Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (2024)

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BySharon Rhodes

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These Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars are rich, decadent, and packed with peanut butter flavor. Easy to make and perfect for the holidays – or any time of year!

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Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (1)

These gluten-free Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars are a delicious addition to your holiday treat platters. Other popular recipes include these Vegan Thumbprint Cookies or these No Bake Chocolate Pecan Bars. Browse all of our Healthier Dessert Recipes for inspiration.

IN THIS POST: Everything you need to make Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (2)

Ingredients

  • peanut butter
  • maple syrup
  • coconut sugar
  • salt
  • coconut oil
  • vanilla
  • peanuts
  • crispy rice cereal
  • dark chocolate chips

How to make this recipe

First, line a square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Next, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and coconut oil to a medium saucepan.

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Stir together using a wooden spoon over medium-low heat and melt together until smooth and blended.

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Remove it from the heat and stir in the sea salt and vanilla.

Then, stir in the peanuts and rice krispies for that crunch factor.

Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and press it firmly with the back of your spoon until even.

Place the dish in the freezer to set.

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Meanwhile, over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil until completely smooth.

Take the dish out of the freezer and pour the chocolate mixture overtop. Place back in the freezer to set for about 20 minutes

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Finally, slice into squares and store in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container.

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FAQs, Tips, and Substitutions

  • Are these bars dairy free? Yes, they are! Just be sure to check the label of your chocolate chips to ensure they don’t have any milk products.
  • Use a microwave to melt the chocolate topping instead of the stovetop. Use a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in increments, stirring every ten seconds until it is smooth.
  • Run a sharp knife under hot water before slicing these bars to get a super clean edge.
  • Substitute honey for the maple syrup. Just remember that it won’t be considered a vegan recipe if you use honey.
  • You can swap in quick oats instead of rice crispies in the peanut butter layer.
  • Use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a different protein.
  • Store in the freezer or refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (9)

More gluten free treat recipes

  • Almond Flour Cookies with White Chocolate Chips and Macadamia Nuts
  • Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oat Bars
  • Sunflower Seed Butter Cups
  • Sugar Free Date Cookies
  • Honey Oatmeal Bars aka British Flapjacks
  • Salted Maple Walnut Tahini Fudge – Easy No Bake Recipe
Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (10)

**This recipe was originally posted on December 10, 2014, and updated on June 21, 2019, and updated again on November 15, 2022, with recipe notes, writing, and new photos.**

If you’ve tried our Peanut Butter Crunch Bars, please rate the recipe and let us know how it turned out by leaving a comment below. We’re always interested in feedback!

Be sure to follow me on social media! I love pinning to Pinterest, sharing on Facebook, and posting pics on Instagram. See you there. 🙂

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (11)

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars – Easy + No Bake Recipe

Sharon Rhodes

These Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars are rich, decadent, and packed with peanut butter flavor. Easy to make and perfect for the holidays – or any time of year!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Chill 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 16

Calories 279 kcal

Ingredients

BOTTOM LAYER

TOP LAYER

Instructions

  • Line a 9×9 dish with parchment and set aside.

  • In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and coconut oil until smooth and blended.

  • Remove from the heat and stir in the sea salt and vanilla.

  • Stir in the peanuts and rice crispy cereal.

  • Spread into your prepared dish and press it firmly with the back of your spoon until even. Place the dish in the freezer.

  • Meanwhile, over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil until completely smooth.

  • Pour over the base and place back in the freezer to set for about 20 minutes.

  • Slice into squares.

Video

Notes

  • Are these bars dairy free? Yes, they are! Just be sure to check the label of your chocolate chips to ensure they don’t have any milk products.
  • Use a microwave to melt the chocolate topping instead of the stovetop. Use a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in increments, stirring every ten seconds until it is smooth.
  • Run a sharp knife under hot water before slicing these bars to get a super clean edge.
  • Substitute honey for the maple syrup. Just remember that it won’t be considered a vegan recipe if you use honey.
  • You can swap in quick oats instead of rice crispies in the peanut butter layer.
  • Use almond butter instead of peanut butter for a different protein.
  • Store in the freezer or refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 72mgPotassium: 254mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 0.7mg

Keyword crunchy peanut butter bars

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars - Easy No Bake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make peanut butter not dry? ›

Add more oil. Your food processor doesn't have the ability to crush peanuts to the extent required to make peanut butter without adding additional oil.

Why is my homemade peanut butter not creamy? ›

If your homemade peanut butter is not creamy, it is likely due to not blending the peanuts long enough. Try blending for a few more minutes or adding a small amount of oil to help make it creamier.

How do you make peanut butter spreadable? ›

Mix a dab of butter with the peanut butter. It should spread easily and taste even better.

Can I use Nutella instead of peanut butter? ›

Can you substitute Nutella for peanut butter in cookies? While Nutella is similar in texture to peanut butter, the differing levels of sugar and oil make it a harder to swap 1:1 in a peanut butter cookie recipe. What is this? Nutella has significantly more sugar and oil than creamy peanut butter.

How do you harden peanut butter? ›

1. Microwave Method: Scoop the desired amount of hard peanut butter into a microwave-safe container. Microwave on low power (30% to 50%) for 15 to 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between.

What happens when you add water to peanut butter? ›

Peanut butter is super forgiving and is easily thickened or thinned by the addition of water and/or heat.

How to turn crunchy peanut butter into creamy peanut butter? ›

In a food processor

Make sure that the butter is as close to the blades as possible – these will mix the peanut butter and heat it slightly, helping it melt. Add some water to the mixture. The amount of water will depend on how runny you want your end product to be – start with a small amount and add more as you go.

Do you have to add oil to homemade peanut butter? ›

When you first start grinding the peanuts, it might not seem like they'll blend into a smooth nut butter. But trust me, they will! You don't need to add any vegetable oil, I promise. At the beginning, they'll be chunky.

Why is creamy peanut butter better than crunchy? ›

Also, creamy peanut butter has a higher amount of vitamin E than crunchy peanut butter. 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter contain 19% vitamin E, while the crunchy version has only 13%. Compared to crunchy peanut butter, creamy peanut butter has slightly more proteins and a significantly higher amount of vitamin E.

What is Amish peanut butter made of? ›

Amish Peanut Butter is a decadent spread that is delicious on freshly baked bread, pancakes, crackers, pretzels, ice cream, apples or any other dippable snack or fruit. It's most commonly made from mixing together creamy peanut butter, marshmallow cream and Karo syrup.

How do you make peanut butter moist? ›

Stir in some neutral oil

If you're down to the bottom of a jar and the nut butter is dry and crumbly (you didn't store it upside down, huh?), a surefire way to give it life is by adding some oil. Just put in a few drops of a neutral oil (like canola or peanut) and stir to get it all incorporated.

Is Nutella just hazelnut butter? ›

Nutella is usually described as a hazelnut chocolate spread. But, in reality, it comprises of just 13% hazelnuts, the rest being refined white sugar, palm oil, milk powder, and cacao powder. Nutella is not a nut butter.

What can I replace peanut butter with in a cookie recipe? ›

Peanut Butter Alternatives
  1. Sunflower butter. Sunflower butter is a great option for those who are allergic to not just peanuts but also tree nuts. ...
  2. Almond butter (only if you are not allergic to tree nuts) Almond butter has become a very popular spread. ...
  3. Soy butter. ...
  4. Pea butter.
Jul 11, 2019

What peanut is in Nutella? ›

Does Nutella® contain any peanuts? Nutella® hazelnut spread does not contain peanuts or any peanut ingredients, nor does the product come in contact with peanuts during manufacturing.

How do you make peanut butter more wet? ›

Applying heat is the easiest way to thin peanut butter, but if your PB still looks grainy or is so thick that it's prone to burning, a little liquid can help. Try whisking in a few drops of water as you heat the peanut butter, slowly adding more until the butter reaches the right consistency.

How do you keep peanut butter creamy naturally? ›

The easiest way to keep your natural peanut butter spreadable is to store it upside down. The oil, which is lighter than the peanut solids, will work its way up to the bottom of the inverted jar, preventing it from pooling at the top. Flip the jar back over, and the solids will fall down into the oil.

Why is my peanut butter so wet? ›

Natural peanut butter does not contain hydrogenated oils and other stabilizers like the other peanut butters on the market. So the oil and the peanuts will separate and also can make it thinner. This might be the 'watery' part that you mentioned. This does not mean the peanut butter is bad or can not be consumed.

Why does my peanut butter harden? ›

While Peanut Butter does not have to be refrigerated, some may store it in the fridge out of pure preference. The colder temperature can cause the Peanut Butter to thicken, due to the oils hardening at the cooler temperatures.

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