Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Updated Sep 04, 2026
Chocolate peanut butter bars with a no-bake peanut butter base, maple syrup for sweetness, and a chocolate peanut butter topping.
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Chocolate peanut butter bars have always been one of my favorite desserts because they only need 4 ingredients, no baking, and the whole family goes crazy for them! The traditional version uses butter, sugar and graham crackers, and this version is a little lighter but still hits that same peanut butter and chocolate craving. It’s made with oat flour, maple syrup instead of refined sugar, peanut butter and any chocolate you like and couldn’t be easier to make!
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing my chocolate peanut butter bars.
Almond flour works well in the base. I retested these bars with almond flour instead of oat flour because one of my readers tried it that way and mentioned that the base stayed soft even after freezing. The almond flour worked really well and the bars still held together nicely once chilled, so it’s a good option if that’s what you have on hand.
Salted peanut butter gives the bars more flavor. During testing, I used an unsalted creamy peanut butter and noticed the base tasted a little flat. So, I recommend using a creamy peanut butter with salt for the best flavor. If your peanut butter is unsalted, you can add ¼ teaspoon salt to the base instead.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Ingredients
- Peanut butter: I recommend smooth, high-quality peanut butter (with salt if possible) for the best texture and flavor. Or, make homemade peanut butter! You can also substitute almond butter or cashew butter.
- Oat flour: Read my tips on how to make oat flour with rolled oats or quick oats, or use store-bought.
- Maple syrup: You can also use agave syrup or date syrup. If the bars don’t need to be vegan, you can use honey.
- Chocolate chips: I like to use semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips. And you can even use vegan chocolate chips or chocolate bar.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars recipe below
1. MEASURE PEANUT BUTTER AND MAPLE SYRUP IN A BOWL
First, make the peanut butter base. Place the peanut butter and maple syrup in a large bowl.
2. MICROWAVE AND MIX THEM, THEN ADD IN OAT FLOUR
Microwave and stir until smooth. Then, add the oat flour.
3. MIX UNTIL COMBINED
Stir until well combined.
4. PRESS INTO BAKING DISH
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Press evenly into the bottom.
5. MEASURE CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND PEANUT BUTTER
Next, make the chocolate topping. Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small bowl.
6. MICROWAVE AND MIX UNTIL WELL COMBINED
Microwave until melted. Then, stir until smooth.
7. ADD CHOCOLATE ON TOP
Pour the chocolate topping over the peanut butter base and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt.
8. CHILL AND THEN SLICE
Chill until completely firm. Then, cut into slices and serve cold.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Full Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Video
Ingredients
For the peanut butter base
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups oat flour
For the chocolate topping
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides. Set aside.
- To make the peanut butter base, place the peanut butter and maple syrup in a large bowl and microwave for 30–60 seconds. Stir until smooth. Add the oat flour and stir again until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press evenly into the pan.
- To make the chocolate topping, place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Stir until smooth. Pour over the peanut butter base and use a spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle sea salt on top.
- Chill in the fridge until completely firm, about 2–3 hours. Cut into 16 slices and serve cold.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Use high-quality ingredients. This recipe only uses 4 ingredients, so quality and flavor are extra important.
- Storage: Store the pb bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: Individually wrap the pb bars in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag. They’ll last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Make chocolate PB&J bars: Spread a layer of jam between the peanut butter and chocolate layers for a sweet, tart treat.
- Give them a marbled look: Right after you smooth out the chocolate topping, swirl in some white chocolate or more melted peanut butter for a fancy finish.
- Top with roasted peanuts: Before the bars set in the fridge, sprinkle chopped roasted peanuts on top for crunch.
Recipe Tips
- Use high-quality ingredients. This recipe only uses 4 ingredients, so quality and flavor are extra important.
- Use a larger piece of parchment paper than necessary. Letting some paper hang off the sides makes it easier to lift the bars out of the pan and slice them neatly.
- Set in the fridge, not the freezer. To get a smooth chocolate layer on top, I recommend placing the bars in the fridge to set. If you rush it and put them in the freezer, the chocolate will crack on top, and they won’t look as nice.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Comments
One of my favourite dessert recipes, I always come back to it. I add salt to the peanut butter base and it’s just so good and easy to put together!!
I’m so happy this has become one of your favorite dessert recipes, and one you keep coming back to! Adding a little salt to the peanut butter base sounds so good, it really helps balance the sweetness and bring out the peanut butter flavor. So glad you love how easy it is too! Thanks for sharing your experience, Adi!
Hi there, I don’t have that oat flour. I just have regular all purpose flour and then I have bread and pizza dough flour.
That’s the only thing I have can I substitute that? Will it still taste good or no? Thank you so much
Hi there! I wouldn’t recommend using all-purpose flour, bread flour, or pizza flour in this recipe since the base isn’t baked. Raw flour isn’t safe to eat unless it’s heat-treated first, and even then, wheat flour will give the bars a more pasty/floury taste compared to oat flour. If you have rolled oats or quick oats, you can make oat flour by blending them in a blender or food processor until fine. That would be the best substitute and will still taste good! If you don’t have oats, crushed graham crackers or finely crushed cereal would work better than regular flour for a no-bake bar.
Used Almond flour
Base even after freezing is soft ???
Oh I’m so sorry, I will have to retest it with almond flour! I remember it working for me once but there are different kinds of almond flour like fine or coarse which made the difference. I will remove the suggestion for now and add again after retesting. Thank you!
hello!
Have you tried the recipe with almond flour yet?
Hi! Not yet, but I’m planning to re-test it before the end of the month and will let you know how it goes!
Sorry it took so long to get back to this! I tested this today using almond flour instead of oat flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour and it had the same consistency as the oat flour. It came out perfect. I have a video showing it on my Instagram Stories! Let me know if you have any other questions!
Was really hard to work with. The peanut butter base was difficult to mix and the chocolate didn’t want to pour. Tried this because it was simpler than the recipe I was using but I think that one using coconut oil with the chocolate made the chocolate so much easier to pour and spread. This refused to pour, didn’t spread well and overall was a pain to work with and clean up. Tastes yummy, but a real pain to make.
I’m sorry it was a pain to work with, but I’m glad it still tasted yummy! The peanut butter base can be thick depending on the brand of peanut butter and oat flour, so warming the peanut butter and maple syrup a little longer and stirring until very smooth before adding the oat flour should help. If it still feels too dry or crumbly, you can add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or maple syrup at a time until it presses together easily. For the chocolate, you can definitely add coconut oil if you prefer that smoother, more pourable topping. I’d start with 1 tablespoon coconut oil with the chocolate chips and peanut butter, then add a little more only if needed. Also, make sure to microwave in short intervals and stir really well between each one, since chocolate can look unmelted but smooth out once stirred. Thank you for sharing this feedback!
My husband and I lost our minds! So good!
I mixed peanut butter with almond butter (that’s what I had), and add some peanuts for crunchiness (on top of first layer, before pouring the chocolate).
Hahaha! The peanut butter and almond butter combo sounds delicious. So glad you lost your minds in a good way!
Thank you for sharing your recipes. I am considering making your chocolate peanut butter bars for a pot luck. The recipe says to serve them cold. Do they have to be served cold or can they set out for a few hours before serving?
Hi Lurinda, I do recommend serving them cold. They taste the best this way. If they sit out for a few hours, the oils can separate, and the bars might dry out. Hope this helps!
I love these! Thank you! It’s the third time I made these. The oat base is already always a little dry. Should I measure the oats, then ground them? I think by measuring after I ground them, I would make the base moister. Or I’ll just use more peanut butter.
So glad you love them, Patisa! Yes, you measure the oat flour after you grind the oats. That should help! If they still seem dry, you could try adding more peanut butter.
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