No bake cookie bar recipe.
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- pinch kosher salt
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (not natural)
- 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 5 ounces semisweet chocolate melted
- 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 1 ounce milk chocolate (melted)
- Carbohydrate 12.7740589924227 g
- Cholesterol 12.7096354221171 mg
- Fat 8.67052924372526 g
- Fiber 1.20823830678533 g
- Protein 1.21218780010488 g
- Saturated Fat 5.1898676472402 g
- Serving Size 1 1 bar (27g)
- Sodium 35.6876031567093 mg
- Sugar 11.5658206856374 g
- Trans Fat 0.548570485334726 g
- Calories 126 calories
Step-by-step
- Coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter, smooth peanut butter, and vanilla, whisking until well combined.
- Add peanut butter mixture to crumb mixture, stirring until combined.
- Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes.
- Heat remaining smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny.
- Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes.
- Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Using a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Stabilized peanut butter carries the heaviest structural load in these bars, relying on added hydrogenated vegetable oils to maintain a rigid room-temperature matrix rather than separating into oil and solids like natural styles do.
- Select conventional, homogenized peanut butter rather than natural varieties to prevent liquid oil from pooling during the mixing phase and ruining the cohesive firmness of the base.
- Press the dry crumb mixture firmly into the 8x8-inch pan using the flat bottom of a measuring cup to compress air pockets and create clean structural integrity before the initial 30-minute refrigeration phase.
- Temper the melted semisweet chocolate by spreading it into a thin layer immediately after pouring to encourage uniform contraction and a crisp snap as it sets.
- Allow the fully assembled block to rest at room temperature for precisely 10 minutes prior to slicing with a sharp knife, which prevents the chilled chocolate layer from fracturing under the blade.
- Substitute alternative seed butters at a strict one-to-one ratio if managing tree nut allergies, though additional binder might be required depending on the fat content of the alternative.
Precision in temperature control dictates whether the layers fuse into solid blocks or separate cleanly during portioning. Thermal management ensures professional results without applying heat to the cookies themselves.
