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These no-bake peanut butter squares are a must-try treat for peanut butter lovers. These are a perfect, easy addition to fill out your cookie trays and dessert tables.
Our oven was a little under the weather recently, and while we were waiting to have it repaired, Jack and I were craving some homemade treats. After a few different tests, we came upon a retro recipe for old-fashioned no-bake peanut butter cookies, and we loved it so much that we’re continuing to make these even now that our oven is fixed. The only problem was that, like a lot of no-bake cookies, these were quite ugly and not really something I would want to add to a pretty holiday cookie or dessert tray. I decided to turn these into squares instead and added a delicious peanut butter vanilla drizzle, and these humble no-bake cookies became something really special. Here’s how to make my easy, no-bake peanut butter squares.
Ingredients Needed for the Peanut Butter Squares
You’ll need:
- Peanut butter
- Granulated white sugar
- Butter or a plant-based alternative
- Milk or a plant-based substitute
- Vanilla extract
- Quick-cooking oats
- Powdered confectioner’s sugar
This is one of those fun recipes where you probably already have everything you need ready to go in your pantry. I love finding a recipe that sounds good and realizing that I can make it right away. The peanut butter vanilla glaze is what really makes these an over the top treat for peanut butter lovers.
Another one for your dessert tray: Chewy Cake Mix Brownies Recipe
Preparing the No-Bake Squares
In a small saucepan or pot, combine sugar, butter, and milk over medium heat. Slowly bring the mixture up to a rapid boil and continue boiling for a minute and a half.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the peanut butter and the vanilla. Mix in the oats and stir the mixture continuously for a few minutes until it begins to cool.
Transfer the mix to a baking pan lined with parchment paper and press down with the back of a tablespoon to create an even surface. For this recipe, a medium loaf pan will result in thicker squares, as pictured. Using an 8×8 baking dish will give you thinner, more standard squares for sharing on a tray of desserts.
Transfer your baking dish to the refrigerator and chill for at least an hour or overnight. When the bars have set, slice them into equal squares. Mix up the ingredients for the glaze, then drizzle the bars and put them back into the fridge to chill further and allow the glaze to set.
Store the bars in an airtight container in the freezer or refrigerate until just a few minutes before you’re ready to serve them.
Another comforting classic to try next: Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins
For peanut butter chocolate fans, try mixing in semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped salted peanuts for crunch. Substitute this easy microwave chocolate glaze for the peanut butter glaze for a really decadent treat.
Here’s the full printable recipe.
These no-bake peanut butter squares are a must-try treat for peanut butter lovers. These are a perfect, easy addition to fill out your cookie trays and dessert tables.
- 3/4 cup Peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated white sugar
- 1/3 cup Butter (or a plant-based substitute)
- 1/3 cup Milk (or a non-dairy substitute)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups Quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup Icing sugar for the glaze
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract for the glaze
- 2 tbsp Peanut butter (melted) for the glaze
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In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, butter, and milk. Slowly bring the mixture up to a boil and continue boiling for one minute.
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Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the peanut butter and the vanilla. Continue stirring until you have a smooth, even mixture.
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Add in the oatmeal and stir until everything is well-coated.
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Transfer the mixture to a baking pan lined with parchment paper. A medium loaf pan will result in thicker squares. An 8x8 baking dish will result in thinner squares. Smooth the top of the bars with the back of a tablespoon to create an even surface.
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Chill the squares in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight. When the bars have set, lift them out of the baking dish and slice them into even squares.
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Prepare the glaze: Heat the peanut butter in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds, then add in the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla. Stir until you have a smooth glaze for drizzling and all the lumps are removed. If the glaze is too thick, add a few drops of milk. Drizzle the glaze over the squares, then transfer them to the fridge to chill until the glaze is set.
Courtenay Hartford is the author of creeklinehouse.com, a blog based on her adventures renovating a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural Ontario, Canada. On her blog, Courtenay shares interior design tips based on her own farmhouse and her work as founder and stylist of the interior photography firm Art & Spaces. She also writes about her farmhouse garden, plant-based recipes, family travel, and homekeeping best practices. Courtenay is the author of the book The Cleaning Ninja and has been featured in numerous magazines including Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, Better Homes and Gardens, Parents Magazine, Real Simple, and Our Homes.