Reese’s Peanut Butter No Bake Dessert is so rich and decadent with luscious layers of a peanut butter cheesecake like filling, creamy chocolate pudding layer served on a sweet and crunchy peanut butter cookie crust. It’s topped with additional peanut butter and chocolate chips making it the ultimate dessert for all the peanut butter lovers out there!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Dessert
This no bake recipe is also sometimes called Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna because it has several different layers of goodness. And while there are several Chocolate Lasagna recipes out there, you don’t see many that have that an ultra-decadent peanut butter cheesecake layer and most are served with a graham cracker crust or a chocolate cookie crust. The crust for this no bake dessert is another thing that really makes this recipe shine. It gets even more peanut butter flavor from crushed peanut butter sandwich cookies!
No bake desserts are some of my most popular recipes because they are so quick to whip up, but they always taste like you labored in the kitchen forever making them. This No Bake Cherry Cheesecake and this No Bake Banana Split Cake are always popular served at a covered dish or potluck gathering. But I think these this Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna is my new favorite dessert and I think when you taste how amazing the chocolate and peanut butter combo is, it’s going to be yours as well!
💓Why We Love this Dessert
- The chocolate peanut butter combination is like a flavor marriage made in heaven.
- Super easy no bake dessert recipe that requires very little prep work and simple ingredients.
- Delicious treat for holiday parties, birthdays, a special occasion or just when that sweet tooth hits.
- Perfect make ahead sweet treat! Make it the night before you are serving it and let it sit in the fridge. The flavors are even better the next day!
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Hand mixture or stand mixer
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Food processor (or rolling pin)
- Kitchen spoon or spatula
- 8×8 baking dish
What’s Needed for No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- Peanut butter sandwich cookies
- Melted Butter
- Cream cheese
- Creamy peanut butter
- Powdered sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Whipped cream
- Instant chocolate pudding
- Milk
- Milk chocolate chips
- Reese’s peanut butter chips
How to Make No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Step One: Make the Cookie Crust
- Use about 20 regular size peanut butter cookies and pulse in a food processor until the pieces are fine crumbs.
- Melt the butter in a small microwave safe bowl, add in the crushed cookies and combine until well coated. Press mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. You’ll only press them into the bottom, but up the sides of the pan. Place into the freezer and allow to set for at least 30 minutes
Step Two: Make the Pudding
- While the cookie crust is setting, mix the pudding and 1 1/2 cups of milk in a medium bowl, allow pudding mix to set in the fridge.
Step Three: Make the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Filling
- Using another large bowl, with a hand mixer beat cream cheese, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in 1 cup of the cool whip into the peanut butter mixture and fully combine.
Step Four: Layer the Dessert
- Remove cookie crust from the freezer and start layering your ingredients. Spoon the cream cheese peanut butter filling over the crust and gently spread it out to fully cover.
- Next layer the chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer and smooth it out to evenly distribute
Step Five: Add the Toppings, Chill and Enjoy!
- Using the remaining whipped topping create a top layer over the chocolate pudding layer.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate bars for two hours, then place into the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving to easily slice.
- Before serving break up remaining peanut butter cookies and top with cookies, Reese’s peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
Homemade Reese’s Bars Variations
Cookie crust: Peanut butter cookies make up the crust for this recipe. But you can use the same amount of graham cracker crumbs to make a simple graham crackers crust if you prefer. Or for another chocolate layer, you can make a chocolate Oreo crust using regular Oreos you’ve crushed up.
Peanut butter filling: The peanut butter flavor in the filling gives this dessert the amazing nutty flavor. But. if you prefer, you can use almond butter. Just make sure you give it a really good stir to mix it up really well before adding it to the cream cheese.
Toppings: Have fun experimenting with different toppings! Reese’s peanut butter cups that you have chopped into smaller pieces are always great with this dessert. For a super fun twist you can use Reese’s pieces as a topping.
Drizzle toppings: For a chocolate topping, you can add a drizzle of chocolate syrup over the cool whip layer. Or you can melt some additional chocolate chips and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars. For a more intense peanut butter flavor, you can add a peanut butter topping by taking some you’ve melted in the microwave and drizzle it over the top of the bars and chocolate chips.
How Do I Store These Peanut Butter Dream Bars?
These dessert bars have to be kept chilled in the fridge. They will stay fresh for about 4 days as long as you keep the dish covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. For best results, this dessert is best enjoyed within a day or two, but it is not recommended that you freeze it.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna?
- Because peanut butter is a main ingredient in this recipe, you’ll want to use a good quality brand. You can use either regular or all natural peanut butter.
- You want the filling to be nice and smooth, so make sure you use cream cheese that has been sitting out until its completely room temperature before mixing in the peanut butter.
- To keep the crust from crumbling, make sure to crush the cookies really fine. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a rolling pin and plastic bag.
- Make sure you allow the crust to set up in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This allows the butter time to soak into the cookies to form a solid crust.
- If you use a glass baking dish, you’ll be able to see all the different layers.
Want More Delicious Recipes with Peanut Butter?
- Peanut Butter Balls
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Milkshake
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Peanut Butter S’mores Dip
- Copycat Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs
- Ritz Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Peanut Butter Lush
Ingredients
- 16 oz. package peanut butter sandwich cookies
- 4 Tbsp butter melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz whipped topping like Cool Whip
- 3.9 oz. instant chocolate pudding 1 box
- 1 ½ cups cold milk
- ¼ cup milk chocolate chips
- ¼ cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Use about 20 peanut butter cookies and pulse in a food processor until pieces are fine
- Melt the butter in a small microwavable bowl, add in the crushed cookies and combine until well coated. Press into the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Place into the freezer and allow to set for at least 30 minutes.
- While the cookie crust is setting, mix the pudding and 1 1/2 cups of milk in a medium bowl, allow pudding mix to set in the fridge.
- Using another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping and fully combine.
- Remove cookie crust from the freezer and start layering your ingredients. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the crust and gently spread it out to fully cover.
- Next layer the chocolate pudding, mixture over the cream cheese and smooth it out to evenly distribute.
- Using the remaining whipped topping create a top layer over the pudding.
- Refrigerate for two hours, then place into the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving to easily slice.
- Before serving break up remaining peanut butter cookies and top with cookies, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
Nutrition
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