Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
These delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are everyone’s favorite dessert and can be made in just 30 minutes!
Warm and chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are easy to make and the ultimate crowd pleaser! Packed with peanut butter and loaded with chocolate chips these cookie bars will disappear in a flash.
THE BEST DESSERT FOR A GATHERING
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are my favorite because each batch takes 30 minutes to make and yields 15 squares! I make these delicious bars for holidays, pot-lucks, and on weekends for snacking!
If you love these peanut butter bars then try these easy-to-make Chocolate Cake Mix Bars and amazing Nutella Swirled Pumpkin Bars!
OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
- Grand Floridian Chocolate Chip Cookies – No dessert table would be complete without the best chocolate chip cookie you’ve ever tasted!
- Strawberry Chocolate Tart – Keep with the chocolate trend, but add some fresh fruit to this dessert party!
INGREDIENTS
Dry Ingredients: You will want to head to the pantry and grab some all-purpose flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and both granulated and brown sugar.
Wet Ingredients: This recipe calls for melted, unsalted butter, vanilla extract, and a large egg.
Add-ins: To make these cookie bars extra delicious you will need peanut butter and chocolate chips! If you want the chocolate extra melty, use chopped chocolate instead of chips.
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER BARS
STEP ONE: Start by preheating the oven to 360 degrees F and lining a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with parchment paper. Then, grab a large bowl and mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set the large bowl aside. Next, in a medium bowl stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
STEP TWO: Beat the egg slightly and mix it in with a spatula or spoon. Last, add in the peanut butter and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
STEP THREE: The next step is to add the peanut butter mixture to the flour mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients in until the dough is just coming together. For final touches, fold in the chocolate chips. Be sure to keep some aside to sprinkle over the top once the dough is in the pan.
STEP FOUR: Transfer the finished dough into the baking pan, making sure to spread it evenly to all the edges and corners. Finally, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top and place them in the oven on the middle rack. Bake these bars for 17-20 or until they pass the toothpick test.
STEP FIVE: Take the bars out of the oven and let them cool in the pan for a few minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan and place them on a wire rack. Cool and then cut into 15 bars.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- You can use whatever peanut butter you want- even crunchy! But I don’t recommend using organic peanut butter as it tends to be more oily.
- This recipe is super easy to modify! Consider replacing the chocolate chips with white chocolate or peanut butter chips. You can also sprinkle the bars with sea salt flakes before baking them.
- I used a 9-inch x 13-inch pan, if you want the bars to be thicker, use an 8-inch x 8-inch pan instead and bake them 3-5 minutes longer.
- Store your cookie bars in an air tight container for 3-4 days in a dry, dark place.
HOW LONG TO BAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
Baking time for this peanut butter bars recipe may vary based on your oven and baking pan. Check-in on the bars at about the 15 minute mark the first time you bake them. Make sure you don’t overbake if you want chewier bars. If you want thicker bars, use an 8-inch x 8-inch pan and add 3-5 minutes to the baking time. This will also change the number of bars you’ll get per batch.
CAN I FREEZE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS
To freeze these bars place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. I like to wrap individual cookie bar squares in plastic wrap and then place them into a freezer bag. That way I can pull out single servings whenever I’m in the mood for a sweet bite. Each square is the perfect size to satisfy any sugar cravings I am having!
OTHER AWARD WORTHY DESSERT BARS
- Salted Caramel Peanut Pretzel Bars
- Almond Joy Cheesecake Bars
- Apple Pie Oatmeal Bars
- Butterscotch Bars
- Pink Magic Bars
- Lemon Bars
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup brown sugar tightly packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (see note)
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 360 degrees F and prepare a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the egg and the peanut butter.
- Add the peanut butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently fold until everything just start to come together.
- Add almost all of the chocolate chips and fold them into the cookie dough. Save the extras for the next step.
- Transfer the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish and press into an even layer. (see note) Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips over the top of the dough.
- Bake on the middle oven rack for 17-20 minutes. The bars are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. (see note)
- Let the bars cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Then use the parchment paper to lift them from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 15 bars and serve.
Notes
- Organic peanut butter is not recommended as it might get too oily for this recipe.
- Baking time depends on your oven, the pan you use, and how chewy you want the bars to be. Check them after around 15 minutes of baking.
- I used a 9-inch x 13-inch pan, if you want them to be thicker, use an 8-inch x 8-inch pan and bake them 3-5 minutes longer.
Made the recipe as stated. Came out perfect! We ate almost all of them while they were still warm.