15 Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes

Few flavors inspire devotion like peanut butter in dessert. These peanut butter dessert recipes pair its salty richness with chocolate, fruit, and more.

From no-bake bars to towering cheesecake, these 15 peanut butter dessert recipes cover every craving and every occasion.

1. Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

The crosshatch cookie everyone grew up with: crisp edges, soft centers, and deep peanut flavor.

Use commercial peanut butter, not natural. Natural separates and makes dry cookies.

Press your thumb into each dough ball before baking, then fill the warm indent with jam for a peanut butter and jelly cookie. Pull them from the oven when the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft; they firm up as they cool. Store in an airtight container for up to five days with a slice of bread to keep them soft.

2. Peanut Butter Pie

Cloud-like peanut butter mousse in a cookie crust under chocolate ganache. No oven required.

Tip: Freeze 2 hours before slicing for perfect wedges.

No-bake lover? See our no-bake desserts.

Use an Oreo crust instead of graham for a cookies-and-cream base that pairs perfectly with the peanut butter filling. Chill the finished pie overnight rather than just two hours; the longer set gives cleaner slices. It keeps for four days refrigerated. Top each slice with a drizzle of warm hot fudge at serving time.

3. Peanut Butter Brownies

Fudgy chocolate brownies with peanut butter swirled through every bite. The marbling looks as good as it tastes.

Tip: Warm the peanut butter 15 seconds so it swirls easily.

Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the warm brownies right out of the oven; the salty crunch against the sweet peanut butter is outstanding. Line the pan with parchment overhangs so the whole slab lifts out for easy cutting. Store tightly covered at room temperature for three days, or warm a square and serve with vanilla ice cream.

4. Peanut Butter Fudge

Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth fudge with intense peanut flavor. A holiday tin essential.

Tip: Use a candy thermometer. Two degrees make the difference between creamy and crumbly.

Gift giving? Browse our holiday dessert recipes.

Swirl melted dark chocolate through the top before it sets for a marbled peanut butter chocolate fudge. Once cut, pack the squares in holiday tins layered with wax paper; they make excellent gifts. The fudge keeps for two weeks at room temperature in a sealed container, and it freezes well for longer storage.

5. Peanut Butter Bars

The lunchroom classic: peanut butter base with a crackly chocolate top. Five ingredients, zero baking.

Layers

• Graham cracker peanut butter base
• Melted chocolate top
• Flaky salt finish

Swap the graham cracker base for crushed pretzels to add a salty crunch that balances the sweet chocolate top. For perfectly clean squares, run a large knife under hot water and wipe it dry between cuts. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week; let them sit ten minutes at room temperature before serving.

6. Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Better than store-bought: dark chocolate shells around salty-sweet peanut butter filling.

Tip: Use silicone muffin cups. The ridges release perfectly.

Candy making? See our homemade candy recipes.

Use white chocolate for the shells and a milk chocolate drizzle for a striking reversed look. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water rather than the microwave for smoother results. The finished cups keep for two weeks at room temperature in a cool spot, and they make wonderful homemade gifts in small boxes.

7. Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Rich, dense, and unapologetic. A peanut butter cheesecake is a special-occasion showstopper.

Top with chopped peanut butter cups for maximum impact.

Use a chocolate cookie crust for a flavor combination that rivals any bakery cheesecake. To prevent cracks, turn off the oven when done and let the cheesecake cool inside with the door cracked for an hour before refrigerating. Serve with warm chocolate sauce. It keeps for four days refrigerated and slices cleanest when cold.

8. Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Salty-sweet ice cream with peanut butter swirls. Add chocolate chunks and it is basically a frozen candy bar.

Tip: Ripple the peanut butter in at the end of churning, not during.

Frozen treats? Explore our frozen dessert recipes.

For a lighter take, blend frozen bananas with peanut butter and a splash of milk for a no-churn nice cream version. Let the churned ice cream sit on the counter for ten minutes before scooping so it softens to the perfect texture. Serve in cones with a chocolate dip shell for the full candy-bar experience.

9. Peanut Butter Blondies

Chewy, butterscotch-y bars loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips. One bowl, endless snacking.

Brown sugar is the key to the butterscotch depth.

Stir half a cup of rolled oats into the batter for a heartier, chewier bar with staying power. Pan size matters: a 9×13 pan gives thinner bars with crisp edges, while an 8×8 pan gives thick, gooey centers. Store in an airtight container for four days, and serve slightly warm with coffee for an afternoon treat.

10. Peanut Butter Truffles

Buckeye-style truffles: creamy peanut butter centers dipped in chocolate. Dangerous in the best way.

Tip: Freeze the balls 30 minutes before dipping so they hold shape.

Party sweets? See our party dessert recipes.

Roll the finished truffles in cocoa powder or finely crushed roasted peanuts instead of dipping them all in chocolate for variety. A small melon baller gives you evenly sized centers that look professional. They keep for two weeks refrigerated in a sealed container; bring to room temperature for fifteen minutes before serving for the creamiest bite.

11. Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Two favorites in one loaf: moist banana bread swirled with peanut butter. Breakfast or dessert, you decide.

Toast a slice and add extra peanut butter. Trust us.

Fold a cup of chocolate chips into the batter for a peanut butter chocolate chip loaf that disappears fast. If the top browns before the center is done, tent it loosely with foil for the remaining bake time. The bread keeps four days wrapped at room temperature, and thick toasted slices with extra peanut butter make a great breakfast.

12. Peanut Butter Popcorn

Warm peanut butter drizzled over popcorn with a chocolate drizzle to finish. Movie night upgraded.

Tip: Toss the popcorn while the drizzle is warm so it coats evenly.

Movie snacks? Browse our snackable desserts.

Toss in candy-coated chocolates or mini marshmallows after the drizzle cools so they do not melt into the mix. Pick out any unpopped kernels before drizzling to avoid unpleasant surprises. Store in an airtight container for up to three days; the peanut butter coating keeps it from going stale quickly. Perfect for movie night.

13. Peanut Butter Mousse

Airy, cloud-like mousse that tastes like the inside of a peanut butter cup. Serve in small glasses with whipped cream.

Tip: Fold the whipped cream in gently. Stirring deflates the air you worked for.

Layer chocolate ganache at the bottom of each glass before adding the mousse for a decadent two-tone dessert. Chill the serving glasses for twenty minutes first so the mousse sets with a lovely firm edge. Make it a day ahead and top with whipped cream and fresh raspberries just before serving.

14. Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

Campfire flavors without the campfire: graham base, peanut butter chocolate, torched marshmallow top.

Watch the broiler like a hawk. Marshmallow goes from golden to burnt in seconds.

Campfire cravings? See our latest recipes on Spoon and Sizzle.

Swap the graham crackers for crushed Biscoff cookies for a spiced caramel note that works beautifully with peanut butter. Use a kitchen torch for the marshmallow top if you have one; it gives more control than the broiler. Store covered at room temperature for two days, though the marshmallow is best the day it is toasted.

15. Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Moist peanut butter cupcakes with swirled peanut butter frosting and a chocolate drizzle. Bakery case worthy.

Serving idea: Top each with a mini peanut butter cup.

Tip: Fill liners only two-thirds full. The batter is rich and rises well.

Bake chocolate cupcakes instead and pipe them with the peanut butter frosting for a reversed flavor combo. For filled cupcakes, core each one with an apple corer and spoon in extra peanut butter before frosting. They keep three days in an airtight container at room temperature; the frosting sets up nicely overnight.

Final Thought

Salty, sweet, and impossible to resist, these peanut butter dessert recipes belong in every baker’s rotation. Just try to eat only one.