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Monday, September 2, 2019

Peanut Butter Bars That Taste Like a Reese's Cup

Before I was vegan, I loved a Reese's cup. It was my favorite of all the candy bars. There should be no other. ha ha The holiday one's were my favorite too. You know the one's, they were shaped like a tree or pumpkin. Not sure why I liked them so much but I think it was because there was more peanut butter in them. 

I have not had a Reese's cup in a really long time and when I came across this Instagram post by Nora Cooks, I knew I had to immediately try them. OMG they are so good. Definitely keep them in the fridge. They are much better cold in my opinion and they really do taste just like a Reese's cup. 

I've been wanting to make a copycat version of a vegan Reese's cup for a super long time but honestly, I did not want to mess with the little cup things. You know, melting the chocolate, pouring it into all those little molds. Letting it set up, doing the peanut butter part, letting it set up again, melting the chocolate again and so on. 

Which is another reason why I love this recipe so much. It's quick and easy. Yes, you still have to the let peanut butter and chocolate set up but it's one big bar and not a lot of little cups.  Don't get me wrong, I love the cups but I just do not have time for them.

For the butter, I used my D.I.Y. butter and it worked perfectly but you can use any type of vegan butter you like. 

I used vegan graham cracker for the crumbs but Nora used Chocolatey Chip Teddy Grahams. Either one being used should definitely be processed in a food processor to get them as fine as a crumb possible. I did not do this the first time and the bars are way better with a finer crumb.

Let's get to this fantastic recipe. Here is what you will need. 
The bar layer:
1 cup of natural peanut butter
1 cup of butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

The topping:
12 ounces of chocolate chips
1/4 cup natural peanut butter

Line a 9X13 inch pan with parchment paper leaving the sides long enough to overhang making it easier to grab. 

In  medium sauce pan, melt the butter and peanut butter. Stir in the powdered sugar and graham cracker crumbs. I did this over the heat and it made it easier to stir. Once everything is combined, pour into the 9x13 inch pan. Spread out evenly and let it set up in the fridge for about an hour. 

Once the peanut butter layer is set up, it's time to add the chocolate layer. Melt the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of peanut butter. I melted the chocolate and peanut butter by constantly stirring them over medium heat in a medium pan. Do not walk away from it. You really need to stir constantly. It will only take a minute or two to melt everything. Pour evenly over the bar layer. Let it set up in the fridge for another hour or so. 

If you put your bars in the freezer to set up, let them rest on the counter for about 10 - 15 minutes. The chocolate layer will crack if you try to cut them too soon. 

This will make a lot of little bars but they are so worth it. Keep them covered in the fridge or in the freezer. They will not last long, I promise.

Here is a link to Nora's original blog and recipe post.