Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars — Nutter Butter crust, chocolate pudding, and peanut butter cream cheese filling! Easy, almost no-bake, and beyond AMAZING! Lives up to their dreamy name!
Table of Contents
Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Dessert
If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter dessert lover, you’ve found your end-all-be-all dessert. If you’ve tried ‘lush’ desserts like lemon lush or ‘better than…’ desserts, this recipe is a chocolate-peanut butter version.
Licking the bowls kept getting better and better with each step and layer in the recipe. The dream bars truly live up to their dreamy name.
It’s an almost no-bake recipe (the crust bakes for 10 minutes) that’s easy, goof-proof, rich, decadent, and guaranteed to be raved about by your friends and family.
There are so many textures and flavors that make the bars irresistibly dreamy. There’s a crunchy, salty-and-sweet Nutter Butter Cookie crust, topped with silky chocolate pudding, topped with a peanut butter-cream cheese-COOL WHIP layer. I could just eat a bowl of just that.
Finally there are peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and Nutter Butters for added crunch and a boost of peanut butter flavor.
Call these bars what you will — chocolate peanut butter dream bars, chocolate peanut butter lush, or chocolate peanut butter lasagna — so long as you make them!
Ingredients in Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars
For this decadent chocolate peanut butter lasagna, you’ll need:
- Nutter Butter cookies
- Unsalted butter
- Instant chocolate pudding
- Milk
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Cool Whip Whipped Topping
- Chocolate chips
- Peanut butter chips
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
A Note About the Ingredients
Use full-fat cream brick-style cheese because lite can be thinner, runnier, and won’t set up as well.
I used regular JELL-O Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix rather than sugar-free.
I used Fat-Free COOL WHIP with success.
I recommend using regular, no-stir peanut butter and not homemade or natural peanut butter.
Recipe Video Tutorial
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars
This chocolate peanut butter dessert does require some layering and active prep work, but it’s incredibly simple to make.
The layers go in the following order: crust, chocolate pudding, PB-cream cheese mixture, Cool Whip.
- First, you’ll need to make the peanut butter cookie crust and hard pack it into an 8×8-inch pan (the crust is just crushed cookies and melted butter).
- Bake the crust for just 10 minutes, then let it cool completely.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the instant chocolate pudding and pop it into the fridge to set.
- Then, make the peanut butter-cream cheese layer.
- Once the crust is completely cool, all that’s left to do is layer the instant chocolate pudding dessert!
- Just before serving, sprinkle the top with more crushed Nutter Butters.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make the bars in advance. I made it four days in advance of a party, froze it, and took it out to thaw 2 hours before the party.
My family actually preferred it when it was frozen solid and said it was like eating an ice cream sandwich bar. I prefer it softer and creamier at room temp. Either way, you’ll find yourself going back to straighten out the rows.
Yes, simply double the ingredients list and assemble the layered peanut butter chocolate lasagna in a 9×13-inch pan.
No, I recommend using old-fashioned peanut butter rather than natural types which are too oily, runny, and thin for this recipe.
Technically yes, but whipped cream deflates and loses its fluffiness after a few hours (even if stored in the fridge), which can affect the texture of the peanut butter dream bars.
If making this dessert in advance, Cool Whip will hold up the best! Or, you can make homemade stabilized whipped cream, which to be honest I never mess around with because I just can’t be bothered! But use whatever is best for your family.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars
Ingredients
- one 16-ounce package peanut butter sandwich cookies, like Nutter Butter Cookies, divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- one 3.9-ounce package JELL-O Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix, not sugar-free
- 1 ½ cups cold milk, use cow’s milk; pudding won’t set up with soy, almond, cashew milk. I used 1% cow’s milk
- 4 ounces PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened (not lite)
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- heaping 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter, not ‘natural’
- one 8-ounce tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed and divided
- ¼ cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To the canister of a food processor, add 24 peanut butter cookies and process on high speed until broken down into very fine crumbs; set aside.
- To a small microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 30 seconds.
- Add the melted butter to the peanut butter cookie crumbs and process on high speed to combine, about 30 seconds.
- Turn mixture out into prepared baking pan and using the back of a spatula, hard-pack the mixture to form a even, flat crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven; set aside to cool. While crust bakes, you can move onto the next steps.
- Add remaining 8 peanut butter cookies to food processor and pulse to break up cookies into bite-sized chunks, about 10 pulses or as necessary. Reserve cookie chunks in a small covered bowl or ziptop bag for use as a topping.
- To a medium bowl, add the pudding mix, milk, and whisk vigorously for at least 1 minute, making sure powder is fully dissolved and mixture is smooth. Place bowl in fridge to chill.
- To a large bowl, add the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, and beat for about 1 minute using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, or until smooth and combined.
- Add half the tub of COOL WHIP and beat for about 1 minute using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, or until smooth and combined; set aside.
- To the crust (make sure it’s cooled), add the pudding (make sure it’s thick and set up) in a smooth, even layer.
- Add the creamy peanut butter mixture in a smooth, even layer. I find it easiest to add it in golf ball-sized dollops staggered around the pan and then using a spatula, blend the dollops together to create a seamless layer. Take your time so you don’t disturb the layers underneath.
- Add the remaining half tub of COOL WHIP in a smooth, even layer.
- Cover and refrigerate pan for at least 2 hours, or until dessert is fully set-up. I made it 4 days before a party and placed dessert in the freezer at this point, and 2 hours before the party, I took it out, garnished with the remaining ingredients, and served.
- Before serving, evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and reserved Nutter Butter cookie chunks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Chocolate Pudding Dessert Ideas:
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Chocolate Lasagna — A chocolate chip cookie base topped with cream cheese, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, and mini chocolate chips!! An EASY layered dessert that tastes so AMAZING!!
Chocolate Poke Cake – A FAST and EASY cake that’s perfect for all the chocaholics! Moist and tender chocolate cake, filled with chocolate syrup, and topped with whipped chocolate frosting! A no-fuss chocolate cake that everyone will adore!
Mississippi Mud Pie Bars – An EASY, almost no-bake dessert with a chocolate chip cookie base, chocolate pudding, sweetened cream cheese, Oreos, and hot fudge!! RICH, decadent, indulgent, and a great party dessert that you can MAKE-AHEAD!!
Caramel-Stuffed Quadruple Chocolate Cookies — The cookies are thicker, bakery-style cookies that are bold and rich, and are oozing with melted chocolate and stuffed with Rolos.
Oreo Brownie Lush – A rich and decadent dessert with fudgy brownies, cream cheese, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, and Oreo cookies!! EASY, great for parties, and it’s a chocoholics dream!!
Chocolate Candy Bar Cake — An easy frozen dessert with graham crackers, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, chocolate chips, PEANUT BUTTER CUPS and SNICKERS!! Perfect for when you don’t want to turn on your oven!!
Originally posted May 22, 2015 and reposted September 8, 2023 with updated text.
These look incredible! I’m drooling!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
I really don’t eat enough Nutter Butters…this recipe is the perfect excuse to buy some!! So dreamy! <3
These bars really do look like a dream! I love all the different textures you used in here too!
Dreamy indeed! These look so fluffy and perfect. I cannot resist something coated in peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and Nutter Butters!
They kind of remind me of something you’d make :) They were SO GOOD…omg I loved these things!
YUM! I have a very simular recipe but it has a graham cracker crust. But using peanut butter cookies in the crust? I love that!! Need to try it!
You will love the Nutter Butter crust!
Oh.My.God.
I feel like there are always a lot of hyperbolic responses to these kinds of recipes, and most of the time the recipes are great but not deserving of a billion exclamation points and ALLCAPITALLETTERS enthusiasm. BUT.
THIS IS DESERVING!!!!!
LOVE.
I cannot even tell you how perfect these were. The Nutter Butter-butter based crust, just that alone, omg. Then the pudding, then the silky fluffiness of the cream cheese/PB mixture. This is one of those classic midwest, potluck, graduation, baby shower, etc. type desserts that everyone goes nuts for. I seriously loved this. If there is ever a recipe that I would say cheat on your gluten and dairy for, THIS ONE is it!
YUM! I’m making this for dessert this Monday!
LMK how it goes!
Stunning photos (as usual) and this is a perfect combination of all my favorite flavors. Love it, Averie!
Thank you!
Sounds and looks SO good, Averie! Creamy desserts and of course peanut butter are my weaknesses!
This sounds sooooo good! I could just eat that peanut butter layer alone too!! I love how you used Nutter Butters in the crust awesome idea!!
These do look dreamy!! Nutter butters are one of my favorite commercial cookies and every layer looks so good. I always love more than 1 flavor and different textures going on. This will be perfect for summer!
Paula I cannot even tell you how perfect these were and that basically old-school things like Cool Whip and Nutter Butters and choc pudding can do no wrong :) If you have an event this summer, you have to make these! They’re crazy good and after 6 years of this, it takes a lot to get me excited!
I was just looking up recipes for an icebox cake for this weekend and now I know exactly what I’m making…I love old school nutter butter cookies…can’t wait to try this.
Please LMK how it goes! Seriously I loved loved loved these bars and I think you have some very lucky friends and family who get to eat this if you make it!
I’m crying at my computer screen right now because I really want to reach through and eat the entire plate of these dream bars. You just combined all of my favorite things into one delicious treat. :D
I was crying while editing the pics knowing it was all gone and I missed it! I loved this dessert!
When do I NOT want a PB/chocolate dessert? Um, never. It’s always the thing. In fact, posted one just today. It’s hard not to bake with PB and chocolate all the time because it’s the best!
This recipe is definitely THE one. I’d marry it if I could! Looks so phenomenal!
This was a showstopper and I highly recommend it, just all the textures, the PB/choc, omg you will LOVE it!
What?! You just blew my mind. I need this in my belly right now! Consider this recipe pinned! Yum Yum. Thanks for posting this. Now my weekend is complete. x
Absolutely heavenly! Your images do these sweet treats proud, will definitely try these,
Thanks
Joe
Thanks for the compliments!