If you’re searching for an easy, no-bake dessert that is a real crowd pleaser, you’re going to love these gluten-free peanut butter bars made with the best gluten-free graham crackers. You’ll need only five simple ingredients to make this delicious dessert. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Today I want to show you how to make a simple no-bake dessert that requires only five pantry staple ingredients.
There are a few things I love about this dessert.
- Simple: This recipe is super simple to make. With just five ingredients and little fuss, you can make this recipe in just a few minutes.
- Tastes Amazing: I promise you, this recipe is extraordinarily good. It tastes like Reese’s Peanut Butter cups, only less processed.
- Pretty on a Dessert Tray: You can cut the bars into 9 large squares, then cut each square into 4 small squares. You’ll get 36 bite-sized squares that look beautiful on a dessert tray. It’s a real crowd-pleasing dessert!
Now you know why I love this dessert so much, so now let’s talk about what you need to make it.
Ingredients
To make these gluten-free peanut butter bars, you’ll first want to gather your five ingredients.
Butter: You’ll need 1/2 cup of salted butter, melted. If you don’t have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt.
Graham Crackers: You’ll need 1 cup of gluten-free graham cracker crumbs. The graham cracker brand you use will affect the flavor of the recipe.
Several brands make gluten-free graham crackers. My preferred brand is Pamela’s, but Nairn’s, Schar and Kinnikinnick also carry gluten-free graham crackers.
I personally prefer Pamela’s gluten-free Honey Grahams. You’ll need eight Pamela’s graham crackers for this recipe. You can process them in your food processor to get a fine crumbly mixture.
Powdered Sugar: You’ll need 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar (also known as powdered sugar). Most confectioners’ sugar contains cornstarch, which is gluten free. But if you’re looking for corn-free confectioners’ sugar, I recommend this brand.
Peanut Butter: You’ll need 1 cup of peanut butter for the batter, and 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter for the chocolate topping.
Be sure to use smooth peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter will be hard to spread. I also look for a peanut butter that doesn’t have a pool of oil at the top of the jar. You can use other nut butters or sunflower butter; just look for one that is smooth and spreads well.
Chocolate Chips: You’ll also need 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Most brands of chocolate chips are gluten free, but you can check my list of GF chips in my article, Are Chocolate Chips Gluten Free?
Directions
Here are step-by-step instructions to making these gluten-free no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars.
Step #1: Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step #2: Combine the melted butter, gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix together. Add 1 cup of peanut butter, and mix until well combined. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan and set aside. If you use lightly wet hands, the mixture will be easier to press into the pan.
Step #3: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave, mixing after every 30 second interval, then evenly spread the chocolate mixture over the batter.
Before placing it into the fridge to chill, bang the mixture against your countertop a few times to smooth out the top and rid of any chocolate bubbles.
Step #4: Chill the bars in the refrigerator until they are completely firm or for at least 2 hours before cutting. They will be easiest to cut after they sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Cut into 9 large squares or 36 bite-sized squares (preferred).
You can store leftover bars in a sealed container in the refrigerator and enjoy for up to one week.
Tips and FAQs
Dairy Free Option: You can make this recipe dairy free by using dairy-free butter (I recommend Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks). You can also purchase dairy-free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life.
Peanut Butter Option: You can use sunflower butter (Sunbutter) or almond or cashew butter for this recipe. I highly recommend using a smooth, processed peanut butter to make this as it will result in a smoother texture. Avoid nut butters that have oil pooling at the top. These are more difficult to work with and will affect the taste.
Cutting: The bars cut easily into 9 even squares. But I recommend cutting them into 36 bite-sized squares because they are very sweet. The best way to cut them into smaller-sized squares is to first cut them into 9 squares, then cut each square into 4 squares. They’ll cut beautifully and evenly when you cut them this way.
More Recipes to Try
You might like these recipes too:
- No-Bake Gluten-Free Cookies with Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Oats
- Easy No-Bake Gluten-Free Rum Balls
- 3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
- 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter and Chocolate S’mores Bark
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Oat Bars
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms Recipe
Gluten-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted
- 1 cup gluten-free graham cracker crumbs about 8 Pamela’s graham crackers
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 240g
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter divided
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine the melted butter, gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix together. Add 1 cup of peanut butter, and mix until well combined.
- Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan and set aside. If you use lightly wet hands, the mixture will be easier to press Into the pan.
- Melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave, mixing after every 30 second interval, then evenly spread the chocolate mixture over the batter. Before placing it into the fridge to chill, bang the mixture against your countertop a few times to smooth out the top and rid of any chocolate bubbles.
- Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until they are completely firm or for at least 2 hours before cutting. They will be easiest to cut after they sit at room temperature for a few minutes. Cut into 9 large squares or 36 bite-sized squares.
- Store leftover bars covered in the refrigerator and enjoy for up to 1 week.
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