No Bake Cookie Bars take the classic combination of oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate cookies and turn them into an easy no-bake dessert.
Flavor combinations don’t get much more classic than chocolate and peanut butter. Whether it’s in peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cup cookies, or classic no bake cookies, you can’t go wrong with chocolate an peanut butter.
While these no bake cookie bars don’t have the same texture as no bake cookies, they do have similar flavors. They have a double dose of chocolate and peanut butter both in the bars and with a layer of chocolate and peanut butter on top.
They’re a simple treat or dessert that’s perfect any time.
“Lovely recipe, bars are really delicious.” – Tieneke
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Graham crackers: If you can’t find chocolate graham crackers, you can use honey grahams. The bars just won’t have quite as much chocolate flavor.
- Peanut butter: I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter because it can be oily, which doesn’t work well in this recipe.
- Chocolate: You can use all milk chocolate or all semisweet chocolate if you prefer. Using milk chocolate will make the bars a bit sweeter.
How to make no bake cookie bars
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Coat an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.
Step 2: Combine graham cracker crumbs, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Step 3: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter, smooth peanut butter, and vanilla, whisking until well combined.
Step 4: Add peanut butter mixture to crumb mixture, stirring until combined.
Step 5: Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 6: Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.
Step 6: Heat remaining smooth peanut butter until runny.
Step 7: Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.
Step 8: Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Storage
Store any leftover cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 5 days when properly stored in the fridge.
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No Bake Cookie Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter not natural
- 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter not natural
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter not natural
- 1 ounce milk chocolate melted
Instructions
- Coat an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs, 3/4 cup rolled oats, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, Pinch kosher salt
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter, smooth peanut butter, and vanilla, whisking until well combined.5 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter, 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add peanut butter mixture to crumb mixture, stirring until combined.
- Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
- Heat remaining smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny.1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.1 ounce milk chocolate
- Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Graham crackers: If you can’t find chocolate graham crackers, you can use honey grahams. The bars just won’t have quite as much chocolate flavor.
- Peanut butter: I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter because it can be oily, which doesn’t work well in this recipe.
- Chocolate: You can use all milk chocolate or all semisweet chocolate if you prefer. Using milk chocolate will make the bars a bit sweeter.
- Nutrition values are estimates.Â
Nutrition
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Adapted from Martha Stewart.
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Comments & Reviews
Peggy says
In the instructions you say to add wafers, oats, sugar and salt. However I don’t see any wafers in the ingredients. Also don’t see the graham cracker crumbs mentioned in the instructions. Am I not seeing something? Thanks.
Kate says
Thank you! That was my mistake. The parts where it said wafers should have said graham cracker crumbs. I’ve fixed the recipe. Thanks again!
Chantel says
I made this wrong– I added the chocolate to the peanut butter mixture (instead of a layer on top). I’m happy to report that it was still delicious. :)
Kate says
Sounds like a happy accident! =) Glad it all worked out!
Megan Becker says
I have two children with peanut allergies. Do you think this recipe would work if I substituted caramel for the peanut butter?
Kate says
I’m not sure how well it would work with caramel. The peanut butter provides a more savory, salty element to balance out the sweet. I would be afraid that caramel would give you a very sweet bar.
I’ve heard that sunbutter works really well as a sub for peanut butter. Have you tried it?
Mere says
Can you use all smooth or all chunky peanut butter? Why 2 types?
Kate Dean says
The chunky peanut butter doesn’t work as well in the drizzle, but the peanuts in the chunky peanut butter add a nice bit of extra peanut flavor and texture to the bars. However, you could use all smooth peanut butter, and that will work just fine.
Tieneke says
Lovely recipe, bars are really delicious. I missed the vanilla in the recipe, I added it with the butter and peanut butters. Thanks!
Tieneke
Kate says
Thank you! And thank you for letting me know that that wasn’t in the directions. I’ve corrected that.
Carole from Carole's Chatter says
Hi Kate, this is great. I hope you bring it over to Food on Friday as part of Pot Luck. You’ll find a link towards the top of my sidebar. Cheers from Carole’s Chatter
Kate says
Thanks!