Exactly 9 days post-New Year’s my aforementioned aversion to sweets disappeared like a puff of smoke. The holiday sugar cloud has lifted and I am ready to dive into butter, chocolate, sugar and, of course… peanut butter! These peanut butter cup bars are nothing new to the blogosphere, but I am thrilled to finally have them back in my kitchen. I had my first encounter with these bars waaaaaay back in college. I was at a cookout/bonfire and a girl brought a pan of these. I’ve been a peanut butter fanatic pretty much since I uttered my first words, so needless to say I fell in love with these immediately. As soon as I wiped the peanut butter and chocolate crumbs off my mouth, I asked for the recipe. I got it, and then promptly lost it before I ever got a chance to make them. I have lived without these for way too many years, so I must make amends. And share with you of course.
I was the kid on Halloween that dug through the candy to get to the Reese’s peanut butter cups. They were gold. On Easter, I was always thrilled when the bunny left a Reese’s peanut butter egg or, as I got older and more appreciative of good sweets, a Sarris peanut butter meltaway egg. So imagine how insanely excited I am that these taste just like a giant peanut butter cup. I could get even more authentic with a thicker layer of chocolate, or actually encasing a cup-shaped version in chocolate, but this recipe is super easy and darn-near perfect. If it ain’t broke…
Three years ago: Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte
Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Yield: 16 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Chill Time: 30 minutes
½ cup unsalted butter
1¾ cups powdered sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
¾ cup graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup milk chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)1. Line an 8×8-inch square pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides, then butter the foil. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the ½ cup of butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs until completely combined and smooth. Spread the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
3. In the now-empty saucepan, melt the ¼ cup unsalted butter. Add the chocolate and stir until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth into an even layer.
4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set. Remove from the pan using the foil overhangs and place on a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter to slice into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
(Recipe adapted from Stylish Cuisine)
Tags: Bar Desserts, Chocolate, Peanut Butter
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Wow, those look delicious, though if I were to eat them I’d probably dip them in chocolate and possibly have whipped cream on them lol.
Was my other comment sent to spam?
Hi Sean, I just checked and it was, but I approved it so you should see it above now. Thanks!
These are so sinfully delicious looking, Michelle! I could for one right now, matter of fact. Thanks for sharing!
These sound so easy and look scrum-diddly-uptious!
My daughters thank you in advance for sharing this recipe, as we will be giving these a go this coming weekend. 
These look WAY too good. Like “get out of my kitchen and stop taunting me” good. Seriously, these wouldn’t last 5 minutes in my house. Amazing!
Yum! These look fantastic. I adore peanut butter, can’t wait to try these
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’m always looking for no-bake recipes at the moment since my oven access is a bit iffy. These bars look absolutely scrumptious
Wow so so delicious lookingm i love the way you have stacked them up.
These look amazing and wonderful and like I NEED to make them
I have been wanting to make these! Last night I started REALLY missing sweets. 10 days is a long time of being “healthy”!
I made this recipe too, and I was amazed! It tastes exactly like a peanut butter cup! I tried to experiment by using a white chocolate topping, don’t do it. Delicious, but so much harder to work with. If I try this again, I’ll definitely just stick to the chocolate like the recipe says.
I don’t like peanut butter myself, but I’ve been debating on trying a similiar recipe for my husband who LOVES peanut butter cups. Yours look so creamy and easy to make too! I may have to make them for him for when my beloved Steelers beat his sorry Ravens this weekend!
GO STEELERS!!!
Wow. I should absolutely not make these. I would eat the whole pan.
I love bars like these! They look incredible!!
I agree- what aversion to sweets? What resolution?! I have all the ingredients on hand… stuck inside on a snow day… bad things could happen!
These look delicious! Would they work with organic peanut butter too?
bookmarked this one; I’m drooling right now
Ok, either I am going to have to quit looking here or just quit making!!! Because I am going to be huge, especially with all this snow, and seeing how I don’t like it so I stay inside like a hermit!!! Thanks for another great recipe!!! Dang it! (In a good way!)
Oh my wow! These look incredible! Peanut butter anything is my favorite too. I just had Reece’s ice cream last night and it was heaven. Aaaah! I want to make these!!
I agree, these are great! Been making them for years, they are in my recipe binder but somehow they don’t get made very often… wonder if I have the ingredients on hand….
Are you supposed to break up the graham crackers really well?
Hi Angi, Yes, the graham crumbs should be crushed very, very fine.
Thanks the info, can’t wait to try these!
All the taste of a peanut butter cup with the simplicity of a bar cookie?! Don’t mess with success! That’s called efficiency!
I agree with Caroline! These are dangerous becuase not only will they taste fantastic but they are way too easy to make! That means they will be waay too tempting to make all the time!
Umm, these look AMAZING.
Yummy. I love these bars.
My mom made these for us when I was growing up. We called them Homemade Tasty Cakes {holla, PA!}. There is something so wonderful about chocolate and peanut butter together that I just cannot resist it.
Oh, and I swore off sweets too. I’ve baked three times since January 1. Good work on my part.
LOL! Love to see Pennsylvania represented
Wow, these look so amazing! We are huge peanut butter cup lovers in this house, too, and for some reason I have yet to try making me I own… I think I’ll have to now!
Reese’s are my favorite too! This is definitely going in my recipe file. Delish!
These bars look heavenly! I am a sucker for PB treats!
Wow – these look perfect! So elegant and rich – I must try them, and I’m not even a huge fan of peanut butter anymore!
I love your site and I love peanut butter cups! I was the same as you as a kid…all I wanted in my easter basket was peanut butter cups (and M&Ms). Can’t wait to try this recipe with my favorite dark chocolate.
I’ve been super excited about this post since you tweeted about it yesterday! I love these, but have never attempted making them myself…looks like I’ll have to soon! They look so great!
YUM!.. and locked in the house from the winter storm..I cant get my PB cup fix.. Now I can make my own:)
Thanks for sharing!
wow those look amazing. I think I would serve them as bite size treats like dibs
I too would be tempted to maybe put a *little* more chocolate on them! But you’re right, if it ain’t broke…
Yum! I may try these with a milk chocolate and semi sweet layer. Just because I can.
I definitely dug around for peanut butter cups in my halloween candy too. These looks so good!
One of my best friends is a chocolate/peanut butter fiend. I must make these for her (and keep several for myself).
love these – like buckeyes, but without all the annoying rolling and dipping!
These sound heavenly!! How do you think they would be with finely crushed pretzel crumbs instead of graham cracker crumbs? I need to take something to Bunco this weekend and this totally fits the bill, except that I don’t keep graham crackers around. Might not have the PB cup taste, but sweet/salty rarely lets me down
Hi Erin, I think you could definitely do pretzels – great idea! Just make sure you pretty much pulverize them and there aren’t any big pieces. Let me know how it turns out – sounds delicious!
I made them for some friends last weekend with finely crushed pretzels instead- SOOOO good! We all couldn’t stop eating them! Thanks for the awesome recipe- I will be keeping it for sure!
Oooh, this will fix my not-salty-enough problem. I will try it!
Heck Yeah! Pretzels sound amazing in this!
Just made this & it’s chilling in the fridge now. The boys will be sooo happy when they get home from school!!
Love, love, love your blog!! It’s my first stop online – even before Facebook!! :^)
I make it in before Facebook? A true compliment, indeed!
These remind me of a treat I used to get in elementary school at recess. They were called gold bars and the were out of this world. So glad you’re ready again for sugar, butter, and chocolate!
haha i know what you mean about the post-holiday aversion to sweets… but i definitely have to give these a try. not sure if my finally-clean-for-a-few-days-in-a-row kitchen would agree, but i’m ready to bake again!
I first came across these at a superbowl party and went on to eat half the pan! They are so addicting! Thanks for your recipe!
I bookmarked this without even reading the post yet! When my low-sugar diet stops, these will be first on the list!
I wonder how these freeze? I need to mail some treats, and these sound perfect! Of course I’ll need to double the recipe to keep some for myself. We are big chocolate-peanut butter fans in our house.
Hi Shelly, I think these would freeze just fine. Enjoy!
Yum! Can’t wait to try these. And great shout-out for the Sarris’ PB meltaway. Makes me miss home n’at!
Yinz from da ‘burgh n’at?
Wow… These look incredible! Yum
oh man oh man, I need to look away, this is wayyy too tempting!!
Does anyone know if they sell graham cracker crumbs? Or do we have to buy graham crackers and turn them to crumbs ourselves?
Gosh I hope that doesn’t sound too stupid.
Hi Bren, Not stupid at all! They do sell boxes of graham cracker crumbs – I have seen it in the baking aisle near the pre-made graham and Oreo pie crusts. Enjoy!
These look amazing. I still have the aversion to sweets. Still on the diet too. I have plateaued at 110. Can’t get past it. Anyway, when I drop the remaining weight I will make these, eat 2 and leave the rest for the family.
I printed it. It is going in the pile of stuff I want to make once I lose the weight.
Thanks for all the inspiration.
Thanks for recipe. I’ll recommend you another recipe for dessert,
Chipotle-Coriander Grilled Peaches, a bit different than what we usually have, cakes or ice cream. Try it out, recipe is found at http://www.fourgreensteps.com/community/recipes/desserts-a-goodies-/chipotle-coriander-grilled-peaches, if you don’t like it, try the other desserts like the Strawberry Tofu, amazing taste!
Oh my goodness these look amazing! I actually love the thinner layer of chocolate on them… the more peanut butter to chocolate ratio, the better!
Ahhhh! Now you are back on track!!
Isn’t it funny how something from so long ago sticks out in our memories? Excellent bars!
I bet my husband would love these!
I make a similar bar…they are FABULOUS! Your photos are lovely!!!
Yum! I have a similar recipe on my blog and LOVE these. Mmm.
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it! =D
I don’t have a 8 x 8 tin, only a 9 x 9 tin, do you think I should increase the amount of the recipe or just leave it? would it be too thin?
I have a group of friends coming over tomorrow night and I think I just found what I’m going to make them!
Have you tried the new Reese’s minis??? They are a peanut butter cup perfected. The peanut butter in them is so smooth and creamy. I may or may not be addicted to them
Chocolate + peanut butter = heaven
Omg, peanut butter lovers unite! <33 These look and sound simply amazing!!
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to dig myself out of this snow so I can buy some more pb!!
Those look heavenly!
This is right up my alley! Looks great! I am making these for sure!
Peanut butter and chocolate – there is no better combination. These look like a dessert I had a long time ago and always wanted the recipe for. Thank you for starting my new year off right with this recipe!
I didn’t like Reese’s when I was little…my love began when I got to college!
Mmmm, these have my name written all over them!
I love peanut butter, so these are really up my alley, and they look so yummy!
I’m bookmarking these!
I love peanut butter AND chocolate and believe there is no better combination. I’m glad you are back into sweets
Although your savory recipes werent too shabby either 
I am not too much of a chocolate fan with chocolate just by itself, but when paired with peanut butter–heaven!
Ok, I made these and just have to say “Thanks!” I am going to have to give you a big shout out on my blog tomorrow!!! (and Thanks from two other little fans too!!!) Don’t just think about making these, YOU SO MUST MAKE THESE!
oops, I meant on Saturday I will be sharing along with two little fans!!! I am already thinking it is Friday!
These look delicious.. if only there was a way I could eat right off the internet!
I feel the same way about peanut butter. My kids are still wondering who ate all the Reeses from their Halloween candy stack:)
WOW these look amazing!!! I too am a peanut butter cup fanatic, thanks for sharing!
Holy WOW!!! And YUM!!!! These really do look amazing. I better hide this recipe from my hubby and quickly;)
Take care,
Terra
So delicious! Made them today for the kids…so easy and yummy! I am thinking next time of adding a layer of pretzels and caramel (okay so homemade caramel blows the whole easy part, but I think it may be worth it). Thank you for sharing!!
Congratulations on making it to the Top 9 on Foodbuzz!
These Peanut Butter Cup Bars look to die for!
My mother taught me how to make these at least 35 years ago.
My daughter is in love with peanut butter cups (or any other form). She will *love* these!
I am a peanut butter addict and we are TRYING these.
Congratulations on your Top 9 today!
These look amazing! I cannot wait to try and make these, my husband is going to love it!
Yum, yum and yum! I NEED to make these this weekend.
WOW!!!! How on earth have I not heard of these before?!?!?! I feel as if my whole life has been a lie and I’ve been deprived, and I didn’t even know it til just now!!!
I am so making these ASAP!!! Thanks for sharing!
I thought I’m the only one that throw the resolution our of the window
)
Love peanut-butter and chocolate combo and love your bars. They look so good.
Thanks for sharing Michelle.
I’ve sent you a friend request on FoodBuzz, hope you’ll accept it.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Roxana
This is my all time fave dessert!!!
Made these for a church pot-luck. Needless to say, there were no leftovers and people were stalking me to find out how I made them. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!!!
I think these require an NC-17 rating. I just made them and I don’t know how I’m going to have them in the house without some kind of adult supervision . . .
These aren’t even fair! It’s only 9am but now I’m craving chocolate and peanut butter. Yum.
Made these last night, yum! I was looking for a recipe similar to one they used to give out in public schools when I was a kid (I’m 28 now), I’ve been searching for years and this ain’t it, the flavor just isn’t the same. Must’ve been the government peanut butter they used
I think also next time I’ll omit the butter in the chocolate portion, it made it kind of fudgy, and the ones I remember had a hard chocolate topping on them. Very yummy otherwise!
I’m making these for the second time in two weeks today, as they were such a hit last time. I’m going to try starting with a layer of chocolate to make them even more like peanut butter cups (my boyfriend’s favorite). I’ll let you know how it goes!
My husband also suggested adding a layer of chocolate on the bottom. How did this work out?
These were amazing! Even my husband, who usually doesn’t like sweets, ate ‘em up. I added colored sprinkles to the top to make them cuter, and brought them to work. I think they lasted about 5 minutes. Thanks for the great, easy recipe!
Yum I can already imagine how rich this is!
love all your recipes. These are awesome: i barely snatched one before they were gone. This time I’ll try it with crushed vanilla wafer or chocolate wafer cookies as the texture is something I’m not overly fond of (yes, heresy….) This afternoon I’m making a hybrid of the espresso cupcakes and dark choc cupcakes with peanut butter icing. Those plus jalapeno popper dip will be my contribution to SB Sunday.
ok I just made a batch of these and they are EVIL!
so tasty!
Thanks for the amazing idea!
I finally made these today. They were very easy to put together. I used half Valrhona 40% Milk Chocolate and half Ghiradelli 70% Cacao. I also used Kirkland Organic Smooth Peanut Butter.
I am giving them as a gift to hubby tonight with some brownies. I am sure he will love them as he is a big PB fan.
Thanks for the marvelous recipe.
I made these over the weekend and they were delish! I wish I took pictures but my camera wasn’t charged and also, these went fast
I made these today with a few changes based on what I had on hand. I used vanilla wafers (leftover from last weekend’s baking project) instead of graham crackers. I also used semi-sweet chocolate instead. They’re chillin’ in the fridge, but I’m sure they will be delicious even with my slight modifications.
I used Whole Food’s brand of smooth PB. I love, love, love them so much that I need to give them all away before I eat them! However, the pb part is a bit buttery for my taste, and not salty enough. Next time I might try either less butter, or use salted butter. I came back to see if this was because I used natural PB, but it sounds like a lot of people did.
I finally made these this morning after thinking about them non-stop ever since I read them on your blog. They’re delicious, and so easy to whip up. I love your blog and recipes, and whenever I feel like I need a sweet treat, I always come here.
In your professional opinion, how spreadable is the peanut butter mixture? I want to make a cheesecake that incorporates this, with the bottom layer being something like the base of this: http://www.bakerella.com/cheesecake-bars/ for my best friend’s bridal shower.
I am trying to decide whether to do layers of cheesecake peanutbutter ganache (which would be easier as the cheesecake has to be baked and the peanutbutter/ganache do not), or peanutbutter cheesecake ganache, which could be tricky as I don’t know how the peanut butter would respond to it.
Thank you so much!
Hi Elizabeth, it’s spreadable, but not smooth like a ganache. It’s much thicker and coarser.
Ummm… amazing! I’ve recently been kind of obsessed with peanut butter and I think I’m going to need to try this recipe out. Might swap out the milk chocolate for dark chocolate – that’ll make it healthy right?!
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