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April 27, 2020 By Katie 18 Comments

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

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Do you have peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut flour, salt, and chocolate? Then you have everything you need to make these simple yet decadent no-bake peanut butter bars, made without powdered sugar and without graham cracker crumbs! They’re gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and all-around awesome.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

I feel like I say this a lot when I introduce a new recipe, but I’m saying it again: this recipe has been months in the making.

Through a combination of my own (sometimes disabling) perfectionism and life distractions happening at an ever-increasing pace, this recipe has been picked up and put down no less than 6 times in the past 6 months.

When you see how simple the ingredients are, you may wonder how the heck it could’ve taken so long to figure out. The truth is, it only took about 2 tries to figure it out, and after that I just tinkered around the edges whenever I had a fresh jar of peanut butter and didn’t feel like doing whatever I was supposed to be doing at that time.

Procrastibaking is real.

Here’s the deal. We’re all spending a lot of time at home right now, and some people are spending it doing very impressive things like baking sourdough bread or cinnamon rolls. Cool, to be sure. But if you’re sitting here on a Monday night and wondering whether you’re up to that kind of task, I have another option for you.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

I’m of the opinion that right now, we should do and make things that help us feel joyful, or at least comforted. Maybe that involves nurturing some wizardry of flour and water into bubbly life over a week’s time, but maybe it also involves simply stirring together some peanut butter with a couple other ingredients, covering it with chocolate and sea salt, throwing it in the freezer for 30 minutes, and eating it in chunks with your hands and CALLING IT A DAY.

But maybe that’s just me.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

If you happen to be of the same mind, these no-bake peanut butter bars are going to rock your world. Listen, there are a lot of SUPER delicious, but SUPER unhealthy no-bake peanut butter bar recipes out there. Like, let’s take peanut butter and chocolate, two delicious but already highly caloric foods, and add a whole stick of butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar and graham crackers to them. Why not?

I guess there’s a time and place for that kind of recipe, but personally, if I’m already just sitting in various places around my apartment all day, I’d rather not add to my problems by ingesting a sugar bomb.

So! Hence the tinkering. I wanted a no-bake peanut butter bar recipe that delivered on that amazing salty-sweet peanut butter flavor and dense texture we all love in a Reese’s, but didn’t blow the sugar bank.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

There are surprisingly few options out there in the internet world. A google search for “healthy no-bake peanut butter bars” yielded a bunch of peanut butter oat bar recipes, which, while delicious I’m sure, was not what I was looking for.

I wanted the full-blown, “this tastes like a way better version of a Reese’s” bars that I’ve had before, but without all the…well…junk. If you want something done right, better do it yourself.

I remembered that coconut flour is a particularly absorbent flour, and doesn’t need to be cooked like wheat flour does. It also happens to have a ton of fiber and other such good things. I don’t often use coconut flour in my baking because it’s a tricky ingredient, but it’s widely available and easy to procure, especially in a time where people have bought out the wheat flour section in preparation for the aforementioned sourdough adventures.

  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes
    Natural, creamy peanut butter + maple syrup + vanilla extract.
  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes
    Texture of batter once coconut flour is added. It should be stiff.

Yes, absorbent coconut flour combined with a bit of maple syrup for sweetness, vanilla for flavor, salt (if needed) and creamy, natural peanut butter. After a couple iterations messing with the ratios, I got the batter to a texture matching the sugar-laden treats of old.

  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes
  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes
  • No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

All that remained was to add a simple mixture of melted chocolate and a little more peanut butter to help it firm up into a crackable shell on top of the bars. I used dark chocolate instead of the traditional milk chocolate, because we’re grownups here (most of the time). Also I just really like dark chocolate. If you like a different kind of chocolate, use that!

And a little flaky sea salt never hurt anyone, either.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

Notes for No-Bake Peanut Butter Bar Success:

Use natural peanut butter. The kind with one ingredient on the label: peanuts (ok, and salt if you like). That’s what I tested in this recipe, using both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods store brands. Both worked great! Any brand that is just peanuts and salt will do. I haven’t tested this using conventional, shelf-stable peanut butter so I can’t guarantee the same results. Also, room temperature peanut butter is best for mixing. I usually just open a fresh jar to make this recipe because it uses most of a standard 16 oz jar.

Coconut flour subs: I haven’t tested any substitutions for the coconut flour and recommend using it, but I think almond flour or oat flour might work as well. You may need to add more than the 1/2 cup called for – just keep adding until a stiff batter is formed. It should be a little soft but mostly hold its shape.

Line the pan. You can use parchment or wax paper, or even foil. It makes it MUCH easier to get the bars out of the pan once they’re chilled. Just grab the paper and lift!

Make sure to chill long enough. If you try to cut these peanut butter bars before they’re completely cold, they’ll fall apart. Not recommended. For impatient people like myself I recommend using the freezer. That way you only have to wait half an hour to dig in! Store the bars in the fridge or freezer to maintain their shape. I love them frozen.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes

These no-bake peanut butter bars are intensely peanut buttery, rich, and filling. The dark chocolate is the perfect sweet offset to the dense peanut butter layer. They’re a substantial dessert, and I really like that about them. Plus, they take a sum total of 15 minutes of work, and I REALLY like that about them.

If the idea of dessert with less work appeals to you right now, I have some blogger friends who are also sharing no-bake desserts today, and invite you to check out their creations below!

No Bake Pistachio Pie from Pies and Tacos

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake from Sugar Salt Magic

No Bake Cheesecake Bars from Love in My Oven

Lemon Raspberry Icebox Cake from This Celebrated Life

Butterfinger Pie from The Itsy-Bitsy Kitchen

As always, if you try this recipe, please let me know either by leaving a comment here or tagging me on Instagram @katiebirdbakes. I love seeing your creations! Stay well.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars - simple natural ingredients with decadent results! | katiebirdbakes
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5 from 5 votes

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Do you have peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut flour, salt, and chocolate? Then you have everything you need to make these simple yet decadent no-bake peanut butter bars.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Dessert
Keyword: no-bake, peanut butter, peanut butter bars
Servings: 16 squares (1 8×8 inch pan)
Author: Katiebird Bakes

Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Layer

  • 1 1/2 cups creamy natural peanut butter (202g) at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (104g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (if your peanut butter is salted, omit this)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour (64g; do not pack it)

For the Chocolate Layer

  • 4 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (113g)
  • 2 Tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter (33g)
  • Flaky sea salt (optional, for sprinkling)

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt (if using) until well-combined. Stir in the coconut flour until a stiff batter forms.
  • Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment or wax paper. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
  • In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and peanut butter together in 30-second increments in the microwave, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
  • Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the peanut butter batter and spread evenly to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle flaky salt over top if desired.
  • Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes, or in the fridge for 2 hours. Cut into bars (a large chef's knife works best for this) and serve!

Notes

Bars keep, well-wrapped in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer indefinitely.
 
Note on peanut butter: I’ve tested this with both Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods 365 brand peanut butters and love it.  This recipe uses almost all of a standard 16 oz jar.  You’re looking for a variety that just uses peanuts and salt as the ingredients.  I have not tested this with conventional, shelf-stable peanut butter, though I think it would probably work.
 
Note on coconut flour: Do not pack it into the cup!  Use the spoon and level method like all-purpose flour, or else the bars will be dry.  I have not tested other flour substitutes.  Coconut flour is uniquely absorbent so I recommend using it for best results in this recipe!  It is easy to find in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.  I think, however, that almond flour or oat flour could be used, though the amount would probably be more than 1/2 cup.  Keep adding, a couple tablespoons at a time, until a stiff batter is formed.
 
 

Like this recipe?  Please rate it and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram @katiebirdbakes, and sign up for my email list to receive my recipes straight to your inbox every time I post!

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Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Dessert, Gluten-Free, Healthy, Recipes, Vegan

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    January 4, 2021 at 9:08 pm

    When I told my niece I had made peanut butter bars she got all excited until I said – “they are not like the peanut butter balls with the powdered sugar that we used to make “ to which she turned around with a sad face
    And a bit of disappointment. A few days past and I asked her if she had tried the peanut butter bars and her response was “yes and they are amazing” SCORE – best ever-thanks for such a great recipe and so much less work too! Peace Mary

    Reply
    • Katie says

      January 5, 2021 at 11:40 pm

      SO glad she loved them!! Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Deborah says

    September 19, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    Just made these and they taste freakin awesome!! They’re sweet but not overly so and a great ratio of peanut butter to chocolate. And something about the coconut flour mellows out the peanut butter. Thanks, Katie.👏

    Reply
    • Katie says

      September 21, 2020 at 2:39 pm

      Deborah – thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I totally agree that the coconut flour mellows the salty peanut butter in the best way. So glad you enjoyed these!

      Reply
  3. SusanfromKentucky says

    August 11, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    Comes out to about 215 calories per bar.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      August 12, 2020 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks Susan!

      Reply
  4. Michelle says

    May 30, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    I can’t have chocolate, but am trying to experiment with recipes with cacao nibs. Do you think I could use those in this recipe? If so, would I need to add anything to them besides the peanut butter?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      June 2, 2020 at 11:51 pm

      Hi Michelle – I think cacao nibs are unsweetened, so you’ll have to add a tablespoon or two of sugar or maple syrup, depending on your taste!

      Reply
  5. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

    April 27, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    The ingredients in here are so awesome. These are basically health food bars 😉 I love your photos, too! Gorgeous. Now I’m running to the kitchen to make these!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:33 pm

      I love dessert that has some health benefits 😉 thank you Katherine!!

      Reply
  6. Kristen K. says

    April 27, 2020 at 10:29 am

    This is EXACTLY what i’ve been looking for. I’m going to give these a go today with almond flour as I don’t have coconut flour. I’ll let you know how it goes!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:34 pm

      Yay! Thank you Kristen – I hope it turned out well with the almond flour!

      Reply
  7. camila says

    April 27, 2020 at 8:40 am

    5 stars
    These bars look amazing! So creamy, the ingredients are absolutely fabulous!!! I love peanut butter!!!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:35 pm

      Can never get enough peanut butter! Thanks Camila!

      Reply
  8. Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says

    April 27, 2020 at 8:20 am

    5 stars
    I LOOOOOVE that these are sweetened with maple syrup. I’m making a batch ASAP and sending the link to my mom who will go nuts for them (she doesn’t eat refined sugar–if we didn’t look alike I’d think we’re not related…) Anyway, these look amazing!

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:36 pm

      Hahaha it is hard to believe your mom hasn’t succumbed to your fabulous baking! I hope you enjoy these Kelsie!

      Reply
  9. Marie says

    April 27, 2020 at 4:26 am

    5 stars
    These look sensational. I love that fudgy texture and I haven’t used coconut flour a lot so I can’t wait to try this out.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      April 27, 2020 at 11:36 pm

      Awesome! Thank you Marie!

      Reply

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I'm Katie: attorney by day, baker by night. I'm sharing sophisticated yet approachable recipes to convince you that if you can read, you can bake! Thanks for being here. Read More...

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