The New $4 Boxed Mix That Tastes Exactly Like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

I visited my parents the other weekend to celebrate my dad’s birthday. Upon arrival I found two king-sized packs of Reese’s eggs waiting for me in my childhood bedroom. (Thanks, Mom!) We don’t even celebrate Easter, but she knows how I feel about Reese’s. So it should come as a surprise to no one, and especially not my mother, that I jumped at the chance to try the newest baking mixes from the brand.

A few weeks later, the mix arrived at my doorstep (perks of the job!), ready for me to sample. I quickly tore into the box and got to no-baking before sharing them with my coworkers (I didn’t tell any of them came from a mix).

The latest in a series of successful collaborations between the two iconic brands, this Betty Crocker and Reese’s mix is a take on classic no-bake peanut butter bars. The vibrant box includes two pouches to make the bars: a mix of dry ingredients for the base, including Reese’s Peanut Butter, and the ready-made chocolate frosting to spread on top. You’ll also need a stick of butter, melted. 

The Betty Crocker Reese’s No-Bake Bars Mix started hitting shelves in March — along with lava cake and muffin mixes — and are currently available at nationwide retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, and more. If you’re thinking hey, this box looks familiar, you’re not alone. It’s similar to an earlier iteration, which included an extra crust layer and pan.

Admittedly, the from-scratch recipe is pretty simple (it’s five ingredients, and takes less than 20 minutes to make). Still, a solid shortcut is welcome in my pantry any day — even more so when it can pass for homemade. That’s exactly what this box is.

I made these no-bake bars on a Tuesday night. I don’t have a microwave, so I melted the butter the old-fashioned way, with the stove, before combining it with the bar mix. 

After pressing the blended mix in a greased pan, I squeezed and spread the frosting over top with the same rubber spatula I used for the mix. Into the fridge the bars went. (The box suggests 20 minutes, but I brought them to The Kitchn’s office in the morning, so I just left them overnight.) The whole thing took little more than five minutes.

The next day, I set the bars out — without telling my coworkers anything about how they were made — and waited for people to pounce. Of course, afterwards I asked for feedback. (There’s no such thing as a free bar!)

“The taste and texture — smooth with just a slight fine grit — was like a Reese’s [Peanut Butter] Cup dream,” says Margaret, our video producer. The chocolate is more akin to a cake frosting than the chocolate coating you’d find on a Reese’s, but the peanut butter filling layer is eerily similar to the cup’s interior. “I like that the amount of sugar didn’t seem through the roof,” she adds. “It could be slightly less sweet with some sea-salt scattered on top, but as is, it was wonderful.”

 “I may or may not have had several of them in one sitting,” says Quinn, our lifestyle editor, who also confirmed they taste like the beloved cups (her favorite candy). 

“I’d never guessed they came from a box,” says Blair, our senior style editor. “Had me fooled for homemade,” adds Quinn. 

Buy: Betty Crocker Reese’s Peanut Butter No Bake Bars Mix, $3.92 for 17.3 ounces at Walmart

Have you tried this no-bake mix? Tell us about it in the comments below.