When I was in high school my parents owned a cabin on Tipton Creek between Tellico Plains, TN and Murphy, NC. My friend, Ben Letson, and I would often spend a week there during summer break, and his mom would send us with a cooler full of homemade treats. These chocolate-covered peanut butter bars were always in there, and we’d ration them like gold because once they were gone, they were gone.
I hadn’t thought about them in years until I found myself craving that exact combination—dense peanut butter filling with a thick layer of chocolate that cracks when you bite into it. So I made them last weekend, and the second my husband took a bite, he just closed his eyes and nodded. They disappeared faster than I’m willing to admit.
These taste like the kind of no-bake treat your best friend’s mom made better than anyone else. Rich, sweet, impossibly smooth peanut butter base with a glossy chocolate coating that sets up firm but melts on your tongue. They’re dangerously easy to make and even more dangerous to have sitting in your fridge.
**INGREDIENTS:**
**For the peanut butter layer:**
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
**For the chocolate coating:**
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or butter)
**INSTRUCTIONS:**
Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter and softened butter until smooth and creamy.
Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until the mixture is thick and holds together like dough.
Press the peanut butter mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up.
Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely smooth and glossy.
Remove the peanut butter layer from the fridge and cut into bars (or leave whole and cut after coating).
Dip each bar into the melted chocolate, coating all sides, and place on a parchment-lined tray. Let the excess chocolate drip off.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the chocolate is completely set and firm.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container. They’ll keep for up to two weeks—if they last that long.
Be honest… are you eating one straight from the fridge at midnight, or are you the type who lets them sit out for a minute first?