Wednesday Baking (or not)-Chocolate Peanut Squares
Today's baking recipe requires, um, no baking. Which, I suppose, means it's not actually a baking post.
But if you're like me, when it's hot outside and you're trying to avoid using your AC, or are trying to use it minimally, you're not in the mood to crank up the ol' oven.
So, here's a recipe you can make without heating up your kitchen (I found it in an old Taste of Home magazine a few years ago.).
These bars/candy are somewhat reminiscent of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, except that they are square and have no fancy wrapping. And though they are candy-like, there's nothing at all complicated about making them.
You can use natural peanut butter in this recipe, but the finished product will not be quite as smooth or soft.
If you'd like to print this recipe out with no pictures (to save on paper, of course!), click here to get the Taste of Home version, which will allow you to print it in a variety of formats.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Peanut Butter Layer
⅔ cup graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
½ cup melted butter
Chocolate Layer
½ cup chocolate chips
4 ½ teaspoons peanut butter
½ teaspoon butter
To make peanut layer:
Crush your graham crackers. This is easy to do if you use a rolling pin and a plastic bag. Bonus points to you if you've saved a cereal bag for this purpose (cereal bags work better than ziplocs because they are usually more durable).
I get bonus points. Whee!
Mix the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and melted butter together. If you use natural peanut butter, your mixture will look like this.
Regular peanut butter makes a much softer mixture.
Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly into a 9x9 pan. I don't have a 9x9 pan, so I use an 8x8 or a 9x7, and it works out just fine. I'd recommend greasing the pan, or if you like, you can line the pan with foil. That way when the bars are chilled, you can easily take them out of the pan in one big square and cut them on a cutting board.
I find this handy-dandy little rolling pin to be very effective with the stiff natural peanut butter mixture.
Wet fingers or a wet spatula work best with the softer mixture.
To make the chocolate topping:
Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in a microwave safe bowl. I use a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter, because I really don't feel like measuring 4 ½ teaspoons of peanut butter. Seriously, who measures a half teaspoon of sticky peanut butter?? And I use a skinny pat of butter instead of trying to measure a ½ teaspoon.
Microwave, stirring occasionally, until chocolate chips are melted. Alternatively, you could melt this in a double boiler.
Spread on top of the peanut butter mixture, and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Once the chocolate is set, I like to use my bench knife to cut the candy into squares.
You should store your candy in the fridge to keep the chocolate nice and firm. I keep mine in a glass container with a plastic lid. A cookie tin would work as well.
Enjoy your not-baked treat!
Those look tasty! I think a coworker brought them to a party recently - good to know how to make them. 🙂
I'm drooling on the screen! Yum
Thanks for the recipe. I was looking for something to make my husband for snacks this week. I even have everything in the house to make these. Woot!
All I can say is thank G-d I don't have any graham crackers in the house!
Yum! Might have to make these for a summer get-together. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I made them and the kids loved them!
Hello!! Found you through The Non-Consumer Advocate and have been looking through some of your previous posts - especially on your painted furniture. Lovely and impressive!
Thanks for this no-bake recipe; it looks wonderful and I'm going to try these. Last week I made no-bake cheesecake. Those Taste of Home magazines are great, aren't they?
I'll be looking through your frugal homeschooling, too, as we intend to homeschool our little boy (he's 4).
Anyway, thanks for sharing, and I'll be back. 🙂
We love these!! We found a very similar recipe and have been making them for special treats ever since...too yummy!
Mmm. These are one of our favorite treats 🙂 But we use Ritz crackers instead of graham, to cut down on sweetness and we prefer chunky peanut butter over smooth. Yum, yum, yum! I think I will make some again soon 🙂
They look so yummy and being "no bake", perfect for this weather! All I need is grahm crackers. Thanks for the recipe!
OMGosh Kristen these look so yummy! I am going to make them this weekend with the girls. I have everything except the chocolate chips. Thanks for the recipe!
I have made these before and the kids have been asking for them again. I also found your blog recently and have read the whole thing. It is a wonderful booster shot to keep on track. Also love your painted furniture photos - wish I had done the same. I have a couple of unrelated to baking suggestions - one is to look for blackout liner for you windows in fabric stores to help with heating cooling issues. We also have temperature extremes and I made some this winter - big difference, and now they keep the house much cooler in 100 degree temps. The liner does not need to be hemmed and you can make buttonholes to slip over drape hooks. I used some shirring tape probably originally for Austrian shades and just slipped hooks through little loops in the tapes. Alternatively I considered stitching some kind of cording across the top and making evenly spaced loops. The width of fabric is the flat measurement of the drapes when closed. The liner does not need to be pleated or gathered as it would be too bulky. When I needed more than one width for an especially large window I simply overlapped the liner panels a bit rather than stitching them. The other suggestion is that you might try growing cilantro. It is just as easy as basil and then you would not have to buy fresh and what you don't use would not be wasted. You would also have the bonus of coriander seed after it flowers. I haven't tried growing it inside in a pot over winter, but have grown it in the garden. Hope you find this helpful.
I can't wait to make this for my daughter and friends!
These are really tasty, made them yesterday. I had one suggestion for a substitution, if you don't have graham crackers. My husband makes peanut butter balls for Christmas that have Rice Krispies in them - which I think would make a good substitution for graham crackers. The cereal gives a nice crunch to the peanut butter filling 🙂
As I've been attempting to participate in the Washington Posts "Eating Down the Fridge" challenge this week, (see http://voices.washingtonpost.com/mighty-appetite/eating_down_the_fridge/ ), I was excited to find out that I already had everything in house for making these. It was a wonderful excuse to use up some graham crackers that were lurking and the chocolate peanut squares were delicious. My 5 year old even attempted to skip dinner to have more, but sad for him, he still had to eat his dinner. Thanks for a terrific recipe!
I made these this morning for a party we have to go to tonight( ironically a " I had gastric bypass and lost 225 lbs" party). I added a squirt of corn syrup in the frosting to keep it nice and shiny.
An old coworker told me about your site and I have to say I love it! It has singlehandedly done more to increase my awareness about food waste--and what I can do to limit it--than anything else in my life.
As for this recipe, all I can say is delish! Just made it for the first time and was pleasantly surprised to see that it truly was just as simple to make as you described.
I have just one request. Could you provide a link to a print-friendly version so I can pop it into my recipe card holder?
Thanks and keep up the great blogging!
Melissa, I'm so glad my blog has been helpful to you.
The original Taste of Home link in this post takes you to the TOH recipe for these, and you can print it in a recipe card size there. I've also added another link right above the title of the recipe, so you should be all set now. 🙂
We were out of graham crackers (how did that happen?) so instead I crushed up Honey Nut Cheerios in my blender till they were crumbs. Tasted great! Thanks for the yummy, easy recipes! Keep them coming.
I tried these today and I'll be honest they were not exactly what I was hoping for. I think for whatever reason our batch needed a lot less powdered sugar. The peanut butter, graham cracker mixture just did not hold together very well and they seemed too sweet from the powdered sugar as well. I think I would have preferred a little bit more texture from the graham cracker mix as well. Better luck next time.
OK, I know you posted this ages ago, but I finally got around to making it last night. My daughter (who HATES peanut butter) is out of town, so I've been going crazy making peanut-butter-this and peanut-butter-that. 😀 I'm having a grand time (and trying not to miss her too much).
Anyway, these came out delicious, and were promptly eaten by last night's dinner guests for dessert. Thanks for a wonderful no-bake summer dessert. Yum!
Can I get bonus points for making these today and not even taking the graham crackers out of their little sleeve to crush them? Pretty please? Teehee. 🙂
Lesson learned: if you need a big batch for a party, make it in 2 small batches.
THAT LOOKs SOO DELICIOUS I THINK I'll TRY IT AT HOME FOR MY FAMILY:)
I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy your posts, but I big fat love your recipes. I have tried several, and consistently, they rock!!!
So often you find one in several that you enjoy, but with your recipes, I have enjoyed Every. Single. One!
Please keep it up!
Yay! So glad to hear that. 🙂
Feel better Sonia
In our family we make a very similar version, but the name we got with the recipe is "Peanut Butter Incredibles" - and they are! A huge favorite and, as you said, very easy.