No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

March 4, 2013 Last Modified: January 25, 2024 by Regina | Leelalicious 22 Comments

Super easy, no bake peanut butter chocolate bars with cornflakes.

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate never gets old for me. Did you know it was National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day in the US on March 1?

I know I am a few days behind, but these bars are good for any day – holiday or not. They also come together in no time with pretty much no preparation needed. Chocolate, peanut butter, zero prep time and very little wait time? What could be better, honestly? Chances are you already have all ingredients on hand or in your pantry. Even better, right? I love this recipe because of its simplicity!

These peanut butter bars don’t require baking but use crushed cornflakes as a base. That’s why they come together so quickly! You start out by crushing the cornflakes either in a food processor or place them in a freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

This time I left them a little coarser because I like crunchy desserts, but it was a little toocrunchy for my husband’s taste. If you also don’t like it too crunchy, crush the cornflakes longer until they are quite fine.

The original recipe from Food.com used sugar and corn syrup along with peanut butter as binders. It is not really easy to find corn syrup in Asia, so I replaced it with honey.

I am always happy when I can cut out refined sugar from a recipe – unfortunately it doesn’t always work – but this time I was glad to see the bars were sweet enough and everything held together nicely once the crushed cornflakes were combined with the melted honey and crunchy peanut butter. Honey is also a much healthier option in comparison to corn syrup, so if you’re looking to throw in a few healthier options, you may want to choose honey like I did.

Before cutting the bars, you’ll top them with a generous amount of melted chocolate. I added a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter while I was melting my chocolate. This adds yet another kick of peanut butter and makes the chocolate smoother and glossier. You can also use a tablespoon of butter to achieve this or just leave it out.

Here is a trick I recently learned for easier and cleaner cutting of a layer of chocolate topping: When the melted chocolate has set a little (before you put the bars into the fridge) pre-cut a grid into the soft chocolate where you will cut the bars later. Now chill the bars until the chocolate has fully set, then use a (hot) knife to fully cut the bars. This way there will be no cracked chocolate on your bars! It’s a pretty nifty trick that I highly recommend!

If you love chocolate, peanut butter and easy-to-make desserts then this is the prefect recipe for you! It doesn’t call for a lot of ingredients and it’s absolutely delicious! Give it a try and also give my little tips a shot and share your results, thoughts and pictures with me!

Recipe

Easy Peanut Butter Bars {No Bake}

5 from 2 votes

Super easy, no bake peanut butter chocolate bars with cornflakes.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings bars

Ingredients

3 cups cornflakes crushed
1 cup peanut butter crunchy
½ cup honey
6 oz (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter or smooth peanut butter optional

Instructions

Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment or foil. Crush cornflakes either in a food processor or with a rolling pin in a freezer bag.
Melt peanut butter and honey over low heat. Stir until smooth. If you are afraid of burning the mixture, you can also melt it on top of a double boiler.
Stir in crushed cereal. Press mixture into prepared pan.
Melt chocolate (with optional butter/peanut butter for extra smoothness) on top of a double boiler or in the microwave. Spread over top of peanut butter bars.
Pre-cut the chocolate, then place pan in the fridge until firm. Fully cut the Peanut Butter Cornflakes Bars.

Keyword Easy Peanut Butter Bars

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Also can't get enough of peanut butter-chocolate treats? Here are a few more recipes:

No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Berry Bites

Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Brownies

Cashew Cornflakes Bark with Peanut Butter

Random Questions

What can you do with melted peanut butter?

Melted peanut butter can be used in various ways. It can be added to chocolate to make it smoother and glossier, or it can be incorporated into various recipes to add a rich peanut butter flavor. You can also drizzle it over desserts or use it as a dip for fruits and other snacks.

What are peanut butter bars made of?

Peanut butter bars typically consist of crushed cornflakes or other cereal as the base, combined with peanut butter and a sweetener such as honey or corn syrup. They are often topped with a layer of melted chocolate, and additional peanut butter can be added to the chocolate for extra flavor and smoothness.

How many calories in a chocolate peanut butter bar?

The number of calories in a chocolate peanut butter bar can vary based on the specific recipe and ingredients used. However, on average, a standard-sized chocolate peanut butter bar can contain around 150 to 200 calories, depending on the portion size and the specific ingredients and quantities used in the recipe.

Comments

5 from 2 votes