Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars taste just like a peanut butter cup! They only require 5 ingredients, can be made in 10 minutes and are no-bake!
My 11 year old son’s reaction to these bars was, “they taste exactly like a peanut butter cup! How did you do that!?” It’s true. They taste just like a peanut butter cup, but in bar form. I love these no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars for many different occasions: Christmas get-togethers, birthday parties (though check for peanut allergies) and in the middle of Summer when it’s too hot to turn on the oven.
The best part? You only need 5 ingredients and about 10 minutes to make them!
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Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars:
- Vegan Butter: I used earth balance brand, but Miyoko’s is great, too. Melt would work as well.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: You can use natural peanut butter or the other stuff (Skippy, JIF), whichever you have or prefer.
- Cookie Crumbs: Normally, these bars are made with honey graham crackers, but honey is a no-no for vegans, so I found some options for you. I used Chocolatey Chip Teddy Grahams, because they are easy to find, and have no honey or dairy. You can use honey-free graham crackers if you can find them (just check the ingredients). You can even use ritz crackers in a pinch. Just blitz them in your blender/food processor until you have 1 1/2 cups crumbs.
- Powdered Sugar: To keep everything together and provide sweetness!
- Chocolate Chips: For covering the peanut butter layer. Make sure your chocolate chips are dairy free by checking the ingredient list. Trader Joe’s, Guittard and Kirkland brand are accidentally vegan.
How do you make chocolate peanut butter bars?
Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. Melt the vegan butter, then add to a large bowl along with the peanut butter. Mix until well combined. Now add the powdered sugar and stir until combined. Make the cookie crumbs, then add 1/2 to the bowl and stir. Add the other 1/2 and stir in, using your hands if needed, as the mixture will be very thick. Press the peanut butter mixture evenly into the pan.
In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Pour over the peanut butter layer, then place in the refrigerator to set (about 1 1/2-2 hours).
Once set, slice carefully. Serve chilled. Store leftover bars in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can you freeze these bars?
Yes, they freeze beautifully! It’s one of my favorite things about them. Frozen chocolate peanut butter bars are perfect for a quick sweet treat, or adding to a kid’s lunchbox in the morning. Store cut bars in either a freezer friendly bag or container. You can also individually wrap each one in plastic wrap, then place in a container/bag to prevent freezer burn.
More vegan peanut butter dessert recipes:
- Vegan Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
- Oil Free Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chickpea Blondies
Inspired by Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs ( I used chocolate chip teddy grahams, see NOTES)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Topping
- 12 ounces dairy free chocolate chips (1 bag)
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal of the bars.
- Melt the vegan butter, then add to a large mixing bowl along with the peanut butter and mix well until combined. Now mix in the powdered sugar and stir until combined. Add half of the cookie crumbs and mix until fully combined, then add the other 1/2 and mix to combine. This mixture will be quite thick, so use your hands if needed.
- Scoop the peanut butter layer into the prepared pan and press it down evenly to form the bottom layer. Set aside.
Chocolate Topping
- Add the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small pot and heat on low-medium heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. As soon as there are no whole chocolate chips remaining, remove from heat.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture on top of the peanut butter layer and spread it around so it's pretty even.
- Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Serve chilled. To avoid cracks in the chocolate layer when you cut them, run a large sharp knife under hot water, wipe clean, then slice. Continue with each slice. You can also let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting.
- Cover leftover bars and refrigerate them for up to 1 week, or freeze the bars. I love having these bars in my freezer for a quick sweet treat or adding to kid's lunch boxes.
Notes
- For the cookie crumbs, I used Chocolatey Chip Teddy Grahams because they are vegan and don't contain honey. Plus you can find them at most grocery stores. You can also use honey-free graham crackers (several are accidentally vegan, just check the ingredients list for honey). In a pinch you could even use Ritz type crackers. Simply use a blender or food processor to blitz into crumbs, then measure 1 1/2 cups.
- To find dairy free chocolate chips, check the ingredients list for any dairy. Trader Joe's happen to be vegan, as well as Guittard, Kirkland brand and several others.
- Peanut allergy? Try almond butter instead! Sunflower seed butter would work as well, though the flavor will obviously change.
I made this and it turned out perfectly. Really good. One thing I realized later was that because I used the chocolaty grahams, the peanut butter bottom turned dark. Had I used the plain no honey grahams it would have looked more like the picture. So while the chocolaty graham tastes good, if u want that first layer to look more like peanut butter go for the regular grahams.