Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Tasty no-bake chocolate peanut butter bars, including kosher substitutions for Passover

By
Evie Lieb
Evie Lieb
Evie Lieb
Evie has contributed to newspapers and Jewish publications for many years and is a Lecturer on Jewish cooking at the Jewish Library and Cultural Center.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated June 08, 2022
Evie Lieb
Elise Bauer

These chocolate peanut butter bars are a classic treat, and so easy to make—no baking required! They hold a popular place on my holiday cookie platter, and with just a couple of substitutions, they can be easily made kosher for Passover too.

Graham cracker crumbs are mixed in with the peanut butter to give the base structure and crunch. For a Passover substitution for the graham crackers, we use either ground up toasted matzo, or ground Passover crispy cereal. Confectioner's sugar and a little honey provide the sweetness in the base. When observing Passover we make our own confectioner's sugar by grinding granulated sugar with potato starch.

This recipe makes a delicious confection (a cookie? candy bar?) whether preparing them the classic way, or Passover-friendly. In any case these goodies are a great choice for dessert after a meal and they make a perfect snack anytime. My husband has given the matzo version the ultimate compliment: they do not taste like a Passover dessert!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars on Simply Recipes
Elise Bauer

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 5 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 36 servings

These bars freeze well if you want to make ahead.

* Take 4 or 5 sheets of matzo, roughly break into chunks, toast in a hot dry skillet on high heat until the crumbs begin to brown and you can smell the matzo toasting. Remove from heat, let cool for a minute, place in a food processor or mini-chopper, and pulse until ground to the consistency of coarse bread crumbs.

**2 cups of granulated sugar in a food processor or blender, and 2 Tbsp of potato starch. Process until very fine. Use 1 1/4 cups for this recipe. You'll have some leftover which can be used for other recipes for Passover.

Ingredients

Peanut butter layer:

  • 1 1/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs (use toasted matzo crumbs—see recipe note—or ground Passover crispy cereal if following the Passover dietary rules)

  • 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar (use Passover-friendly confectioner's sugar—see recipe note—if following Passover dietary rules)

  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of crunchy, natural peanut butter (no added preservatives or corn syrup)

  • 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

  • 2 tablespoons honey

Chocolate topping:

  • 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) (use Kosher chocolate chips if making for Passover)

  • 1 tablespoon butter

Special Equipment

  • Food processor

Method

  1. Prepare the pan:

    Line the baking pan with parchment paper or non-stick aluminum foil. Line the pan in a way so that you have an overhang on at least 2 opposite sides of the pan to make it easy to lift up the bars once they have set.

  2. Make the peanut butter mixture:

    In the bowl of a food processor place the crumbs and the powdered sugar. Pulse until well mixed. Add the peanut butter, melted butter, and honey. Process until well blended. The mixture should hold together, almost like a dough. If it's too dry, add a little more melted butter. If it's too wet, after you press it into the bottom of the pan in the next step, you can chill it in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up a bit.

    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-1
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-2
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-3
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-4
    Elise Bauer
  3. Press the peanut butter mixture into pan:

    Press the peanut butter mixture into the bottom of your lined pan in an even layer. You can use the flat bottom of a measuring cup, small saucepan, or smaller baking pan to press on the mixture to help make the surface more even.

    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-5
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-6
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-7
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-8
    Elise Bauer
  4. Melt the chocolate chips:

    Place a metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water (not boiling, but gently simmering). Place the chocolate chips and butter into the bowl. Melt the chocolate chips, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-9
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-10
    Elise Bauer
  5. Spread the chocolate:

    Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the peanut butter layer in the pan. (An offset spatula is a good tool for this.) Refrigerate for at least an hour.

    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-11
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-12
    Elise Bauer
  6. Cut into bars:

    Lift the contents from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into 36 bars, 1-inch by 2 1/4 inches.

    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-13
    Elise Bauer
    chocolate-peanut-butter-bars-passover-14
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
287 Calories
26g Fat
13g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 36
Amount per serving
Calories 287
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 43mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 15mg 1%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 80mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.