No Bake Peanut Butter Bars — Vegan & Gluten Free

Post published:November 5, 2020
Post category:Recipes
Post comments:7 Comments
Post author:Melissa

These quick and easy no bake peanut butter bars are bound to be a real crowd pleaser. This recipe comes together in no time at all and all you have to do is pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it.

Plus they are vegan and gluten free! Perfect for anyone with dietary preferences or food allergies.

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I get a real craving for peanut butter sometimes and these really hit the spot for me. Soft, sweet, peanut buttery and topped with chocolate.

I made these for the first time in a baking class I’m taking to learn some new skills. I just modified it a bit and made it gluten and dairy free. They’re still just as yummy as the original, but now allergy friendly.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars Base

The peanut butter base requires butter, almond flour, peanut butter, and a lot of powdered sugar. All you have to do is melt the butter and then mix it all together.

It should be the consistency of play dough, easy to mold into shapes. It should not be sticky! If it is sticky, just add a little more almond flour.

As for brands, I love Bob’s Red Mill for alternative flours. Also for the butter, I always go for plant based like Earth Balance or Myko’s.

Chocolate Top and Decoration

The chocolate top is just some chocolate chips and butter melted together. I usually just melt it in the microwave in 30 second intervals. I mix in between. You don’t want to microwave it too long or it will burn.

Once the chocolate mixture is melted, just pour on top of the peanut butter base. Take a plastic spatula and spread it around to all corners. You can take the glass container and wiggle it around a bit too to make sure the melted chocolate is in an even layer.

Then the fun part is melting the 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter and melt in the microwave as well. 30 seconds should do it. Then pour in some straight lines across the top of the chocolate. Then I just took a small paring knife (if you have a toothpick, that would be good too) and I slid it through the peanut butter and chocolate in straight lines, horizontally then vertically, like a grid.

It ended up creating a beautiful feathering pattern which is what I was aiming for!

Fridge It

That’s all there is to it! The bars will need at least a half hour in the refrigerator for the chocolate to set. When you’re ready to eat them, take it out of the container. It should come out easily because of the parchment paper. Then run a sharp, clean knife under hot water and carefully cut into pieces. I like to cut the edges off to get a clean line.

If you want more of a crunch in your no bake peanut butter bars, you can add some chopped nuts, or the original recipe had graham cracker crumbs instead of almond flour. That would, of course, negate the gluten free part. You can add chocolate chips too. The options are endless for this simple little dessert bar.

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If you like these, you might also like my gluten free Chocolate Lava Cakes or my no bake Fruity Smores Bars.

Archive Dive!

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

With Love, Melissa

These no bake treats are dairy and gluten free. A quick and easy bake for your family.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Chill Time 30

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Allergy-Free Baking, Alternative Baking, American

Servings 9 Bars

Ingredients

½ Cup Dairy-Free Butter, melted
1½ Cups Almond Flour
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Cup + 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter, separated
1 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
2 Tbsp Dairy-Free Butter

Instructions

Line 9x9 Inch pan with parchment paper. Mix melted butter, almond flour and powdered sugar. Mix in 1 cup of peanut butter. The mixture should not be sticky at this point. It should stick together in a ball and be easily packed down. If it's not add ¼ cup more almond flour.
Evenly pack down the peanut butter dough into the baking pan. Set aside. Melt the chocolate chips and 2 tbsp butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix it and microwave for another 30 seconds. It should be melted at this point, if not throw it in for another 20 seconds. Pour the chocolate mix on top of the packed down peanut butter.
Shake the baking pan a little to make the chocolate even. Then melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in the microwave, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Drizzle the melted peanut butter onto the chocolate. Then take a toothpick or thin knife and run it across in vertical lines. Then run across horizontal lines. This will create a feathered pattern.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Use a clean knife that has been run under hot water to cut the bars into squares.

Keyword Allergy Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, No Bake, Vegan