These peanut-free Buckeye Bars taste like peanut butter chocolate bars while having zero nuts of any kind! Just because you can’t have nuts doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to enjoy a flavor combination that so many of us adore! Not allergic to nuts? No problem! Simply replace the wow butter with creamy peanut butter or another nut/seed spread of your choice! These bars are completely gluten free, nut free, egg free and easily dairy free (vegan)!
These peanut-free Buckeye Bars are so incredible! They taste like biting into a thick Reeses Peanut Butter Cup without nuts of any kind! Our household cannot have any nuts or seeds at all. Wow butter allows us to feel like we’re still enjoying that peanut butter flavor without any of the risk! This recipe is so simple and quick, it's only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish (minus rest time).
For more Peanut Free "Peanut Butter" Recipes, try my Gluten Free "Peanut Butter" Chocolate Chip Cookies (Peanut Free), my Peanut Free "Peanut Butter" Ice Cream, my super simple Nut Free Chocolate Spread, my Gluten Free No Bake Cookies and my Wow Butter Chocolate Tart.
Reasons to Love These Buckeye Bars (Peanut Free)
- Allergy Friendly- This recipe is gluten free, nut free, egg free, seed free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Smooth and Creamy- The "peanut butter" layer is smooth and luscious!
- Peanut Butter Flavor- This frosting has that classic peanut butter flavor without any nuts at all like in my Peanut Free "Peanut Butter" Cake!
- Easy to Make- This recipe only uses 6 ingredients and is no-bake!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter/ Vegan Baking Stick- Only use room temperature butter. If using vegan butter, make sure it's on the cold side versus room temperature. Also, use vegan baking sticks instead of vegan butter from a tub.
- Confectioners' Sugar- These buckeye bars use confectioners' sugar to keep them light and smooth. Granulated sugar would make them have a gritty texture.
- Light Brown Sugar- Mixed with the confectioners' sugar, it creates a light molasses flavor and really gives these buckeye bars something extra!
- Wow Butter- For those of you that don’t know, Wow Butter is a nut free butter spread that is made in a gluten free, tree nut free, peanut free, egg free and dairy free facility (it's vegan). It also contains no seeds and is made of soy. It is perfect for my household since my kids have issues with all those items aside from dairy (finally) and soy. I am lucky enough to have this product in my local grocery store, but you can also buy Wow Butter on amazon. If you don't need to be nut free, simply swap this out with creamy peanut butter!
- Pure Vanilla Extract- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract that is gluten free and vegan. If you use one that is not pure, the bars will have a chemical taste.
- Chocolate Chips- To make vegan, make sure to use gluten free/vegan chocolate chips. I love these allergy friendly chocolate chips.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this into Vegan Bars
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter in the frosting.
- Read the label on your chocolate chips to ensure they’re gluten free, nut free and vegan. I love to use these vegan/gluten free chocolate chips.
- Use a vegan nut free spread like Wow Butter!
For Regular Peanut Butter
- Simply replace the wow butter in the recipe for equal amounts of creamy peanut butter.
- You can also use any nut or seed butter of choice.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Buckeye Bars (Peanut Free)
Here are the step by step instructions to make these no-bake buckeye bars!
Step 1: Beat the Butter
In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
Step 2: Add in the Brown Sugar, Wow Butter and Vanilla
Slowly beat in 2 cups wow butter, light brown sugar, confectioners' sugar and pure vanilla extract until combined. It will be thick and crumbly.
Step 3: Press into the Baking Dish
Firmly press the crumbly mixture into a parchment lined and lightly greased 8 x 8 inch square baking dish. Smooth the top.
Step 4: Heat up the Remaining Wow Butter and Chocolate Chips
In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of wow butter with the chocolate chips in 15 second increments, stirring after each time until fully melted.
Pour the melted chocolate over the wow butter layer and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Sit out for 10 min before cutting and keep refrigerated after serving.
Expert Baking Tips
- Don't Over Mix- Wow butter has a tendency to seize up when over-mixed. As soon as all the ingredients are combined, stop mixing.
- Use your hands- Since wow butter tends to be way thicker than peanut butter, the easiest way to spread it into the pan is with your clean hands just like in my Eggless Brownies. Use a spatula to scoop it into the lined pan and gently use clean hands to press it down and even it out. You can try to use a butter knife or spatula but I found hands work best.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you don’t have any nut allergies, you can use creamy peanut butter in place of the wow butter.
Replace the wow butter in the recipe for equal amounts of creamy peanut butter and that's it!
Yes. It will be very soft right after making it but it firms up within 30 minutes in the fridge.
After cutting, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature prior to serving if desired.
More No-Bake Dessert Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
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📖 Recipe
Buckeye Bars (Peanut Free)
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons wow butter (keep 2 tablespoons separate)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the ½ cup unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Slowly beat in 2 cups wow butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 3 cups confectioners' sugar and ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract until combined. It will be thick.
- Press the mixture into the parchment lined and lightly greased 8 x 8 inch square baking dish. Smooth the top.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of wow butter with the 1 ½ cups chocolate chips in 15 second increments, stirring after each time until fully melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the wow butter layer and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Sit out for 10 min before cutting and keep refrigerated after serving.
Ginny says
The peanut butter-like flavor of wow butter and chocolate together is a winning combo! These are so easy to make on short notice too!
Teresa Crawford says
Yay! It’s a bit early but great for football season and for mt Ohio buckeye friends.
Ronnie says
I can’t wait to make these for my daughter who has a peanut allergy!
They look delicious and I’m sure she will love them!
Steve says
I love chocolate and Wow Butter! These look awesome! Can’t wait to try them.
Karin says
Made them as soon as I saw the recipe last night. Soooo yummy. Thank you.
Alene says
I had to bake my own graham crackers because now I can't have rice as well as gluten. There is rice flour in almost everything ready made that's gluten free and in most blends. One question. I assume it would be okay to bake the graham cracker crust. I have never liked unbaked crusts. They're too mushy for me. Thank you! I recently found you and I love your recipes.
Lee says
Hi Alene! So sorry to hear about the rice issue. For these bars there isn't a crust. The graham crackers are smashed to a sand like consistency and then mixed into the melted butter with the wow butter or peanut butter and sugar. The bars end up tasting like a reeses. The bottom wow butter layer has a creamy consistency. Hope this helps! Thank you so so much for your kind words! xox
John says
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try to make the Wow Butter Bars myself!
Lee says
Thank you! Hope you love them!
Amanda says
WOW, these are soo delicious!!!
What a great recipe!!
Nancy says
I Loved this recipe my family just love them!