Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bars
An easy recipe for creamy and delicious chocolate peanut butter cup bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 9 full sheets
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk one can
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate
- flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare a 9 inch square pan by lining it with parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- If you are using full graham crackers, crush them into crumbs. You can do this with a food processor. If you don't have one, put the graham crackers into a Ziploc-type bag and whack them with a rolling pin.
- Melt the butter. I just pop it into the microwave for a few seconds.
- Put the graham cracker crumbs into a bowl and mix in the melted butter.
- Pour the graham cracker mixture into the prepared pan.
- Press down the crumbs, making sure to make an even layer. I usually use a metal measuring cup to do that.
- Bake for 5-7 minutes until set.
- Let the graham cracker crust cool completely.
- Mix together the peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. You can also use a hand mixer or, just do it the old-fashioned way, with a spoon.
- Make sure you scrape the mixing bowl to incorporate everything.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture onto the cooled crust.
- The peanut butter mixture is thick and it is difficult to spread. I mushed it down with a spatula and then with my fingers.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and put it into a heatproof bowl.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments.
- Don't have a microwave? See the tips below for melting instructions.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture and smooth it out with a spatula.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky salt. I use Fleur de Sel - because some people in this house are actually French.
- Put this very heavy pan into the fridge and chill until set. You can certainly cover it with foil if you'd like. I left it overnight.
- When it is thoroughly chilled, remove the mixture from the pan using the parchment paper overlap.
- Cut into bars. I would recommend making them relatively small because these are SUPER rich.
Notes
Tips:
Don't have a microwave? Fill the bottom of a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Lower it to simmering. Place the broken pieces of chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place it over the simmering water. The water shouldn't touch the bottom of the dish. Stir the chocolate until melted.
You can use chocolate chips if you don't have bar chocolate. Generally, it is better to use the best quality chocolate, but I get it if it's too expensive. Do whatever you can.
But you know what you don't want to use? That natural peanut butter stuff. I used straight up creamy JIF. The oil situation in natural peanut butter is not your friend in this case.