Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

Are you obsessed with peanut butter? How about Butterfinger candy bars? If yes, then I think I may have made your Friday. 🙂

My goal here was to create a dessert with loads of peanut butter power. There’s some chocolate going on here and some subtle graham flavor, but let’s be real, it’s mostly a peanut butter flavored party. I had the idea to add Butterfinger bars to a no-bake peanut butter layer. I figured it would be a winner because let’s face it, peanut butter + peanut butter flavored candy bar = awesome. Also who doesn’t love the “crispety, crunchety” texture of Butterfingers? However, I had an unexpected finding.

Do you know what you get when you combine peanut butter, graham crackers, butter, and powdered sugar? (Besides a bunch of delicious-ness.) It kinda tastes like the inside of a Butterfinger bar. Go figure! That was a complete surprise to me (and my husband). I wonder if that’s part of their magic secret recipe… hmmm.

Butterfinger bars are crumbly so it will literally only take you a few seconds to chop them up. In fact, they kind of try to explode on their own so slowing down a little may actually help keep bits of Butterfinger out of your cabinetry. At this point, you’re simply giving your food processor a bit of a head start. There’s no way to screw this up. I like bigger chunks of Butterfinger bars be cause you get a little more crunch factor in every bite. If the chunks end up being smaller (not chunky) then the bars will be less crunchy but the flavor may be slightly more uniform. Either way, thee bars will taste freakin’ fantastic.

You only need four fun size Butterfinger bars here. Yes, really. Will they taste bad if you use 5 or 7? Nope, but it’s simply not necessary. You have all the Butterfinger punch you need from 4 of them. I’m sure you can find a good use for the leftover bars, like save them for your Halloween trick or treaters. (Lol, I’m funny. They won’t last that long in our house.)

The moment your lips hit the chocolate layer, it’s all over. You’ll find yourself with a dose of instant sweet chocolaty goodness followed up with peanut butter heaven. You may fall in love here and I take no responsibility. 😉

Did I mention that this is super simple to make? Seriously. Get the kids involved… yup, it’s that easy. They can smash the peanut layer into the pan, they can smear chocolate on top, they can eat those left over candy bars, whatever works for you as a parent that may have to clean up after them.

I like to eat bars straight from the fridge because they stay nice and firm. However, you can keep them at room temperature if you like a softer bar.

TGIF!

Peanut Butter Crunch Bars Recipe
(Makes 16 bars)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted (equivalent to 1 stick)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (use 1 sleeve and you’ll have a little left over)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 fun size Butterfinger bars, roughly chopped
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions:

Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper, grease the paper and set it aside.
In a microwave safe glass measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave and set it aside.
In a food processor, blend a sleeve of graham crackers until they are a fine crumb.
Measure out 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs. (You should have a little bit left.)
Put the measured graham cracker crumbs
Add the powdered sugar and peanut butter and blend.
While you are blending the ingredients, drizzle in the melted butter. Blend all of the ingredients together until they are combined and start to form a ball.
Roughly chop the fun size Butterfinger bars.
Add the chopped bars to the food processor and pulse about 5 times. Chunks are good.
Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly into the prepared pan and press it down firmly. (I used a dry measuring cup to help press it down.)
Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips. (I used the double boiler method, but feel free to melt them in the microwave if you like.)
Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the peanut butter layer.
Place the baking pan in the refrigerator and chill the bars until they are firm.

Source: Tina’s Chic Corner

Rating:

Here are some other beautiful bar recipes.

Double Mint Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dipped Blondies

Magic Cookie Bars

Comments

Renee@ Two in the Kitchen says:

September 19, 2014

In fact, yes. I AM obsessed with peanut butter!! And I would totally be obsessed with these bars if I made them!! Yum! 🙂

Tina says:

September 22, 2014

I have to keep at least 2 jars of peanut butter in the house at all times… yup, obsessed a bit. 😉

Reply

Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says:

September 20, 2014

I. LOVEEEE. Butterfingers!!! These bars remind me that I haven’t had any in so long. I laughed reading this because I had the same thought about saving them for trick-or-treaters, then when naaaahhhh not happening! Haha Love these bars, Tina!