These Amish Reese's Peanut Butter Bars are rich, chocolatey, and loaded with peanut butter - the kind of dessert you can grab and eat with your hands. A thin, moist chocolate cake forms the base, topped with a creamy peanut butter layer and finished with smooth chocolate frosting. If you love Reese's, you'll love these.
Perfect for family nights, potlucks, or anytime you want a comforting, indulgent treat, these Amish dessert bars are easy to make, totally satisfying, and seriously addictive.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Amish Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
- How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Reese's Cake
- Amish Peanut Butter Bars in 10x15" Pan
- Differences in Peanut Butter - What is the best Peanut Butter to Use?
- How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Recipes for Amish Dessert Bars
- 📖 Recipe Card
Why You'll Love These Amish Reese's Peanut Butter Bars
- Chocolate + Peanut Butter Heaven: Rich chocolate cake, creamy peanut butter, and smooth chocolate frosting in every bite. Chocolate and peanut butter together is always a win!
- Grab-and-Go Bars: Perfect for family nights, potlucks, or a sweet treat anytime.
- Make Ahead & Freezable: Store at room temp, in the fridge, or freeze for later. Always ready when a craving hits.
- Homemade Touch: Inspired by Reese's, but bigger, softer, and made from scratch.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Step 1: Prepare the Bottom Layer
- Beat Eggs and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until well combined. Add sugar and beat again until well mixed.
- Add Buttermilk and Vanilla: Add buttermilk (or sour cream) and vanilla extract to the egg mixture. Mix well.
- Melt Butter, Water, and Cocoa: In a saucepan, heat the butter, water, and cocoa powder. Stir until melted and smooth. Add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix well.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the mixture. Mix until combined. The batter will be runny.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into a greased and lightly floured 10x15" baking pan (jelly roll pan). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs. Let the cake cool.
Step 2: Add the Middle Layer
- Spread Peanut Butter: Once the cake has cooled, carefully spread a one-pound container of creamy peanut butter evenly over the top.
Step 3: Prepare the Frosting (There are two different ways to prepare the frosting.)
Method 1: Traditional Frosting
- Beat the softened butter until creamy.
- Add cocoa powder and salt, and mix well.
- Add vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar. Mix and scrape the bowl.
- Beat on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread over the cooled cake and chill.
Method 2: Boiled Frosting
- In a saucepan, melt butter with cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat, whisk in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Cool partially, then spread over the peanut butter layer and chill.
Differences in Traditional Frosting or Boiled Frosting:
- Texture: Traditional is fluffy; boiled is denser and fudgier.
- Time: Traditional is quicker; boiled takes longer due to heating.
- Flavor: Boiled has a more intense chocolate flavor.
- Spreading: Traditional is easy to spread; boiled is easy when warm but sets firm.
If you pay attention to my photos, you will notice the difference in texture between traditional and boiled frosting.
Reese's Cake
Cakes are usually baked in a 9x13" (or equivalent size) pan, and that makes a nice thick layer of cake. But for this recipe, we have a moist chocolate cake that is baked in a larger pan (10x15") to create a thin layer of cake on the bottom.
Then it gets a very thin layer of peanut butter and a chocolate frosting on the top. So it's technically a thin cake. But since it's made to eat with your hands, we call it bars.
You can call them cookie bars, cake bars, or whatever you like to call dessert bars that you hold in your hands to eat. They make a great dessert to go since you don't need utensils to eat them.
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Amish Peanut Butter Bars in 10x15" Pan
To make these bars, we bake the chocolate cake in a 10x15" jelly roll pan.
My jelly roll pan dimensions are more like 10 ¾ x 16 ¾". So they are not all exactly the typical 10x15 inches. But as long as it's close to that size, it will work.
The point is, we're not using a regular 9x13" cake pan, and neither are we using a 13x18" half-sheet cake pan. You want the size in between that's typically known as a 10x15" jelly roll pan.
It allows you to have a nice thin (but not too thin) layer of cake on the bottom.
Differences in Peanut Butter - What is the best Peanut Butter to Use?
Peanut butter gets spread over the top of the cooled cake. You will have to spread it carefully, or it might pull the top off of the cake, and you'll end up with cake crumbs all through the peanut butter.
I recommend using a smooth and creamy brand of peanut butter. I have found the cheaper generic brands to be a little stiff. So I'm going to suggest that you buy a better brand such as Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan.
Here I used Peter Pan, and it spread fine. But I think Jif is known to be one of the creamiest spreadable brands.
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
I love using buttermilk in baked goods. It helps to create a soft and light, yet moist texture. However, buttermilk is not something that I keep on hand. So what if I want to make these bars, and I don't have any buttermilk in my refrigerator?
No problem. I can make buttermilk with ingredients that I already have on hand since adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk makes homemade buttermilk.
I recommend using whole milk, although 2% will also work. Unfortunately, 1% or skim milk does not work.
Since we only need ½ cup of buttermilk for this recipe, you can add 1 Tbsp. of vinegar to a half-cup measuring cup and fill it with milk. Let it rest for at least five minutes. It will curdle and thicken, producing buttermilk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Make a day ahead and chill.
10x15" jelly roll pan. A little bigger or smaller works, but adjust baking time slightly.
These Amish Reese's Peanut Butter Bars are the ultimate chocolate-and-peanut-butter treat. They are rich, indulgent, and perfect for sharing (or keeping all to yourself!).
Give them a try, and I promise - they'll disappear fast. These peanut butter cake bars are seriously addicting, especially if you love the flavors of chocolate cake with peanut butter. Don't forget to leave a star rating and a comment if you make them. I would love hearing how your bars turn out! Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Amish Reese's Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Bottom Cake Layer:
- 1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)
- 1 c. water
- 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 ½ c. sugar
- ½ c. buttermilk or sour cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
Middle Layer:
- 1 ½ - 1 ¾ c. creamy peanut butter (1 lb. container)
Frosting:
- ½ c. softened butter (1 stick)
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ c. milk
- 2 ½ - 3 c. powdered sugar
Instructions
Cake - Bottom Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Beat eggs well. Add the sugar and beat well again.2 large eggs (room temperature), 1 ½ c. sugar
- Add the buttermilk and vanilla and mix.½ c. buttermilk or sour cream, 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- In a saucepan, melt the butter, water, and cocoa. Then add this mixture to the egg mixture.1 c. softened butter (2 sticks), 1 c. water, 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. The batter will be runny.2 c. all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt
- Pour into a greased and lightly floured 10x15" baking pan (jelly roll pan) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs.
- Cool completely.
Middle Layer:
- Carefully spread the peanut butter over the top of the cooled cake.1 ½ - 1 ¾ c. creamy peanut butter (1 lb. container)
Frosting:
- Beat the butter until creamed. Add the cocoa and salt and mix.½ c. softened butter (1 stick), 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder, pinch salt
- Add the remaining ingredients, mix, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix on high speed for at least 2 minutes.1 tsp. vanilla extract, ¼ c. milk, 2 ½ - 3 c. powdered sugar
- Spread the frosting over the top and chill before cutting into squares.
- Can store at room temperature or refrigerate. These bars can also be frozen to keep them fresh for later.
Kathryn
Just bought similar bars on our very first trip to the Green Dragon market - it's nothing like we've ever tried before and they're amazing - can't wait to try your recipe! I think the ones we bought have the traditional frosting on them. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Anna
You're welcome! Enjoy!
Anna
These are delightful!
Marilyn
Hello. I just discovered your post. I read your pot piecreceipe and its just like my Moms friend, who ws also Amish. She was such a wonderful lady and a amazing cook.
Thru thevyesrs her Miley is all hone as is my Mom..she made a. Cole flaw that DIDNT have mayo based dressing. It was more of a sweet and dour type. Would you happen to know if it?? I remember it was cooked in the stove, and its had mustard seeds , sugar, and always used ACV with the mother.. She made her own, as did my Mom .I use BRAGGS brand. If you knew of this recipe. would you please share??
Thank you..
Anna
This is the closest thing I have: In a saucepan, bring to a boil 2/3 c. vinegar, 2/3 c. sugar, 2 tsp. celery seeds, 1 tsp. salt, & 1/4 tsp. pepper. Remove from heat and add 2/3 c. oil. It's enough for a big head of shredded cabbage with a bit of carrot, onion, and peppers. Marinate for 2 hrs. before serving.
I'm sure you could add mustard seed as well.
Kimberly
These sound delicious! I was wondering if you’ve ever made these bars with a chocolate cake mix? My husband has to eat gluten free, so using a GF cake mix would allow him to eat them too. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Anna
I have not tried that. But I see no reason that you couldn't do that since the bottom layer is simply cake. It gets baked in a bigger pan to create a thinner layer. So I would definitely try it.