When I shared these chocolate peanut butter bars on Instagram a few months ago, the response was immediate — people begged for the recipe and for me to teach it in my classes. They’re beautiful, taste incredible and contain no added sugar, so the excitement was understandable. My students couldn’t focus until I promised I would teach the recipe, and the demand pushed this class up on my schedule earlier than planned. I’m posting the recipe now, ahead of finishing the full class lessons, as a holiday gift.
These bars are simple and quick to assemble — no oven required — and remind me of a cross between a Reese’s peanut butter cup and a Larabar. They have a chewy, textured base made from dates and roasted salted peanuts, topped with a rich chocolate layer swirled with peanut butter. Make them ahead so the layers set firmly; they store well in the fridge.
The crust is simply processed dates and roasted, salted peanuts pressed into a baking dish. The topping combines melted chocolate with peanut butter, and a little extra peanut butter is drizzled and swirled into a pretty pattern. With only a handful of ingredients, the quality of each matters — use good chocolate and a natural peanut butter you trust for the best results.
Because these bars have so few components, the starting ingredients really influence the final taste. I prefer natural, unsweetened peanut butter with no hydrogenated oils. My go-to is a glass jar of organic peanut butter that contains just peanuts — clean, flavorful and free from additives. If your peanut butter is too thick for drizzling, warm it gently to loosen the consistency so it swirls nicely on the chocolate.
The trick to perfect swirls is to have the peanut butter fairly drizzly. If it’s firm, warm it slightly over a double boiler or in short bursts in a warm bowl until it’s easier to drizzle. Then use a small spoon to create thin lines of peanut butter over the melted chocolate and drag a knife through them to make decorative swirls.
I often recommend staying loyal to a high-quality peanut butter for recipes like this. Look for glass jars, organic ingredients, and no added sugar or hydrogenated oils. Those choices help the bars taste clean and let the natural peanut flavor shine through.
These bars are ideal for holiday cookie exchanges, potlucks or an easy dessert to make in advance. Refrigerate until set, then remove 10 minutes before serving so the squares soften slightly. They travel well if kept chilled, and they’re a crowd-pleaser whether you’re serving family or friends.
No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- oil or butter for greasing dish
- 1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
- 1 cup dates, pitted
- 3 ½ ounces semi-sweet chocolate, approximately a heaping ½ cup
- 3 ½ ounces dark chocolate, or use all semi-sweet
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter, unsweetened and unsalted, divided
Instructions
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Grease an 8×8 or 9×9-inch glass baking dish with oil or butter and line it with unbleached parchment paper.
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Place the peanuts and dates in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture becomes crumb-like and sticky. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared dish to form the crust. If the mixture is too sticky to handle, cover with plastic wrap and use it to help spread the crust evenly.
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Melt the chocolate with 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter using a double boiler or a glass bowl set over simmering water. Stir until smooth and creamy, then pour the chocolate evenly over the date-peanut crust.
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Using a small spoon, drizzle (do not dollop) the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter over the chocolate in thin lines, teaspoon by teaspoon. If the peanut butter is too thick to drizzle, warm it briefly over a double boiler to loosen it.
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Use the tip of a knife to gently swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate to create a marbled pattern. Refrigerate for about 2 hours to set. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before serving, lift the parchment to remove the slab from the dish, and cut into 16 squares. Store in the refrigerator.
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