Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars 🍫🥜 are an EASY, no-bake treat when you can’t decide between chocolate and peanut butter. They’re rich, fudgy, and packed with that classic chocolate + PB flavor combo! No oven required when all you want is a simple treat to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars Recipe
- I love a good two-for-one deal, especially when peanut butter and chocolate are involved. Sometimes it’s impossible to pick which one I want, and with these no-bake fudge bars, I don’t have to.
- The bottom layer is a soft yet dense peanut butter and white chocolate base that’s rich, creamy, and satisfying. The top is a thick layer of chocolate peanut butter fudge, so you get the best of both worlds in every bite.
- Rice Krispies are added to both layers for a little crispy texture, with the crunch coming through even more in the chocolate layer.
- The chocolate layer is based on a recipe I originally created to top brownies in my first cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort. They’re still some of my favorite brownies, which tells you everything you need to know about how good this fudge layer is.
- If you need a dessert for a book club, mahjong club, to set out for casual entertaining or to share with a cookie exchange, these are perfect because they keep well for a week or more – but I doubt they’ll last that long.
Ingredients in Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
This unique no-bake dessert recipe is made with just 5 ingredients!
For the base layer, you’ll use the white chocolate chips, peanut butter, and crispy rice cereal for the peanut butter fudge base.
For the chocolate peanut butter top, use semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter.
A few highlights about the ingredients:
- White chocolate chips – They can be a little tricky to melt so make sure you take your time with them when microwaving them.
- Creamy peanut butter – Use a classic no-stir peanut butter like Jif, Skippy, or something similar. Natural or homemade peanut butter can separate, prevent the bars from setting up properly, or make them oily.
- Crispy rice cereal – AKA Rice Krispies or similar. Since it’s naturally gluten-free, this is a gluten-free dessert.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – I strongly prefer semi-sweet to milk chocolate chips in general in baking (or no-baking) for a richer and less sweet chocolate flavor, although milk chocolate chips will technically work.
- Butter – If you love a salty-sweet dessert, use salted butter. I traditionally use unsalted butter though in my dessert recipes and then add salt to taste. You can also sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt!
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
- Base: Melt the white chocolate chips and peanut butter together until smooth, then stir in the crispy rice cereal.
- Spread the peanut butter fudge layer into an 8×8-inch pan and freeze until firm.
- Topping: Make the chocolate peanut butter fudge layer the same way, using semi-sweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, and a little butter.
- Smooth the chocolate layer over the firm peanut butter layer.
- Freeze until set before slicing into bars. Don’t freeze too long or they’re be too hard to slice.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Base
- 2 cups white chocolate chips, one 10.5 to 11.5-ounce bag (Guittard or Trader Joe's own brand both melt easier than Nestle)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, (not natural; use Jif, Skippy or similar)
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal, (use certified gluten-free crispy rice cereal to keep GF if that's important to you)
Chocolate Fudge Top
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups crispy rice cereal
Instructions
Peanut Butter Base
- Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil if desired for easier cleanup, and spray with cooking spray or spray the pan with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a medium, microwave-safe bowl add the white chocolate chips and heat for 1 minute on high power to soften. They will not be melted at this point.
- Remove bowl from microwave, add 1 cup peanut butter (use Jif, Skippy, or similar because natural or homemade peanut butter could separate and may not set up well and/or the bars could turn very oily), and heat on high power to melt, about 30-60 seconds, or as necessary in your microwave. Stop to check and see if you can stir it smooth after every 30 second burst. Stir until mixture is smooth and combined.Melting Tip – White chocolate scorches easily so keep a careful eye on it and don't let it get too hot or it will seize and turn into a rock-like mass and you'll have to start over.
- Add 1 cup crispy rice cereal and stir to combine.
- Turn mixture out in prepared pan in an even, flat layer, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Place pan in freezer to chill.
Chocolate Fudge Top
- In a medium, microwave-safe bowl (you can use the same one, just wipe out with a paper towel), add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and heat for 1 minute on high power to soften.
- Remove bowl from microwave, add 1 1/2 cups peanut butter, butter, and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Stir until mixture is smooth and combined.
- Add 1 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal, and stir to combine.
- Remove pan from freezer (make sure the first layer has set up somewhat before adding the chocolate, if not, return pan to freezer for 5 more minutes) and carefully turn chocolate mixture out into prepared pan in an even, flat layer, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Freeze: Place pan in freezer to chill. Allow bars to chill for 60 to 90 minutes, or until set, before serving.
- If bars have gotten too firm to slice, let them sit at room temp for 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy No-Bake Desserts
ALL OF MY NO-BAKE DESSERT RECIPES!
Death by Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake Bars — Need an easy chocolate dessert that will impress? These chocolate cheesecake bars are creamy, decadent, and loaded with chocolate!! A NO-BAKE and an easy MAKE-AHEAD dessert!!
🍫😍 Golden Graham S’mores Bars are an EASY, NO-BAKE, FOUR-ingredient treat made in FIVE minutes! It doesn’t get any better than that, and there’s no campfire required! They’re a hit with kids and adults at parties, potlucks, and picnics!
Holiday White Chocolate Fudge — This EASY foolproof white chocolate fudge recipe is perfect for Christmas and holiday parties!! A double dose of white chocolate with an Oreo Cookie crust for the WIN!!
Buckeye Fudge — If you need an easy, no-cook, no-mixer, no-fuss, foolproof fudge that’s ready in about an hour, this is your recipe.
The Easiest Foolproof Fudge Recipe — Look no further than this recipe for the EASIEST and most FOOLPROOF fudge that takes less than 3 minutes to make!! Customize it with your favorite add-ins like cranberries and walnuts!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls — EASY, NO-BAKE chocolate peanut butter balls that are a holiday favorite!! They have it all: Salty, sweet, crunchy, with chocolate and peanut butter!
Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies)— If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chex Mix Bars – SO EASY, NO-BAKE, and ready in FIVE minutes!! Chex cereal, pretzels, and M&Ms glued together with peanut butter and marshmallows!! An IRRESISTIBLE salty-sweet combination!!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars— These peanut butter candy bars are no-bake, easy, loaded with bold peanut butter flavor, and plenty of chocolate. They’re super soft, very dense, and chewy!
Originally published on October 8, 2o14 and republished on June 11, 2020 with updated text.
Incredible! My two favourite things! These look truly wonderful!
Woah!!! I seriously want a stack of these awesome bars! Chocolate and peanut butter is always a good idea…and even better when it is no bake!!!
No-bake cereal bars….as a mom, I know you can totally appreciate the ease with this type of thing :)
The crispy rice bits?! They’re callin’ to me!!!
Two-in-one is the best kind of dessert. I love that these are no-bake. What is up with the heat?? It’s 90s here!!
I KNOW. So hot. It isn’t AS hot this week but seriously the past 3-4, every time I think okay, it’s 76F and what it should be, it’ll spike back up to the low 90s for a few days. And I’m at the coast! Can only imagine how bad it is inland!
And when I was making these, I was totally thinking of your Dessert Mashups :)
Your condo doesn’t have air?? Ohmygosh Averie — that must be miserable!! I mean, I know San Diego is supposed to be pretty mild most of the time, but my grandparents live down there and boy oh boy… It can get up there SO quickly. You must own a million fans! But if the product of a hot home is these two-for-one choc + PB fudge bars… I’d take a heat wave any day of the year. ;)
It’s a building from the 60s (so many of them here are!) and nothing was outfitted with central air back then and so even though the unit has been rehabbed recently, they never put in a/c! Don’t ask me why. I like hot, but the low 90s INSIDE is even a little hot for me :)
That’s awful!! That should’ve been the first thing on their list… Especially for a food blogger who needs to use the oven year-round! ;)
Peanut butter fudge is my favorite type of fudge. LOVE your twist on it, Averie!
these look ridiculously over the top in the best way! omg!
Looks perfect! I love adding rice crispies to desserts. This is right up my alley, with the chocolate, peanut butter, and it being no bake!
These really threw me a curve ball–I had decided to make the cake on p 70 (thanks-great suggestion) and the bread from your last post (same oven temp for both with close baking times)….and now I’m wavering again after seeing this post! I’d love to sink my teeth into one of these right now–I could use some PB and chocolate with a little crunch. These look so easy too–just a few ingredients and some chill time!
Well LMK what you did end up making! Sounds like you had it all figured out…almost :)
You really can’t go wrong with any and if you did make all 3, or 2 of the 3, no matter what combo you went with, it’s a very nice variety of different things, both in terms of flavors, textures, etc…and you’ve got everything from PB to pumpkin to cinnamon-sugar flavors all covered!
Those bars are looking amazing, yum!
Why did you say to turn on the oven? I don’t see where anything is baked. Also, butter is in the ingredients for the chocolate layer, but I don’t see where it’s used in the directions. Do you need butter?
I noticed the same thing . . . a bit confusing
yea, i’m confused by this too…can you clarify please avery?
I don’t know what the confusion is about. If it’s about the butter, please see step 7 in the directions. If the confusion is about the story I told, I used this topping on BAKED brownies I made for my first cookbook. However, rather than BAKING brownies in the heat, I made a no-bake base, and then used this no-bake topping so I didn’t have to turn on my oven in the heat.
You’re right about step 7 with the butter, Averie, but when I read step 1, it says to preheat oven to 350 degrees … I figured you were having the same kind of day I have had where you’re trying to accomplish too many things at once. :)
Got it, fixed. Thank you! Yes, most some days I get 250 emails++ per day from readers, 50% of whom have a baking question. Forgive the oversight!
OOhh I love that you added the rice krispies to provide that crunch instead of using nuts…I could eat these no matter what the weather…these are perfect for wrapping up and taking with you to a football game because they look pretty sturdy and seem like they would survive being “smuggled” in!!!
They are an EXCELLENT smuggle-able treat. They survived extremely well in my daughter’s lunchbox/backpack and you know how badly kids beat things up! They can make a fluffy muffin look like a pancake in no time :)
And yes, the crunch, the texture (sans nuts!)…oh so good! Loveddddd these!
These look like winners, it’s the little krispie bits that do it for me :)
Me too, Sue! That CRUNCH…oh it was sooo good! I don’t normally hoard my own treats but these, I clung onto :)
OMG! I just want to sink my teeth into these bars!! I love that they are no-bake yet so decadent! Now I just wish you lived closer! :)
Pinned of course!
Thanks for pinning and wish I did too! You have a bigger family than me and I’d LOVE to donate all this stuff to you :)
Chocolate and peanut butter BELONG together and these bars prove it! I can’t believe how hot it is even in San Diego! We’ve been DYING up here in Sacramento – freakin’ 97 degrees all week. Supposed to cool down on Friday but I’m not holding my breath… :) Pinned!
SAME! Every time I think it’s going to stay in the mid 70s, it spikes back up to the low 90s. And I’m at the coast! Inland has got to be brutal. And it’s been like this now for most of Sept and Oct. Such an unusually hot fall!
Thanks for pinning!
Gorgeous…! I can NEVER decide between peanut butter and chocolate! But they wouldn’t keep for weeks in my fridge, I’d eat the all waaay before that!