This is Reese’s Pieces peanut butter white chocolate bark—an irresistible twist on the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, featuring creamy white chocolate and crunchy Reese’s Pieces. This easy recipe is a fun, delicious way to enjoy the iconic candy and makes for a perfect homemade treat, especially around Halloween.
I originally published this recipe in 2012 and have since added new photos and more helpful success tips.
You know how I feel about peanut butter and chocolate. I have literally dozens of chocolate peanut butter recipes on my website and in my cookbooks, because truly, peanut butter and chocolate are soulmates. But you know what’s an underrated combination? Peanut butter and white chocolate. We can make room for them in our hearts, too!
One reader, Sam, commented: “SO GOOD!! And we especially love it cold right out of the refrigerator. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Nicole, commented: “Sally – this is delicious! Just like a white Reese’s cup, but with the added satisfaction of having made it yourself. Thanks for the great recipe, I will be making this again! ★★★★★“
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark
- Like a fresh and homemade version of a white chocolate peanut butter cup
- Soft peanut butter filling tastes like the centers of these peanut butter balls
- Melt-in-your-mouth soft with a delightful crunch from Reese’s Pieces
- The colors are so festive for fall, but this treat is a big hit year round
- An easy no-bake recipe
- Makes a big batch to share
- Freezes easily if you need to hide leftovers from your self control 😉
Bark is a spectacularly easy way to create your own ideal candy bar. With the combination of melted chocolate and toppings—like candies, chopped pretzels, even cereal (Lucky Charms Bark, anyone?!), you can create unique and creative chocolate candy that’s fun to make, fun to eat, and fun to share.
Key Ingredients You Need & Why
- White Chocolate: You need a pound of white chocolate to make this triple-layered bark. Or feel free to use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, or use white chocolate for 1 layer and semi-sweet/dark chocolate for the other chocolate layer.
- Vegetable Oil: Just a touch of oil helps the white chocolate melt into an extra-smooth, easily spreadable consistency.
- Peanut Butter: You want to use the smooth and creamy processed kind for this recipe. Natural peanut butter is great most of the time, but won’t do the filling any favors—it won’t set.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: To thicken & sweeten the peanut butter filling.
You also need butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Plus Reese’s Pieces, the favorite candy of E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, as well as peanut butter lovers everywhere.
The Best White Chocolate to Use for Bark Candy
Because it’s the main component here, it’s important to use quality white chocolate. White chocolate morsels are fabulous in white chocolate peanut butter cookies because they hold their shape, but are not ideal for melting into bark. They contain stabilizers, preventing them from melting into a silky-smooth consistency.
And while candy melts are great for coating cake pops, in a recipe like this, you’ll really taste the difference between actual chocolate and candy melts.
I recommend Ghirardelli, Baker’s, or Lindt brand bars of white chocolate. You can find them in the baking aisle of most grocery stores and they’re usually sold in 4-ounce bars.
FLAVOR TIP: Try mixing it up and doing a layer of semi-sweet or dark (bittersweet) chocolate on the bottom, and keep just the top layer as white chocolate. YUM. You’ll love the white-and-dark layered look, like in my favorite peppermint bark recipe.
These Step-by-Step Photos Will Help
Let’s make some peanut butter white chocolate bark! Melt half the white chocolate with 1/2 teaspoon of oil in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring in between each increment (so the white chocolate melts evenly and doesn’t burn). The little bit of oil makes the white chocolate satiny smooth and easy to spread. I like to use a microwave-safe glass liquid measuring cup for melting chocolate, because the pour spout is super helpful for the next step.
When completely melted, pour and spread it into a lined 9×13-inch pan.
Place the pan in the refrigerator for just 10–15 minutes to set the bottom layer. You don’t want it to set for too long and completely harden, or else the layers will separate.
While the bottom layer of white chocolate is setting, make the peanut butter layer. It tastes exactly like the creamy yet crumbly center of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. An electric mixer makes quick work of this step.
Spread the peanut butter filling over the bottom layer of white chocolate.
For the top layer, repeat the melting and spreading process you did for the bottom white chocolate layer.
Now for the topping: a generous handful of crushed/chopped Reese’s Pieces. The little candies on top provide a nice crunch to the otherwise soft and creamy bark.
Refrigerate the finished bark in the pan for 30 to 60 minutes, and then lift the entire thing out of the pan by holding on to the edges of the parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut the bark into pieces. There may be some cracking—that’s normal.
This peanut butter white chocolate bark should be stored in the refrigerator, because it softens up very quickly at room temperature. You’ll love it cold from the fridge!
And if you love the idea of making homemade Halloween candy, try this easy Halloween Boo Bark next!
Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter White Chocolate Bark
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: serves 16
Category: Candy
Method: Mixing
Cuisine: American
Description
Easy white chocolate bark filled with a creamy peanut butter filling. Feel free to use semi-sweet/dark chocolate instead of white chocolate. See recipe Note below.
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- Place half (8 ounces/227g) of the chopped white chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon of oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup. Melt in 20-second increments, stirring with a silicone spatula or spoon after each increment, until completely melted and smooth. White chocolate can overheat easily, so it’s important to do this in increments. Pour the melted white chocolate into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with an offset spatula to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill for 10–15 minutes, to soft-set the white chocolate.
- In a medium bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter and butter until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Spoon dollops of the peanut butter mixture onto the bottom layer of white chocolate, and spread it evenly with an offset spatula as best you can. Place the pan back in the refrigerator while you melt the remaining white chocolate.
- Repeat step 2 to melt the remaining white chocolate and 1/2 teaspoon oil. Pour and spread it evenly with an offset spatula to cover the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle chopped Reese’s Pieces on top.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 30 to 60 minutes to set the white chocolate. (You can also leave it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, but cover it loosely after an hour. If refrigerating it for more than 1 hour, you may notice the top white chocolate layer cracks when you’re cutting the bark into pieces. This is normal and expected, because the layer is quite cold.)
- Lift the bark out of the pan by holding onto the edges of the parchment paper, and place it on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the bark into pieces.
- Cover and store bark in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Heat-Proof Bowl or Liquid Measuring Cup | Silicone Spatula | Offset Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- White Chocolate: Because there are so few ingredients, it’s important to use quality white chocolate. White chocolate morsels are great in cookies, but are not ideal for melting into bark. And while candy melts are great for coating cake pops, in a recipe like this, you’ll really taste the difference between actual chocolate and candy melts. I recommend Ghirardelli, Baker’s, or Lindt brand bars of white chocolate. You can find them in the baking aisle of most grocery stores, and they’re usually sold in 4-ounce bars. TIP: Try mixing it up and doing a layer of semi-sweet or dark (bittersweet) chocolate on the bottom, and keep just the top layer as white chocolate.
- Peanut Butter: I do not recommend using natural-style peanut butter in this recipe. The smooth, creamy, processed kind works best here.
