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Peanut Butter Bars I

If you love chocolate and peanut butter together, these are the bars for you. See more

READY IN ABOUT 1½ hrs

Peanut Butter Bars I

Read Reviews (1462)

"These peanut butter bars taste just like peanut butter cups." — Nancy

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Peanut Butter Bars I

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Original recipe makes 1 - 9x13 inch pan Change Servings

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

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Directions

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 25 mins
READY IN 1 hr 25 mins

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Kids said that these are better than Reese's! Very tasty. Has anyone tried using just 1 stick of butter successfully? I'll let you know if it works! UPDATE: I made these with 1 1/2 sticks of butter with equally delicious results. I will update again trying 1 stick...UPDATE #2: Okay, I tried one stick of butter - the taste is still delicious! The only difference is that the peanut butter part is a little more crumbly...doesn't hold together quite as well...so you decide how much butter you want to use!

—Jennifer C.

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 09, 2012

I found these didn't turn out as I had hoped! The semi-sweet chocolate gave it a funny flavor and the chocolate was super hard to cut unto while the peanut butter bottom was a bit soft. I bake out of my home and wanted to try some new recipes, this just isn't one I'd use. It had a some what good flavor, but next time I would definately use a diiferent flavor chocolate chip and try a different method on letting them set and harden.

—SheliaRenee

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1,880 Ratings

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Dec 07, 2007

These have become an absolute staple in my house! Also, it is my total standard recipe for 'gotta-bring-something-sweet' to 'fill-in-the-blank'. SO easy, SO fast and terrific for satisfying those cravings. I chill the peanut butter base for 15 or 20 minutes before topping with the chocolate so the warm chocolate doesn't melt into the peanut butter too much, making spots of too thick chocolate and leaving other areas spread too thin!

—Nessa

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Aug 22, 2008

These were great! I was a little worried because I used natural peanut butter and the bottom layer was really runny when I put it in the pan. I am glad I kept them refrigerated because they do soften quickly at room temperature but all in all, they turned out great. Everyone who tried them loved them and my friend wanted the recipe. I had hoped to find a review saying they work even with natural peanut butter but couldn't find one, so now you know! I'm sure they are firmer with regular peanut butter but I'll save myself the hydrogenated oil! UPDATE: This has become a staple in our house as well as many of our friends. I still prefer natural peanut butter, and I've found Skippy Natural works the best, but you can do with other kinds like Laura Scudders, etc. Just keep them in the fridge!

—KISSTHECOOKAGAIN

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Nov 16, 2006

Out of all the chocolate/peanut butter bar recipes on this site, this one to me is the best because it has a good ratio of chocolate layer to peanut butter layer and also is not too sweet to allow the chocolate and peanut butter flavors to shine through. I made a few alterations for my own personal taste as well. I added an extra 1/2 cup peanut butter to the bottom layer mixture. I also used Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chips and I used the whole 12 oz bag (for 2 cups total). Since I had more chips, I also added 1/4 cup of butter to the chocolate/peanut butter melting mixture. This helps keep the chocolate layer smooth and spreadable and helps adhesion to the peanut butter layer.

—MAIF17

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Jul 27, 2008

SO GOOD!!!! If you are a peanut butter/chocolate fanatic like me, then you will love this. I followed other reviewers suggestions to make the recipe easier by melting the peanut butter with butter, then mixing with graham crackers and powdered sugar. Also, chill the peanut butter base for 15 minutes before topping with chocolate mixture.

—Auntie D in MN

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Oct 13, 2008

I decreased the butter to 1 1/2 sticks, and used 14 graham crackers, and milk chocolate chips. I used softened butter instead of melted. You really need to pulverize the graham crackers to a fine powder to get the texture of this recipe right (a food processor works great). I used a 7x11 pan so they'd be thicker. Taste just like Reese's except the filling is a little coarser. Keep these babies in the refrigerator or you'll have a soft, gooey mess on your hands!

—sarah

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Dec 07, 2003

A hit, a major hit. Our guests loved this, we loved this, my children asked me to make it again this week. Since we only have dessert once a week, that is a big compliment! To make mixing easier, I put the pb in the pan with the butter and let it "melt" along with the butter. Then I added both to the graham crackers and powdered sugar. Otherwise, I followed it exactly. Thanks!

—NITROJEN

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Nutrition

Calories
532 kcal
27%

Carbohydrates
49.2 g
16%

Cholesterol
41 mg
14%

Fat
36.6 g
56%

Fiber
3.2 g
13%

Protein
8.8 g
18%

Sodium
320 mg
13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Peanut Butter Bars I

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 532
Calories from Fat: 330

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 36.6g 56 %
Saturated Fat 16.5g 82 %
Cholesterol 41mg 14 %
Sodium 320mg 13 %
Potassium 275mg 8 %
Total Carbohydrates 49.2g 16 %
Dietary Fiber 3.2g 13 %
Protein 8.8g 18 %
Sugars 37.9g
Vitamin A 9 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 3 %
Iron 17 %
Thiamin 7 %
Niacin 44 %
Vitamin B6 10 %
Magnesium 25 %
Folate 16 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.