Peanut Butter Cup Peanut Butter Bars

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars — Loaded with peanut butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate!! Soft, gooey and totally irresistible! Everything’s better with peanut butter cups!!

stack of four reese's peanut butter bars

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

There’s no shortage of peanut butter recipes and peanut butter bars on my blog or in my first cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort, with over 75 peanut butter recipes. But there’s always room for one more.

The bars are a spinoff of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars with the addition of peanut butter cups.

When I want an easy, fuss-free recipe that I know everyone will love, I call upon my trusty blondie base. With 30+ versions and counting, it never lets me down. It’s an easy recipe to memorize because everything is ‘one’. In the 1 bowl used, melt 1 stick of butter, stir in 1 egg, 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and 1 cup flour.

For this version I added peanut butter, peanut butter cups, and chocolate chips.

The bars are super soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and have plenty of peanut butter flavor with enough chocolate to balance it. Between the butter, the peanut butter, and the peanut butter cups the bars are super moist and just melt in your mouth.

three reese's peanut butter bars on wood cutting board

What’s in Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars? 

To make these peanut butter cup bars, you’ll need: 

  • Unsalted butter
  • Peanut butter
  • Egg
  • Light brown sugar
  • Vanilla extract 
  • All-purpose flour
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips 
  • Min peanut butter cups 

How to Make Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

Whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients, then fold in the chocolate chips. 

Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish and top with peanut butter cups. Bake until done, then let cool for 1 hour before serving. 

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars — Loaded with peanut butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate!! Soft, gooey and totally irresistible! Everything's better with peanut butter cups!!

What Type of Peanut Butter Should I Use? 

I use Jif, Skippy or a similar brand. Don’t use natural peanut butter as it can separate and/or be too oily.

Can I Double This Recipe? 

Yes, you should be fine to double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. 

Tips for Making Peanut Butter Cup Bars

I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you’re welcome to use milk or dark if desired. 

For this recipe, you want to use mini peanut butter cups that come in wrappers. Don’t use the ones without wrappers that are labeled as “minis.” 

These peanut butter chocolate chip bars are best fresh but will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature or up to 4 months in the freezer.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars — Loaded with peanut butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate!! Soft, gooey and totally irresistible! Everything's better with peanut butter cups!!

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4.53 from 34 votes

Peanut Butter Cup Peanut Butter Bars

By Averie Sunshine
Loaded with peanut butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate!! Soft, gooey and totally irresistible! Everything's better with peanut butter cups!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients  

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
  • â…“ heaping cup peanut butter, I use Jif, Skippy or similar; natural PB can separate and/or be too oily
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top
  • about 16 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped (not to be confused with the smallest size that come unwrapped called ‘minis’)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
  • To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
  • Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the peanut butter, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
  • Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and stir to combine.
  • Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
  • Evenly distribute the peanut butter cups over the surface of the batter, pushing each cup down as far as it will go.
  • Evenly sprinkle the surface with additional chocolate chips, about 1 tablespoon.
  • Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes, or until done. If you can find a chocolate chip-free patch to test, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
  • Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Bars are best fresh but will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temp or up to 4 months in the freezer.
  • Adapted from Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 37mg, Sodium: 127mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 30g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Chocolate and Peanut Butter Desserts:

ALL OF MY PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES! 

Peanut Butter Brookies— These brookies are soft and chewy, with peanut butter and chocolate married together in every bite. All you need is two bowls, and no mixer is required!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip Cookies – Super soft, perfectly chewy, BROWNED BUTTER cookies that are LOADED with two kinds of chips!! An EASY one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for irresistibly DELISH cookies!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Brownies â€” Fudgy brownies with a layer of peanut butter cheesecake and topped with peanuts and peanut butter cups!! Rich, decadent, and amazing! A must-make for all peanut butter lovers!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Brownies - Fudgy brownies with a layer of peanut butter cheesecake and topped with peanuts and peanut butter cups!! Rich, decadent, and amazing! A must-make for all peanut butter lovers!!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars â€” Super soft bars that just melt in your mouth from all the peanut butter! And all the chocolate!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars - Super soft bars that just melt in your mouth from all the PB! And all the chocolate!! Must.make.now!!

Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars â€“ Keep the napkins handy for these soft, gooey bars dripping with the best caramel-peanut butter sauce!

Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars - Keep the napkins handy for these soft, gooey bars dripping with the best caramel-peanut butter sauce! So good!

Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars â€“ Peanut butter used 3 different ways. Great for pantry odds-and-ends clean out!

Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars - Easy One-Bowl Recipe at averiecooks.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Nutter Butter Bars â€“ Nutter Butters baked in along with peanut butter and chocolate chips for a very rich and decadent treat!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Nutter Butter Bars - Easy, no-mixer recipe at averiecooks.com

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars â€” So much better than a bowl of plain oatmeal! Easy, portable bars perfect for snacks or breakfast on-the-go!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars - So much better than a bowl of plain oatmeal!! Easy, portable bars perfect for snacks or breakfast on-the-go!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars â€” Nutter Butter crust, chocolate pudding, and peanut butter cream cheese filling! Easy, almost no-bake, and beyond amazing! Lives up to their dreamy name!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars - Nutter Butter crust, chocolate pudding, and peanut butter cream cheese filling!! Easy, almost no-bake, and beyond AMAZING!! Lives up to their dreamy name!!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Can you use Almond flour instead of regular flour? I’m on a low carb/sugar free lifestyle since finding out I’m Diabetic. It sounds really good. Thanks for sharing

    1. No the two flours are not interchangeable without making other adjustments, however I don’t know what they would be. You would have to test the recipe yourself trial and error and see what works.

  2. Super bummed… I made these and they didn’t turn out. When I took them out there was liquid pooled all over the top. It looked like oil from the peanut butter. I used name brand (Jif) peanut butter and have never had any issue. Not sure what happened. They cooked funny because of it and I think I’m going to have to trash them. :(

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe and I have no idea what happened because I’ve made this recipe or once extremely similar to it dozens and dozens of times. The fact that you are talking about oil pooling leads me to believe that there was something going on with the peanut butter or possibly you under measured the flour? I’m not sure and sorry you had trouble with the recipe.

  3. Averie, Hi I first off want to say I’m a big fan of your blog I think it’s great! My question is instead of baking the bars in 8×8 square pan could you bake this in an 8 inch round cake pan to use as a layer to use in a cake? If so what would the method and cook time be? I’m thinking this would be an awesome layer on a peanut butter cake cake I’m making for my niece♡

    1. All great questions and ideas but because I’ve only made this recipe as written, I can’t offer tips and you’ll have to experiment on your own.

  4. Can these be made in an 8×8 foil pan so that they are more portable? I would think yes, but I’m not sure how that might affect the integrity/serving of the bar. Thanks!

    1. If you’re talking about a disposable foil pan, I don’t recommend that. Bake as directed in the recipe for best results.

  5. I made these for my coworkers this week and they were a huge hit. Moist and full of peanut butter flavor. Thanks for the great recipe.

  6. These look fantastic! I love your recipes, thank you for sharing! How long do you think these will last if stored in an airtight container? I’d like to bring these on a trip this weekend, but would like to be able to bake them in advance. Thanks!

    1. Bars are best fresh but will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temp or up to 4 months in the freezer. I’d say bake them as close to your departure as you can but it doesn’t have to be the day-of or anything. Enjoy!