Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bars With Dark Chocolate Ganache

Graham-Cracker-Peanut-Butter-Bars-With-Dark-Chocolate-Ganache

I’m sorry that the name for this recipe is such a mouthful that you’ll probably finish half the batch before you say it. More accurately I’d call these “White Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bars With Dark Chocolate Ganache” but with a name like that you’d have to come up for air at some point.

Graham-Cracker-Peanut-Butter-Bars-With-Dark-Chocolate-Ganache-ingredients

This recipe is made with a few of my favorite things. PB&Co.’s White Chocolate Wonderful is one of the best vegan “white chocolate” anything I’ve ever had. It actually tastes like white chocolate without any dairy. For the ganache, I used Scharffen Berger’s 70% baking chocolate, which is delicious and smooth to eat both on its own and in recipes. You can taste the quality in it and—I warn you—it’s addicting stuff.

Normally, when I make peanut butter bars I use this recipe which is naturally gluten-free. However I’ve seen a lot of peanut butter bar recipes that use graham crackers as a binding(most recently this one) and I figured if so many people are doing it there must be something to it, right? So I broke out the ol’ gluten-free graham crackers and got cooking. I didn’t expect to like these as much as I do. The earthy spices in the graham crackers pair really well with the sweet and nutty peanut butter and add a pleasantly crunchy texture.

Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bars With Dark Chocolate Ganache

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 18 1-inch squares):

*You can use any peanut butter so long as it’s the no-stir kind. If you want the white chocolate flavor but don’t have White Chocolate Wonderful, use 1/2 cup of natural peanut butter mixed with 3 Tablespoons melted white chocolate.

**This is easy to make at home. Simply pulse 9 sheets of graham crackers in a food processor until it makes a smooth flour.

Graham-Cracker-Peanut-Butter-Bars-With-Dark-Chocolate-Ganache-graham-crackers

Method:

  1. Gently melt the butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter either in the microwave or over the stove until it’s smooth and liquid.
  2. Once the ingredients are melted, sift in the powdered sugar and pour in the graham cracker crumbs and mix it together until emulsified.
  3. Grease a 3×8 loaf pan and press the peanut butter mixture into the pan in an even layer.
  4. In the microwave or over the stove, melt together the remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter and chocolate. Once they’re melted, mix them together.
  5. Pour the ganache over the peanut butter layer and refrigerate until hardened(at least 30 minutes).
  6. 10 minutes before serving, remove these from the refrigerator to soften. Once soft, gently cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Graham-Cracker-Peanut-Butter-Bars-With-Dark-Chocolate-Ganache-beauty-shot

One of my favorite things about recipes like these is that they’re so easily adaptable for different allergens. I made mine gluten-free simply by using gluten-free graham crackers. To make them vegan you can use a dairy-free margarine in place of the butter and make sure to use vegan graham crackers.

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19 Responses to Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bars With Dark Chocolate Ganache
  1. Faith @ For the Health of It
    November 11, 2011 | 10:26 am

    Sometimes, the longer the name, the yummier the treat. This has all of my favorite flavors in one bite!

  2. Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
    November 11, 2011 | 10:33 am

    Anything that uses a PB&Co spread has got to be amazing. That stuff is like crack.

  3. Anna @ On Anna's Plate
    November 11, 2011 | 10:44 am

    I’ve never tried that PB& Co flavor– it’s one of the only ones I haven’t tried yet.

  4. Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun
    November 11, 2011 | 11:07 am

    Let’s just say I don’t mind saying a long name if the result is something like that. And why are the graham crackers the only thing I don’t have in my pantry to make them right now?

  5. brandi
    November 11, 2011 | 11:33 am

    these look So good! anything with white chocolate wonderful is good for me.

  6. Liz @ Tip Top Shape
    November 11, 2011 | 2:32 pm

    These look fantastic! So many great no-bake recipes in the blogoshpere lately.

  7. Lindsay @ Lindsay's List
    November 11, 2011 | 3:55 pm

    My thighs hate you a little.
    P.S. Did you get the email I sent you? Would have been two days ago.

    • Wannabe Chef
      November 11, 2011 | 4:46 pm

      2 days ago? Definitely not. Where did you send it?

  8. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
    November 11, 2011 | 4:54 pm

    “PB&Co.’s White Chocolate Wonderful is one of the best vegan “white chocolate” anything I’ve ever had. It actually tastes like white chocolate without any dairy.” <– that is super high praise b/c I know you have sampled tons of nut butters. I need to get in on the action.

    And these bars…nice! Easy and I bet so so good!

  9. Paige
    November 11, 2011 | 8:14 pm

    All right. It’s official. I’m declaring my love right here and now!!!

    And then promptly making some of these long-name-but-hunger-instilling-bars. I don’t have graham crackers, but I will the next time I leave the house!

    • Wannabe Chef
      November 11, 2011 | 8:27 pm

      Maybe you can bake up some paleo graham crackers to use. Now THAT would be a recipe.

  10. Lauren
    November 11, 2011 | 10:10 pm

    Yum! Yes please…. If I give you my address, do you want to send me some? 😉 Kidding. But these do look fantastic!

  11. Hannah
    November 12, 2011 | 12:32 am

    I’d be happy to never breathe again if my life could just be saying that long title and eating these 🙂

  12. Jen
    November 13, 2011 | 2:12 am

    I tried those graham crackers last week and was pleasantly surprised! They aren’t as good as traditional grahams but still good. However, I’m not a fan of the PB&Co. peanut butters – they taste too sugary and fake to me now 🙁 Love the natural butters though.

  13. […] blame the existence of candy corn). I tried to eat less sugar in November and I’m failing(hello, peanut butter bars). I’ll try to eat less sugar in December and I’ll fail then, too(at least I’m being realistic […]

  14. […] Recipe: The Wannabe Chef […]

  15. MEH
    January 22, 2014 | 3:55 am

    hey umm is it okay if we use the STIR kind?

  16. MEH
    January 22, 2014 | 3:55 am

    hey umm is it okay if we use the STIR kind?

    • Wannabe Chef
      January 22, 2014 | 11:07 am

      You can but I’d recommend using a couple tablespoons less so the final result isn’t too soft.