No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars
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Now you can enjoy peanut butter cups in bar form! Raw chocolate cookie dough crust, a creamy peanut butter filling, and a top layer of melted chocolate garnished with chopped peanut butter cups. These No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars are gluten-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened!
Today’s forecast: a good chance for some chocolate mixed with some peanut butter for a 100% chance of deliciousness! Peanut butter and chocolate might be one of the best flavor combinations of all time. I almost never turn down a treat that has peanut butter and chocolate involved.
Ok, so heart to heart time. I hate to be the one to tell you that you might have been doing peanut butter cup desserts all wrong, but I think you may have been doing peanut butter cup desserts wrong. So look… there are peanut butter cups- which I think we can all agree are fab on their own, and then there are peanut butter cups crushed ON TOP of peanut butter cup bars made with a raw chocolate cookie dough crust, a creamy peanut butter filling, and a top layer of melted chocolate. See what I’m sayin’ here?
It’s ok though, totally time to redeem yourself with these No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars. In fact, they might be your new favorite way to do peanut butter + chocolate for a completely indulgent treat with no added (cane) sugar! That’s right, these rich and creamy bad boys are naturally sweetened and made with maple syrup, and stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips and peanut butter cups!
Let’s dissect these gorgeous, oversized peanut butter cups and see if I can’t convince you even more to try them. The cookie dough base layer comes together in about 5 minutes. You take my almond flour Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough recipe and double it and add unsweetened cocoa powder, and press it into an 8×8 parchment/foil-lined baking pan. EASY. Then in a saucepan you’ll whisk together over low heat peanut butter, plant butter, maple syrup, almond flour, coconut oil, coconut milk, pure vanilla extract, and salt to make the creamy peanut butter filling and pour it over the crust. Freeze for an hour.
p.s. if you’re a fan of cookie dough treats, be sure to check out my Cookie Dough Stuffed Dates, Cookie Monster Smoothie Bowl, and Matcha Cookie Dough Cups!
While you’re waiting, chop up the peanut butter cups into small-medium pieces. I used Lily’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups to keep this dessert lower sugar. Right before the hour is up, make the top chocolate layer by melting the chocolate chips together with the coconut oil. Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over top. Sprinkle the chopped peanut butter cups over top and stick it back into the freezer until set, about 3 hours or you can place it in the fridge overnight.
And that’s it! A simply delicious dessert recipe I know will become your new favorite way to enjoy a ginormous peanut butter cup for days! Also another perk.. you can keep these stocked in your freezer for when the craving hits, just be sure to let it thaw for about 15-20 minutes prior to enjoying. I hope you love these No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars and tag me on Instagram or Facebook or use #healthylittlevittles if you make them! Would love a comment below to hear your thoughts! Hope your forecast is looking like mine did today!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Description
Now you can enjoy peanut butter cups in bar form! Raw chocolate cookie dough crust, a creamy peanut butter filling, and a top layer of melted chocolate garnished with chopped peanut butter cups. These No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars are gluten-free, vegan, and naturally sweetened!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cacao powder
- 6 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons chocolate chips (I used Lily’s for low sugar)
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup plant butter (or coconut butter)
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup chocolate chips (I used Lily’s for low sugar)
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
Garnish
- 1 bag (3.2 oz) dark chocolate peanut butter cups (I used Lily’s for low sugar)
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough first. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients then add the wet. Stir together until a dough forms.
- Press your cookie dough into a foil/parchment-lined 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
- Next, Make the peanut butter filling. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt all of the ingredients whisking continuously until it almost boils. Remove from heat and pour over the cookie dough crust. Place in the freezer for an hour.
- While you’re waiting, chop up the peanut butter cups into small-medium pieces.
- Make the top chocolate layer by melting the chocolate chips together with the coconut oil.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over top. Sprinkle the chopped peanut butter cups over top and stick it back into the freezer until set, preferably overnight.
- Enjoy!
- Store in the fridge or freezer. If stored in the freezer, allow it to thaw for about 15-20 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
**To keep this treat lower sugar, I used Lily’s Sweets chocolate chips and dark chocolate peanut butter cups
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Additional Time: 3 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nupe, the filling completely separates at medium heat even before getting close to boiling – has a cm of oil on top and looks dark brown, very unappealing.
Too many ingredients for a simple filling.
Hello, this looks so delicious!! Is it possible to substitute some ingredients because I’m not sure i’ll find them where I am: regular unsalted butter instead of plant based, regular flour and honey instead of stevia and skimmed milk. Also when you mentioned a xan of milk, how much is it in ml did you mean?
Thank you so much!
Hi there! So glad you like it! I haven’t tested the recipe with regular butter or flour as I don’t consume them so I can’t say. The coconut milk probably can’t be swapped out because it allows the filling to set up more so than regular milk. You can buy everything on Amazon if you’re able to order from there (except the butter- in which I do believe you could probably swap the plant butter for regular butter). 1 can of coconut milk is 403 mL. Hope this helps!
for the filling…can i use low fat coconut milk, instead of full fat?
Hi Revi! Honestly, I’m not sure that the light coconut milk would set up correctly, so I would say no unfortunately 🙁