Buckeye Bars are an amazing dessert you won’t be able to resist. Who can stay away from chocolate and peanut butter?
If you are a true lover of chocolate and peanut butter then this Buckeye Bars recipe is made for you!
When it comes to eating candy, raise your hand if you tend to choose one with chocolate?
I have a few in my family who go for the Reese’s, Kit Kats, Rolos, and Heath bars. Every time.
Me and my hubby though, we prefer the chewy fruity candies…think Swedish Fish, Starburst, and my personal favorite – Skittles!
But, back to the recipe!
What Are Buckeye Bars?
This past holiday I made a couple batches of our favorite recipe – Buckeye Balls! If you haven’t had one, you really should try them.
(Also on my list? Sarah’s Buckeye graham crackers! They look amazing, don’t they?!)
Remember I said I made several batches? Well, after dipping the umpteenth Buckeye in chocolate, it made me wonder if I could make Buckeye bars instead.
I mean really, how easy would that be, right? I had to try it out!
After my first attempt, I knew I had the peanut butter layer nailed, but I had too thin a layer of chocolate on top.
The next batch I made with a thicker layer of chocolate. They were perfect!
I decided to call these Buckeye Bars since that’s where my inspiration came from. My oldest even says they taste like a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Score!
You can call them peanut butter cup bars, or Buckeye Bars, but just promise you make a batch. You might even want to double the recipe, because they fly off the plate!
I’ve seen other Buckeye bar recipes that use graham crackers crushed into the bar, and while I’m sure that is delicious, this recipe has no crumbs.
This version, dubbed Buckeye brownies, is also somewhat similar, but features a thick slab of brownies as the base. They’re the definition of decadent.
These no-bake chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars feature bits of pretzel in the bottom layer adding crunch and a touch of saltiness.
My Buckeye bars are simply melt in your mouth peanut butter, sugar, and butter! Easy to make, even easier to eat. It’s a fantastic recipe to try if you’re baking with kids, too.
Buckeye Bars Ingredients
- Butter – I used unsalted butter to make these Buckeye Bars and think it tastes best, but salted butter would also work.
- Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter makes the best Buckeye Bars – you’ll want to skip the crunchy or natural peanut buter for this recipe.
- Powdered sugar – Smooth powdered sugar adds sweetness and a smooth texture to the peanut butter layer in these bars.
- Vanilla extract – To balance the flavors, don’t skip a touch of vanilla extract.
- Semi-sweet chocolate – I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bars for the top layer. The chocolate melts so smooth, and tastes amazing.
If you don’t want your chocolate to “crack” when cutting your bars, don’t refrigerate these bars. And cut them as soon as the chocolate sets (about 30 minutes room temperature).
I originally cut them into squares, but in an attempt to portion control and make them smaller, I cut each square into a triangle. So fun!
If you’re looking for more peanut butter treats, have you made these peanut butter frosted brownies yet? They are calling my name!
These grilled Buckeye sandwiches are next level. They’re made with smooth peanut butter and chocolate chips for a treat sure to become a new favorite.
You may also love these white chococlate Buckeye balls! They have the same sweet peanut butter ball center coated in white chocolate.
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Buckeye Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter Melted
- 3 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 1/2 cups Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4 4 ounces Ghirardelli Semisweet Chocolate Bars (four individual 4-ounce bars)
- 1 tablespoon Butter
Instructions
- Line a 13×9 inch baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup melted butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter and vanilla extract together. Mixture will come together into a “dough.” Using your hands, press into the bottom of the 13×9 dish.
- In a microwave bowl, combined chocolate bars (broken into pieces) with 1 tablespoon butter. Heat for 30 second intervals, stirring until chocolate is smooth (mine took about 1 1/2 minutes).
- Spread evenly over top of peanut butter layer.
- Allow chocolate to set before cutting.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature. ENJOY.
Annette
Tuesday 10th of December 2024
Can you substitute chocolate chips for the chocolate bars?