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These 5 Ingredient Triple Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are like a homemade peanut butter cup, but in bar form. A thick milk chocolate base, layered with a sweet and super creamy peanut butter filling, then covered entirely by another thick layer of milk chocolate. So much better than overly sugary store-bought peanut butter cups. And the best part? These are SO easy to make. They call for only 5 pantry staple ingredients and require zero baking. You cannot go wrong with this triple decker chocolate peanut butter bar. Nothing not love.
Happy Friday everyone! I have to say, this time leading up to and in between Christmas and the New Year truly is the best. Everything is laid back with relaxed holiday vibes. We have most of our family here through New Years and even though I’m working today, it’s nice to have everyone around…and so many people to cook for. I know I say this often, but the reason I love to cook is because I love to cook for others. I love being in the kitchen while the family hangs out. It’s where I find myself most comfortable (probably because I can’t sit still…I get antsy quick).
Anyway, I hope you’re all soaking up these slower days with family and friends. Today I have the best, super easy dessert to share. I’ll be keeping the posts on the shorter side through New Year’s Day. Then back to my regular ramblings (aside from Sunday Favorites post, of course) after the New Year!
Onto all the delicious details of these EASY chocolate peanut butter bars.
How to make these easiest chocolate peanut bars.
This is a recipe that I made years and years ago, but completely forget about it. It’s obviously no secret that I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter (see these cookies and this cake), but the simplicity of these bars is just SO GOOD.
Let me break the bars down layer by layer…
The first layer, sweet milk chocolate.
Layer two, light and extra creamy peanut butter (that is perfectly sweet, buttery, and a touch salty too).
Layer three, sweet milk chocolate.
So incredibly simple. So incredibly GOOD.
The secrets?
The two thick layers of chocolate and the extra thick layer of creamy peanut butter.
For the chocolate layers, the key is to melt the chocolate together with a spoonful of peanut butter. This keeps the chocolate from cracking when you go to cut through the bars. Why does this matter? Well, the peanut butter filling is so light and creamy that if the chocolate was difficult to cut through, the filling would just squeeze right out of the center.
Still good, but obviously not ideal.
As for the filling, it’s very simple. Peanut butter, salted butter, vanilla, and confectioners’ sugar. The key? Whip the peanut butter and butter until light and fluffy, then add the vanilla and sugar. This gives you a “whipped” peanut butter filling, and trust me, it’s insanely delicious.
My biggest tip? Keep the bars chilled. They will soften at room temperature and be a little messy to eat, so enjoy these straight out of the fridge.
To sum this dessert up real quick, these bars are similar to a giant peanut butter cup. But so much better because the chocolate to peanut butter ratio is perfect…just the right amounts of chocolate to peanut butter.
I’ll be making these bars for New Year’s Eve this year, they are so simple. They aren’t all that fancy, but that doesn’t seem to matter. People just cannot get enough of these bars.
Sometimes simple is best, and these bars will be the perfect sweet dessert to ring in the New Year…and new decade for that matter!
If you make these 5 ingredient triple decker chocolate peanut butter bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
5 Ingredient Triple Decker Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Servings: 16 bars
Calories Per Serving: 277 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups + 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 cups confectioners sugar using more or less to your taste
- 3 cups semi sweet or milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Line an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.2. In a small bowl, melt together 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 2 tablespoon peanut butter in the microwave until melted. Pour the chocolate into the prepared pan and tap against the counter until the chocolate is in an even layer. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to set. 3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more confectioners' sugar to your liking.4. Spoon the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer into a smooth layer. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to set. 5. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and 2 tablespoon peanut butter in the microwave until melted. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer, smooth the chocolate out into an even layer. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or until set. Slice into bars (see tip below). Keep bars stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
Tip For Cutting: First, make sure the bars are really cold and the filling is completely set. I'd recommend freezing the bars for 15 minutes to really give them a good chill. Then, run a really sharp chef's knife under hot water, quickly dry the knife off and then cut into bars.
So happy to have stumbled upon your blog, it’s amazing! How do you do it!? A recipe and post everyday. I just started a food blog in August and it’s so much work. I love peanut butter and chocolate and can’t wait to try this.
Made these a couple weeks ago – HEAVEN! BLISS! But now I am out of chocolate chips and can’t go to the store until the end of the month! 🙁 ANY idea of how I can make the chocolate layers with cocoa powder & sugar? Thanks and OH, they didn’t last the night at my house…. they were THAT GOOD.
So happy you love them!!
Try using this method of making chocolate out of cocoa. Maybe that would work? Let me know how it goes!
OK got it sorry! I see it now, through the chocolate haze. :0)
Hope you love these! Did you see that it is 3 cups total?
I’m making these now and just looked at the measurements again because it seems like there’s 1 1/2 c. total in the ingredient list and then it says 1 1/2 c. for the first layer and then 1 1/2 c. for the second layer? Is it 3 c. total? Or…what am I missing? I looked through the comments and didn’t see anything about this, so I’m assuming it’s me not reading correctly—I’m one of those people who can literally use a calculator wrong!–but, I did look at it several times. Any help?
OMG!! I’m not normally a peanut butter chocolate girl… but GOSH these look ahhh-mazing. That oozing bite shot up there – you go girl. Pinned 🙂
Thanks!
Laura – First of all, you WILL get through this, but it sucks beyond compare in the meantime – my spouse and I moved into a not-nearly-finished home in June, and I think we really only started feeling normal about a month ago. Even good stress is intensely life- and body- and emotion-havoc-wreaking. But it will pass and you will have a fabulous home with a hood that can suck up whatever smells you throw at it.
That being said, I’m going to obsess over this recipe until I make it. Maybe with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on top? I like my chocolate/pb combo to be sweet/salty. But thank you for posting a recipe that in no way “waters down” the intensity of the pb – I truly cannot wait to try these.
Awe!! Hang in there!! Hoping things are still feeling normal for you! 🙂
Hope you love the bars!!
These are insanely delicious. Do you have any tips on how to cut them? The filling mostly squishes out when I try to cut through the top layer. Thank you!
Hey Laura!
A lot of people have asked about this, but I did not do anything special. I would try putting them in the freezer for 10 minutes and then cutting. Just make sure the bars are really cold.
Hope that helps! 🙂
Just made these tonight for the Super Bowl! Sooooo decadent and delicious – like a giant Reese’s cup. 🙂 Thanks for the great recipe!
Yeah!! So happy you loved these! THANKS!
Um yeah. I made these today…I’m not even sure what to say. Incredible isn’t the right word. My husband and son licked the beaters and bowl. Like…I can’t even. So so good! I even used generic peanut butter (the funds are a little tight, but I HAD to make these). I love your recipes!
Is it okay if we exclude the butter? I don’t want to make this too heavy. This sounds heavenly by the way!
How do you cut these so perfectly? I made them and they tasted amazing, but they look like a storm came through and shattered them into messy pieces!
Oh no!! Honestly, I did not do anything special, they just cut really easy for me. Did you add the peanut butter to the chocolate layer? Also, how long did you leave them in the fridge? I left mine overnight, maybe that helped.
Happy you loved the taste though! 🙂
Oh yes, they tasted fabs. I couldn’t stop eating the filling from the bowl. I made them for my brother’s birthday and he loved them (so presentation wasn’t my biggest worry). I did add the peanut butter to the chocolate layer but was short so didn’t use as much. Also I did refrigerate for a few hours and threw them in the freezer for a few hours as well because they had to be transported. Maybe that was why. Maybe also, I could use some sharper knives. My knives have seen better days for sure.
Hi there!
These look awesome and I will be making them for the Superbowl party on Sunday! One question, why are you using salted butter as opposed to unsalted? I usually use unsalted for baking and throw in a pinch of salt. Can I still make this same recipe using unsalted and like 1/2 tsp salt?
Thanks for posting!
-Jenny
Hey Jenny! That will work great! Hope you all love these!
These look so beautiful! I have a question: I had trouble cutting them into bars to be smooth and perfect. They ended up cracking and breaking/smearing everywhere because it’s hard chocolate. Any tips on knives/cutting these?
Hey Ty, did you add peanut butter to your chocolate layer? This should make the chocolate easier to cut.
these pictures took my breath away! I love the PB & chocolate combo so I had to make these. I made them for a get together last night and followed your directions and measurements exactly. After two hours of chilling in the fridge I went to slice them and the peanut butter layer wasn’t firm. Trying to not make an ugly mess of things for company, I tried using the point of the knife to score the top layer, tried using a hot knife to get through the top layer, etc, but it just kept smoothing everywhere! I think maybe the issue may have been my natural peanut butter (whole foods 365 brand) may not set as firm as what you used? They tAsted amazing, but for some reason just looked like a disaster after trying to slice. Just wanted to let you know or maybe save somebody from embarrassment when company is over. Chill longer or use a different brand of peanut butter than I did!
Hey Laura! UGH. SO SORRY you had trouble cutting these. I think the issue was most likely the peanut butter, I used jiff natural peanut butter because it does not separate. Also, how much powdered sugar did you use? I used 1 cup, but if you use more, the will firm up much quicker. Glad they tasted good though!!
Hope I can help you so that does not happen again!
Hey!
Super delicious!!!
One thing:
How did you cut the bars so perfectly?
Thank you!! I just use a really sharp knife.