The beginning of February is always a nice little post-holiday perk-up. We’ve got the Super Bowl, quickly followed by Valentine’s Day. I never know what type of content to share exactly: fancy dinners for two or game day recipes. Ideally, I try to have a good mix of the two. Or even better, I’ll share a recipe that works well for both occasions. Today’s chocolate peanut butter bars are delicious for both Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day! When it comes to game day recipes, my mind almost always goes to appetizers. I never think much about desserts unless, of course, it’s a buckeye. As an Ohio girl, I grew up making and eating Buckeyes (chocolate-covered peanut butter balls) every fall with my mom.
We certainly loved peanutty buckeyes on a game-day Sunday afternoon and happily enjoyed the leftovers all week long. Living in Colorado now, I realize that not everyone knows what a buckeye is. But they’re still a dessert I often think about. This year, I decided that I wanted to create a Buckeye Bar. I love traditional Buckeyes, but when in a time crunch, bars (based on our love for those sweet chocolate-covered peanut butter balls) can be best. They’re a layered bar with a chocolate cookie crust, creamy peanut butter filling, and fudgy chocolate topping. They turned out delicious!
These are the details
Step 1: make the chocolate crust To make the crust, you need chocolate wafer cookies, or use Oreo cookies with the filling removed. Then, chocolate chips, salted butter, instant coffee, and vanilla. Crush the cookies into a fine crumb. Next, melt the chocolate and butter together. Mix in the cookie crumbs, instant coffee, and vanilla. Then press the cookie crust into the bottom of a square brownie pan.
Step 2: the peanut butter layer Simply mix peanut butter, maple syrup or honey, and coconut oil together and stir. The secret to making this layer really delicious is to use a peanut butter with just peanuts and salt. Don’t use a no-stir peanut butter that contains oils and/or sugar. You just want a natural peanut butter. This will give you the best flavor and texture. Pour/spread the peanut butter layer over the chocolate cookie crust, then freeze the bars. You only need to freeze them for 30 or so minutes. This helps the peanut butter set up quickly.
Step 3: the chocolate fudge Now, the 3rd layer, chocolate fudge! Warm about a cup of heavy cream on the stove until it’s steamy. Then pour the cream over about two cups of chopped chocolate. Let the heat from the cream slowly melt the chocolate and create a creamy fudge-like sauce.
Spread this mixture over the chilled peanut butter, then sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Chill the bars until the chocolate is totally set. Once chilled, you can cut into bars and serve them up! Be sure to keep these in the fridge. They can get a little melty when left at room temperature.
Final Review Slightly crunchy and crumbly on the bottom, with the creamiest, perfectly salted, peanutty filling. And the chocolate top adds a nice fudgy layer with every bite. Delicious! And great for parties too – these can really feed a crowd!
Looking for easy party desserts? Here are a few ideas: Crinkle Top Brownies Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies Homemade Vegan Peanut Butter Twix Bars Caramel Butter Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars Lastly, if you make these Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
