I have a little bit of an internal conflict going on right now.  It’s summer time right now, so when it gets hot, who wants to turn on the oven, right?  You’re not looking for extra heat in the kitchen.  And frankly, why bake something sweet when you can just hit the ice cream stand down the road?

I love no bake dessert options, but sometimes it makes me uneasy that something so good could be so easy.  I spend the rest of the year slaving over baked goods with multiple steps and several ingredients, and all of sudden I can combine 3-4 ingredients, throw them in the fridge for an hour, and I have an irresistible dessert.  It makes my typical effort seem completely unnecessary.

These are the stupid things that stress me out…

Anyway, here’s to less thinking, fewer ingredients, and a cool solution for a great summer treat:

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

yields 16-20 bars depending on th size you slice, from Bakerlady

Ingredients

• 1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup + 4 Tbs Peanut Butter (smooth or chunky)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or one bag (12 oz) which is probably closer to 2 cups

Method

1. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with parchment.
2. Combine melted butter, crumbs, sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter in a bowl.  Mix until the dough is a uniform sandy mixture.
3. Press mixture evenly into the parchment lined pan.  Spread out with an offset spatula if you have one.
4. Melt the chocolate chips with the 4 Tbs left of peanut butter.  I typically microwave it for 30 sec at a time until mostly melted then I stir until every chip is melted.
5. Spread the melted chocolate and peanut butter on top of the peanut butter and crumb mixture.  Again, smooth with an offset spatula.
6. Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy! (if you cool in a fridge, allow the pan to warm up slightly before trying to slice, otherwise it will be difficult to cut, and likely break into pieces)