No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

With just five ingredients, these No-Bake Peanut Bars couldn’t be easier.  Creamy peanut butter covered in chocolate, a great treat for any occasion.

Natalie wanted to make something for her new “little” for her sorority so I suggested these peanut butter cookies. However, her friend with a kitchen did not have a mixer and they had to mix the dough by hand.  Apparently they still tasted great but weren’t quite as good as when we make them at home.  This got me searching for a dessert a college student could make with limited supplies.  I found this recipe from Something Swanky which uses only 5 ingredients and can be made with just a microwave.  The only thing you even need to measure is the graham cracker crumbs.  The best part is that they are so creamy and delicious.  You won’t believe how easy they are to make.  While you don’t need a mixer for these, using one will make the peanut butter part creamier, so I would suggest using one if one is available.

Parchment paper makes it so much easier to get the bars out of the pan.  While I realize most college student kitchens will not be stocked with parchment paper, if you are going to do any baking, you should pick up a roll, it will make your baking life much easier.  These are just too good to leave any remnants in the pan.  They will need to be refrigerated, or you can freeze them.  Whether you’re a college student or just want a quick and easy dessert, you will love these.

Natalie will have her own kitchen next year and I’ll be sure to stock it with the following: hand mixer, cookie sheet, 9 x 13 and 8 x 8 inch pans, large glass measuring bowl, and parchment paper.  With these she can make cookies and almost any delicious bar treats.  I promised her we would work on more 10 minute Tuesday dishes this summer when she is home so she can have some easy dinner recipes also.  You can’t live on cookies alone!

Something Swanky

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

With just five ingredients, these No-Bake Peanut Bars couldn’t be easier.  Creamy peanut butter covered in chocolate, a great treat for any occasion.

• Author: Barbara Curry
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 24 1x
• Category: Dessert

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 lb powdered sugar, 4 cups
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 16 ounces creamy peanut butter, 1 1/2 cups
• 12 ounces milk chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer until creamy.
3. Press into the prepared pan.
4. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate at medium power for 21/2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until just smooth. Pour over peanut butter mixture and smooth with a spatula.
5. Refrigerate until chocolate topping is firm. Remove bars from the pan using the edges of the parchment paper to lift out of the pan. Cut into bars. Keep refrigerated.
6. Something Swanky