir together all of the chocolate crust ingredients until the dough sticks together. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan, and place it in the freezer to set.
- To prepare the peanut butter filling, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Remove the crust from the freezer, and add the peanut butter filling on top. Smooth with a spatula, then return the pan to the fridge.
- To make the chocolate topping, combine the cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup, whisking well to break up any clumps. (Make sure the maple syrup is at room temperature, so the topping doesn't thicken up.) Once the mixture has become a smooth chocolate sauce, pour it over the peanut butter layer, smooth the top with a spatula, and return the pan to the freezer to set until firm, about 1 hour.
- To serve, remove the pan from the freezer and grab the edges of parchment paper to easily lift the solid bar from the pan. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into small pieces. (You can get anywhere from 15 to 20 pieces from this batch.)
- These bars will melt if they sit at room temperature for too long, so be sure to serve them chilled. I like to transfer them to the fridge, so they aren't too hard to bite into. (They also have more flavor when served from the fridge, instead of the freezer.) You can store these in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition information is for 1 of 20 bars. This will change if you make bigger or smaller slices, and is automatically calculated, so it’s just an estimate, not a guarantee.
- For zero coconut flavor, use a coconut oil that is refined or expeller pressed. Virgin and extra-virgin coconut oil will have a stronger coconut taste.
- See more substitution ideas in the FAQ section of this post.
Nutrition
If you try these no bake peanut butter bars, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them.
I am making these tomorrow!!! Do you think I can sub honey for the maple syrup?
Thanks!
Jessica
http://www.wearitforless.com
I would use a little less honey than what’s called for, because I find that it’s sweeter and has a stronger flavor when compared to maple syrup. But peanut butter + honey is a tasty combo, so I imagine it will be good!
I want to make these for a Vegan friend who is allergic to Coconut. I do have a lime olive oil though. Do you think that will work?
No type of olive oil will work for this recipe. You’ll need to use some sort of shortening or butter substitute that is firm with chilled to keep it vegan.
You could use cacao butter. It sets firmer than coconut oil.
Thanks so much! We are making these right now. 🙂 Yum!
-Jessica
Any replacements for the almond flour? Would you use coconut flour? Have an almond allergy in the house. Thanks!
I wouldn’t use coconut flour– it’s too different. However, any other ground nut or seed should work, and I believe some comments above have mentioned trying oat flour, but that would require more substitutions.
If one wanted to use oat flour, what other substitutions would need to be made? Thanks!
THIS LOOKS Great! Anything to substitute the maple syrup that is not sugar? Thnx
Do you know the carb count? Nutritional info may not be important if you don’t count calories but it is extremely important if you have to count carbs if I am a diabetic who enjoys making healthy treats and likes to know my healthy limit serving wise when it comes to carbs. Thank you!
I would like to complain about this recipe, it is in the freezer right now and I am having a hard time waiting. Ha ha ha thank you so much for all you do and I just can’t hardly wait until it’s time to get it out of the freezer!
Do you have any nutrition information on this recipe?
I did not have any almond meal, so I ground up raw sunflower seeds. I doubled and put into a 9×9 pan. My natural peanut butter was crunch, no salt. I thought they were very good! The coconut oil I used was organic, extra virgin (unrefined).
YUM! Made these for a small gathering with friends. They are full of flavor this recipe size was perfect to cut into 3/4″ squares for one-bite goodness. Just the right amount of sweetness and nice to have no leftovers from a huge pan of bars. I’m looking forward to making the crust with finely ground unsweetened coconut for a different flavor mix and texture (and looking at your Mounds recipe filling).
These are so good! And what a gift to have a delicious treat for my kiddo who needs to avoid so many things! Thank you!
My foodprocessor broke, so I used some coconut flour I had in place of the almond meal. Big mistake. The crust was way too try and crumbly and pretty much stuck to my throat and made it really hard to even swallow!! The top and middle layers turned out yummy though! Will try again with ground nuts or some other substitute! Thanks!
These pb bars were delicious! One problem I had though was the top layer. It kept getting clumpy and kind of “hardened” up before I could pour it. I ended up spreading it on and it looked like the bottom layer. I used all the correct ingredients and ended up making it twice. It doesn’t seem anyone else had this problem…help!?
It would harden if your maple syrup was chilled from the fridge. If that happens again, you can gently warm the mixture over the stove so it becomes liquid again!
I know that I am quite late, but I finally made these bars after intending to for a while!! While mine didn’t look as professional as yours, they were delicious 🙂 I ran out out maple syrup in the bottom layer; so I ended up subbing stevia and honey for the remainder two layers. I am a peanut butter (AND nut butter+chocolate AND dark chocolate addict), and these hit the spot. Very filling, easy to make with minimal cleanup, and few ingredients! Thank you for your wonderful recipes and knowledge that make healthy eating and healthy lifestyle easy and enjoyable 🙂
I’ve made these, and they taste absolutely fantastic. They’re better than Reese’s peanut butter cups, because the chocolate actually tastes like chocolate, instead of solidified sugar lard 🙂 My only difficulty is getting things smooth and even in the pan. I’m sure I’ll make these often enough that I’ll get better at it.
I am highly allergic to coconut. Can you use something other than coconut oil?
Real butter works well, if you don’t need a vegan option.
Delicious and easy! Thank you.
Wow, my 11 year old and I made this last night! It was fab!! We didn’t have maple syrup and used local honey instead. Thanks!!!
Could I substitute local organic honey for the maple syrup? I’m not a huge fan of the maple flavor! Thanks!
Yes, but I’d use slightly less honey because it’s sweeter than maple syrup.
I made these today. They are wonderful! A big hit with my grandkids, like all of your recipes that I have tried.
Thank you!
How would you adapt this recipe into a Popsicle recipe?
It would be a VERY rich popsicle! I prefer this recipe for a peanut butter popsicle: https://detoxinista.com/2013/05/peanut-butter-banana-ice-pops/ (You could add cocoa powder if you like, too!)
Wauw,
A big thank you from the Netherlands. I am a mom and try every day to teach my childeren to eat healty, thats not always easy when you want to eat something sweet.
Hi! I just discovered your blog and absolutely love it – I could live off these ingredients like coconut oil, cocoa, and of course, peanut butter! This recipe looks absolutely delicious and I am just dying to make it as soon as possible. The only problem at the moment is that I don’t have almond meal, and I don’t have access to a blender. Is there anything I can replace the almond meal with? Do you think some spelt flour or quick oats would work?
Thank you so much for posting this recipe, our oven is broke!!! I’ve been trying to think of delicious treats to make that don’t require an oven and just saw this on Facebook. THANK YOU SO MUCH!! Can’t wait to try them!
These went fast, made them last night, we had to have just one more square! They also were incredibly fast and easy to prepare, thank you. Crunchy pb is what we used.
These bars are great. I used carob powder in place of cocoa, and a mix of coconut sugar and maple syrup, I also sunflower seed butter. All easy substitutions that worked well.
I have a question! Does the chocolate topping melt if stored at room-temperature?
I am looking for any recipe of chocolate topping that allows me to make different truffles and candy and store them outside of the refrigerator, but it’s impossible to find.
I’ll prepare a bachelorette’s party for a diabetic friend and I am on paleo diet, and here where I live is very hard to find diet dark chocolate to simply melt and use.
Than you so much!!!
Making your own chocolate that won’t melt at room temperature requires using a special ingredient, like raw cacao butter, and you’ll probably also have to look into “tempering” the chocolate. I prefer to use ingredients in my pantry, which is why I always make the refrigerated version. 🙂
Thanks so much for your reply! 😀 I’ll try the refrigerated version!
This is an excellent recipe! I have made it a handful of times and I have used maple syrup and honey, both are amazing. I have used whatever pb I have on hand, I did like the Skippy natural crunchy as well with it. Thank you!
I’m so glad my sister shared your page and recipes with me.. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for and its amazing, so good even my 5 boys love them …
These look delicious! Do you by any chance have nutrition notes for your recipes? Thank you!
WOW! Can I give this recipe 10 stars?? These are totally awesome! Easy to make, not too many dishes, and DELICIOUS!! Just don’t eat too many, as they are pretty rich. You just might end up with a little tummy ache. (I may or may not be speaking from experience.) The only problem I see is that it’s supposed to make 15 servings. I would say it could feed 8 people with some self-control. If they have no self control, it might only feed 4-5… and stomachaches might ensue. But they’d be worth it!
I’m wondering how these would turn out using dates in place of some of the maple syrup as sweetener. I hate to experiment the first time I make something because I like to see how it’s supposed to turn out before I start messing with a recipe. But this one is so perfect I’m not sure I’ll take on the risk of experimenting!
Super tasty little treat that’s easy to make and doesn’t last long. Thanks for sharing.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 32 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 158Calories from Fat 112
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12.5g19%
Saturated Fat 6.0g30%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 72mg3%
Potassium 166mg5%
Total Carbohydrates 11.0g4%
Dietary Fiber 1.7g7%
Sugars 7.4g
Protein 3.5g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2% • Iron 8%
Nutrition Grade C+
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
Cant wait to make these!!
Hi –
I made these a few times and my family loved them! I’d like to try and make them without coconut oil – do you recommend any other plant based ingredient to use instead?
Thanks,
Jennifer
Thank You for sharing the many recipes. I’m a gluten and
dairy free eater seeking different options.
I had trouble with the maple syrup separating after freezing. Still taste amazing but a bit messy and I would love to know how to stop the maple syrup from getting run.
Do you measure the coconut oil before or after melting?
I like to measure it after melting it. I melt my coconut oil in a large measuring cup with a spout, so it’s easy to pour into a smaller measuring cup once it’s melted.
Can I use the Lakanto Maple Flavored sweetener here instead of maple syrup?
I haven’t tried that myself, but I don’t see why not! Let me know how it turns out!
I made some bars last week. I made them very thin, but it was wonderful. Then I made them yesterday again and it was a big hit! I used various topping my fave is apricots and pecans. Thanks so much for this recipe!
So much better than a Reeses
I’m glad you think so, too! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Just wanted to say how much I love your blogand the way your recipes are written. Keep up the amazing work!!
Aw, thanks Lisa! Glad you’re enjoying the recipes, and I appreciate your kind feedback. 🙂
OMG THESE ARE SOOO DELICIOUS!!!! This recipe turned out as well as it looks in the pictures and tastes sooo good. Thank you so much for sharing this with the world:)
Oh my word! Alert! Alert! Don’t make these if you have limited self control 🙂 These are AMAZING!!! Thank you yet again Megan for another outstanding recipe!
These turned out great! Will be making again. I added the maple syrup with the coconut oil to heat up since I didn’t leave it out to get to room temp.
Hi, thanks for your great recipes!! I was wondering if we can instead of maple syrop put sugar?
Loved it and it was easy to make. I would change how I made it. I used leftover almond meal from making almond milk which was too wet for the crust. It still tastes delightful but my texture for the crust is not quite right. I will definitely be making these again! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Megan,
… recipe looks amazing … can I use the wet almond meal after making almond milk or does it have to be dried first ? many thanks … stay safe & stay healthy … Claire
I haven’t tested this recipe with almond pulp. Even if you dry it, it’s still lower in fat than blanched almond flour, so you’ll probably have to make some adjustments, like adding more coconut oil. I wouldn’t use the wet pulp in this, or the bars could spoil quickly.
I love this recipe. I made it last night and shared the recipe with a neighbor tonight. I used spent walnut meal from making walnut milk for the crust, and I used homemade peanut butter (only roasted peanuts) in the filling.
These are a HUGE hit in my house. My toddler asks for them all the time!! They are sooo good.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!