Don't knock it 'til you try it: No Bake Peanut Butter Bars with Potato Chips are a decadent treat!
Salty and sweet is the name of the game for these gluten free peanut butter bars. If that's your jam, you've got to try this unique treat - and share them with your friends!
Quick Look: No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
⏲️Ready In: 2 Hours 10 Minutes (10 Minutes active, 2 Hours refrigerating)
🍽Servings: 25
🥗Nutrition: 247 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Coconut oil, Peanut butter/Sunflower seed butter, Maple syrup, Potato chips, Chocolate chips
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free, (optional) Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: These crunchy peanut butter and chocolate no bake bars are inspired by Chippers or chocolate covered potato chips!
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Why these bars work
I get it - this sounds completely weird.
Originally, this recipe was inspired by Chippers - chocolate-covered potato chips that supposedly originated in North Dakota, my home state.
TEXTURE: Potato chips make a crunchy texture that's hard to replicate. It's surprising and delicious paired with creamy peanut butter and a melted chocolate topping!
SALTY + SWEET: Fans of this flavor combo, rejoice - this is exactly that! Potato chips add the perfect amount of salt to these bars.
NO BAKE: No need to turn the oven on for this recipe - and it whips up quickly!
CAN BE NUT FREE: Easily make these bars nut free by swapping in sunflower seed butter.
Jump to:
Ingredients
CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER: Or sunflower seed butter for a nut free option. I suggest using an unsweetened peanut butter, since we'll sweeten these bars ourselves!
COCONUT OIL: When refrigerated, coconut oil hardens, which makes it fantastic for binding these bars together.
COCONUT FLOUR: Coconut flour absorbs moisture really well, so it helps these bars firm up and not be too oily.
MAPLE SYRUP: My sweetener of choice for this recipe; I like how it pairs with peanut butter. You can use honey as a substitute.
POTATO CHIPS: Make sure you grab a gluten free bag to keep these bars gluten free! You'll need one 5-6oz bag of potato chips for this recipe.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: For the chocolate topping! I like using bittersweet chocolate chips. For allergen-friendly chocolate chips, grab Enjoy Life brand.
Instructions
Making these gluten free no bake peanut butter bars is easy! The longest step is letting the bars harden in the fridge.
- COMBINE BASE - Stir together the peanut butter/sunflower seed butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Add the coconut flour and crushed potato chips.
- ADD TO PAN - Add the base mixture to a parchment paper-lined 9x9 baking pan. Use a spatula to spread it out evenly.
- MAKE CHOCOLATE TOPPING - Add the chocolate chips, remaining peanut butter/sunflower seed butter, and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 10-second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate chips are melted. Pour over the base layer and spread to edges.
- REFRIGERATE - Pop the pan in the fridge and let harden for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Substitutions and tips
Want to change things up? Here are some substitutions and variations that can come in handy:
- Swap potato chips out for pretzels - If potato chips in a dessert really weirds you out, you can swap for pretzels. Make sure to grab gluten free pretzels to keep these bars gluten free!
- Cream cheese instead of coconut oil - If you'd like to reduce the amount of oil in the recipe, you can try swapping the coconut oil out for 8oz cream cheese. Make sure the cream cheese is room temperature, and you may have to mix the filling with electric beaters. Note that this will change the overall flavor a bit, too.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup - While maple syrup is my go-to for recipes like this, feel free to use honey instead. It'll go nicely with the peanut butter!
FAQs
While I have lots of healthier, high protein recipes (including protein-based desserts) on Chelsea Joy Eats, this isn't one of them. I'm not about to pretend this recipe is "healthified"!
Not everything we eat has to be optimized for ideal nutrition. This is one of those decadent treats - enjoy a bar, but maybe not the whole pan!
Either refrigerate them for longer, or pop them in the freezer for a bit. They'll be just as good frozen!
If they didn't set, make sure you used enough coconut oil OR that you didn't use a different oil. Coconut oil hardens below room temperature, so it's the necessary ingredient to make sure these bars are sliceable.
Yes! These no bake peanut butter bars freeze super well and actually taste fantastic straight out of the freezer.
More no bake gluten free desserts
Loving the salty-sweet peanut butter vibes this recipe offers? You'll love No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie!
For more no bake pies, you've got to give my Mocha Avocado Cream Pie a try. Plus, I've got a Peanut Butter Chocolate Avocado Pudding Pie version too!
Finally, beat the summer heat with Sugar Free Banana Popsicles or Coffee Cashew Ice Cream.
Did you try this No Bake Peanut Butter Bars recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
No Bake Peanut Butter Bars with Potato Chips
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Refrigerate Time: 120 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 25 medium bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: no bake
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These simple, fudgy no bake peanut butter bars have a secret ingredient: potato chips. But that secret ingredient adds an addicting crunch and sweet + salty flavor! Use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter to keep these bars nut free.
Ingredients
For the Base:
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 ½ cup creamy peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 cups crushed gluten free potato chips (I used 1 bag Jackson's Honest potato chips)
For the Topping:
- 1 cup Equal Exchange chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter
Instructions
- Line a square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the coconut oil, sunflower seed butter, and maple syrup, mixing until smooth. Mix in the coconut flour and crushed potato chips.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined baking pan, using a rubber spatula to evenly distribute and smooth throughout the pan.
- Melt chocolate chips by microwaving in 10 second increments or using a double boiler on the stovetop. Stir in coconut oil and sunflower seed butter until smooth and glossy. Spread melted chocolate over the potato chip mixture. Sprinkle with extra potato chip crumbles or flaked sea salt, if desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve cold - these get melty quickly!
Jahn Morris Hill says
Firstly there is no Peanut Butter in there, so why don't you just call them seed butter bars or something else Secondly, if you are not going to cook them why do you need to add Parchment paper to the pan, or is your pan rusty or so dirty that you don't want to catch something?
I thought Paleo was about being healthy but as you said they really are just FAT BOMB.
I think I will just go back to my regular no cook peanut (butter) bars recipe but thanks anyway,please don't subscribe me.
Chelsea Joy says
Hi Jahn! Back when I first published this recipe, I was making lots of recipes for my readers that are allergic to peanuts but were on the hunt for alternatives - for them putting "peanut butter" in quotes was enough to differentiate.
But I agree with you that it's probably time to update this recipe to make it more clear. I'll add it to the ongoing list of things to do for the blog! Thanks!
Sheila says
So happy to see this recipe. We have an upcoming potluck with friends and they're asking me to bring dessert. Unfortunately, our oven broke down so, now I am in search of a no-bake dessert ideas instead.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Chelsea says
Thanks, Sheila! Hope you like them! <3