This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are an easy no-bake dessert that you can whip up in just about 15 minutes of hands-on time. I love how they are naturally-sweetened and dairy-free!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar Ingredients

These bars are made with just 5 ingredients, which you may already have on hand.

You’ll need:

Peanut Butter

Almond Meal (or blanched almond flour)

Cacao Powder

Maple Syrup

Coconut Oil

I use coconut oil as a binder in this recipe, because it is solid when chilled. It helps the chocolate topping harden, and also keeps the peanut butter and crust layers firm for slicing into bars. If you don’t care for coconut oil, another vegan butter alternative that is solid when chilled could work. (Or if you’re not dairy-free, you could swap this for real butter.)

I like to use all-natural peanut butter (or homemade peanut butter!) for the best taste and texture. Look for peanut butter without added oil or sugar, to get the best results.

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

These bars have 3 layers: a chocolate crust, a peanut butter filling, and a silky-smooth chocolate topping. To make the crust, you’ll mix together the almond meal, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and coconut oil until a thick, uniform mixture is formed.

Press the crust into the bottom of a parchment-lined loaf pan, then place it in the freezer to set while you make the next layer.

To prepare the peanut butter layer, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and a pinch of salt. Pour it over the chocolate crust, smooth it with a spatula, and return it to the freezer!

To make the chocolate topping, combine the coconut oil, cacao powder, and maple syrup.

Pro Tip: Make sure the maple syrup is at room temperature so that the coconut oil doesn’t thicken as you stir! (If this happens, simply warm up the mixture and it will be smooth enough to pour again.)

Smooth the top with a spatula, then freeze until firm, about 1 hour. (If you’re super impatient, you could probably slice into it after 30 minutes…)

Slice into bars, keeping in mind that these are very rich! The bars I cut for these photos were too big– I ended up cutting them in half again, making about 20 small pieces.

Because this dessert is made with coconut oil, the bars will get softer as they sit at room temperature. Be sure to serve them directly from the fridge or freezer! (I prefer the fridge, flavor-wise.)

More Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipes

If you love the combination chocolate + peanut butter, be sure to try these other delicious recipes!

Print Pin 4.84 from 56 votes Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (5 ingredients!) These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are a quick & easy dessert, made with just 5 ingredients. Prep Time 15 minutes Total Time 15 minutes Servings 20 Calories 164 kcal Author Megan Gilmore Ingredients Chocolate Crust: 3/4 cup ground almond meal (or blanched almond flour)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (at room temperature)

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

Pinch of sea salt Peanut Butter Filling: 1/2 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (at room temperature)

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt Chocolate Topping: 1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (at room temperature) Instructions Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set it aside. (Tip: Spray the pan lightly with oil to help the parchment paper stay in place.)

In a medium bowl, stir together all of the chocolate crust ingredients until the dough sticks together. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the lined loaf pan, and place it in the freezer to set.

To prepare the filling, stir together the peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt. Remove the crust from the freezer, and add the peanut butter filling on top. Smooth with a spatula, then return the pan to the fridge.

To make the chocolate topping, combine the cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup, whisking well to break up any clumps. (Make sure the maple syrup is at room temperature, so the topping doesn't thicken up.) Once the mixture has become a smooth chocolate sauce, pour it over the peanut butter layer, smooth the top with a spatula, and return the pan to the freezer to set until firm, about 1 hour.

To serve, remove the pan from the freezer and grab the edges of parchment paper to easily lift the solid bar from the pan. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into small pieces. (I usually get about 20-22 pieces.)

These bars will melt if they sit at room temperature for too long, so be sure to serve them chilled. I like to transfer them to the fridge, so they aren't too hard to bite into. (They also have more flavor when served from the fridge, instead of the freezer.) You can store these in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer. Video Notes If you don't care for coconut oil, a vegan butter substitute that is solid at room temperature will most likely work. If you don't need a dairy-free & vegan recipe, you can also use real butter instead of the oil.

You can make this recipe with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or even tahini, if you would rather not use peanut butter. Nutrition Calories: 164 kcal | Carbohydrates: 11 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 13 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Sodium: 57 mg | Potassium: 33 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 8 g | Calcium: 30 mg | Iron: 0.9 mg

Nutrition info is automatically calculated using generic ingredients in an online nutrition calculator. For more accurate results, be sure to look at the labels on your ingredients at home.

Recipe Notes:

Don’t care for coconut oil? A vegan butter substitute that is solid at room temperature will most likely work as a swap. If you don’t need a dairy-free & vegan recipe, you can also use real butter instead of the oil.

You can make this recipe with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or even tahini, if you would rather not use peanut butter.

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

—

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite flavor combination when it comes to desserts?