Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are a simple sweet treat full of rich peanut butter and chocolate flavor. They’re thick and chewy, just like your favorite peanut butter cookie, but made easier in bar form!

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If you’re a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, this recipe is for you.

This is a big, sweet peanut butter cookie bar stuffed with peanut butter cups and milk chocolate chips. It’s soft, chewy, incredibly delicious, and insanely easy to make.

The giant nature of these bars means you can cut them into squares to share with friends and family. They also freeze well, so you can keep a stash of them on hand at all times for whenever a peanut butter craving strikes.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Creamy peanut butter
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Eggs
• Pure vanilla extract
• Peanut butter cups
• Milk chocolate chips

How to make peanut butter cookie bars

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, powder, soda and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter and butter on medium speed until smooth.
3. Add both sugars and mix.
4. Add the eggs one at a time.
5. Beat in the vanilla extract.
6. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just barely incorporated.
7. Add the peanut butter cups and chocolate chips and mix just a few turns of the mixer.
8. Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out.
9. Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
10. When cooled, use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Remove the foil and use a large knife to cut the bars into squares.

Top tips

Natural peanut butter vs regular

I use natural peanut butter (I like the Smucker’s brand) for most of my recipes. If you also choose this, you’ll want to make sure you stir it well to avoid any oil separation.

Regular peanut butter (JIF (affiliate link), Skippy, etc.) is ok to use, but will yield a very different taste and texture to the final product. If using regular peanut butter, you may want to experiment with using less honey.

How to stir stiff peanut butter

If your natural peanut butter is too stiff to stir and measure, try removing the cap and microwaving for 15-30 seconds. This is usually enough to loosen it up so you can mix it with the honey and other ingredients.

How to store peanut butter cookie bars

Peanut butter chocolate chip bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips for customizing peanut butter cookie bars

• Add dark or white chocolate chips or M&M’s
• Layer crushed pretzels and cookie dough in a pan to make peanut butter pretzel bars
• Use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter
• Leave out the chocolate for plain peanut butter cookie bars
• Sprinkle with finishing salt, like Maldon or fleur de sel 

FAQ

More cookie recipes

• Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
• Buttery Bourbon Cherry Cookies
• Christmas Cut Out Cookies
• Nutmeg Ginger Apple Snaps
• Peanut Butter Blossoms
• Single Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cookie
• Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie for One
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Giant Ginger Cookies with Icing
• Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Whole Wheat Chocolate Fudge Cookies
• Spicy Pistachio and Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Recipe

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Thick, rich peanut butter cookie bars studded with peanut butter cups.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 20

Calories: 355kcal

Author: Lindsay Moe

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• ▢ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup chopped peanut butter cups, (I used Reese’s minis)
• ▢ 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 9×13 baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, powder, soda and salt.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter and butter on medium speed until smooth.
• Add both sugars and mix 1-2 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.
• Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just barely incorporated.
• Add the peanut butter cups and chocolate chips and mix just a few turns of the mixer, don't overmix at this point.
• Scrape the dough into the prepared pan and smooth it out.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
• When cooled, use the foil to lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Remove the foil and use a large knife to cut the bars into squares. The bars will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for 3 days or 2 months in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 221mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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