Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars — These peanut butter chocolate bars are loaded with chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter. This is a one-bowl dessert you’re bound to love!
Addicting Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
I have so many peanut butter dessert recipes on my blog, but you can never have too many. That’s what I tell myself anyway.
Check out the Related Recipes below for a small sampling of all the peanut butter bars I’ve made on my blog. And there’s at least a dozen more in my cookbook, Peanut Butter Comfort.
When I want an easy, fuss-free recipe that I know everyone will love, I call upon my trusty blondie base. With 35+ 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 these peanut butter chocolate chip bars, I added 1 cup chocolate chips and peanut butter. The only thing that’s not ‘one’ is the amount peanut butter (1/3 cup).
I made these peanut butter chocolate bars in a hot, un-airconditioned kitchen which contributed to the melty look!
These peanut butter chocolate chip bars are super soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and peanut buttery. Between the butter and the peanut butter, they’re super moist and just melt in your mouth.
There’s an abundance of chocolate in every bite. There’s no other way to do chocolate other than in abundance. These peanut butter bars were definitely worth heating my house up for.
What’s in Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars?
For this chocolate peanut butter dessert recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Peanut butter
- Egg
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
I love how quick and easy these chocolate chip peanut butter bars are to whip up! Here’s an overview of how the bars come together:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg, vanilla, brown sugar, and peanut butter.
- Stir in the flour and chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
- Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch pan and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top for good measure.
- Bake the peanut butter chocolate chip bars until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- You’ll need to let them cool in the pan for 30 minutes before slicing and serving (I took these photos in Aruba on a very hot day, so my bars were pretty melty).
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, you can easily double the ingredients in this recipe and bake these peanut butter chocolate bars in a 9×13-inch pan. Just note that the bake time will differ, so keep an eye on your bars near the end of their bake time.
Can I Bake the Bars in a 9×9-Inch Pan?
This recipe calls for an 8×8-inch metal baking dish. If you only have a 9×9-inch pan on hand, that’s fine. Just note that the bars will be thinner and that you’ll need to reduce the bake time.
Can I Use Oil Instead of Melted Butter?
No, oil can’t be substituted for the melted butter in this recipe. Your bars won’t have the correct texture if you use oil!
Can I Use Another Kind of Chocolate Chips?
Of course! You can use peanut butter chips as well in these peanut butter bars, or you can chop up a chocolate bar if you don’t have chips on hand.
White chocolate chips are also tasty with peanut butter.
Can I Use a Natural Peanut Butter?
No, you don’t want to use natural peanut butter for these peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars as it has a tendency to be too oily or to separate.
You want to use a peanut butter brand like Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan.
Can I Use Another Nut Butter?
I’ve only made the peanut butter bars recipe as written. You might be able to use another nut butter if it’s a no-stir variety, but I can’t say for sure.
Cookie butter and almond butter would by my two suggestions.
Leave me a comment below if you try it out and the recipe works for you!
Tips for Making Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Glass vs. metal pans: For this recipe, I used a metal 8×8-inch pan. If you bake with a glass pan, it may alter your bake time since metal conducts heat better than glass.
Flour: I’ve never made these peanut butter chocolate chip bars with anything other than all-purpose flour, so I can’t speak to whether gluten-free flour or whole wheat flour would work for this recipe. Same thing goes for egg replacers.
Vanilla: If desired, you can scale back on the amount of vanilla you add to these bars. I always add at least 2 teaspoons of vanilla to my baked goods because I love the flavor it lends to any bar or brownie I make, but feel free to adjust the amount to suit your personal tastes.
What Readers Are Saying
This recipe was originally published in August of 2014 and I am sharing it again in June 2022 for newer readers. At that time I had a small child and now I have a high schooler. Time truly does fly!
Readers love these peanut butter chocolate chip bars! Here are just a few of the 5-star reviews that have been left on this recipe.
“I’ve made these twice in the last 2 weeks and they are easy, absolute yumminess! I used 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and definitely be sure to cool (though it was hard for my sweetie to resis!) at least 30 minutes before serving to give the bottoms time to cool and set up a bit. Great recipe I will make and share again and again!” — Amy Miller
“10/10 recommend!!! Came together super fast and was delicious! Thank you!” — Jerica Debruzzi
“These are amazing! Rich and delicious. I doubled the recipe for a 9×13 pan. Based on a previous suggestion in the comments, I used a full cup of Jif vs 2/3 cup (for the doubled recipe). The edges baked up perfectly crispy and the middle was rich and kind of fudgy. Make it and enjoy!” — Jen
“Amazing!!! I’ve already made this 3 times and they are just so delicious. Thank you for the recipe.” — Eva
“I made this recipe for the first time today. I love it! I did use natural PB but it was a no stir version. I had to bake them for closer to 30 mins where I live. Definitely going to use this one again! Thanks for the recipe.” — Alicia
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
These peanut butter chocolate bars are loaded with chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter. This is a one-bowl dessert you're bound to love! Made with just 7 ingredients and no mixer, even better!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 1/3 heaping cup peanut butter*
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- 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, salt, and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, smoothly the top lightly with a spatula.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until done. 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 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
*I use Jif, Skippy or similar; natural PB can separate and/or be too oily.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 180mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 5g
More Peanut Butter Desserts:
ALL OF MY PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars — Can’t decide if you want PB or chocolate? Make these easy no-bake fudge bars! Chocolate + PB is sooo irresistible!!
Loaded Peanut Butter Cookie Cake — Peanut butter is used 3 WAYS: In the dough, with peanut butter cups, and Reese’s Pieces!! EASY, no mixer, super soft center with chewy edges, and tastes AMAZING!!
Easy 4-Ingredient Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies — The cookies are impossibly easy and can be made in advance with ingredients you likely already have on hand!
Peanut Butter Cup Peanut Butter Bars — The bars are super soft, slightly chewy, buttery, and have plenty of peanut butter flavor with enough chocolate to balance it.
Better Than Anything Peanut Butter Cake — This Peanut Butter Cake is a super easy poke cake recipe. It’s packed with peanut butter flavor and topped with a mix of peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars — he bars are soft, chewy, and filling. They’re definitely on the denser side and if you’re looking for a hearty, comfort food breakfast, you’ve found it.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars — You don’t have to pick between a peanut butter or a chocolate dessert in these no-bake, one-bowl, gluten-free, fast, and easy bars.
Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Cup Swirl Cake — Yellow cake is spiked with peanut butter, hot fudge, topped with a peanut butter glaze, more hot fudge, and sprinkled with peanut butter cups!
Loaded Peanut Butter Cookie Pie — The cookie pie is slightly crisp around the edges and buttery soft and chewy in the center. There’s lots of texture from the sprinkles, the crunchy Reese’s Pieces shells, and it’s exploding with bigtime peanut butter flavor.
Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies – These chocolate-dipped peanut butter pudding cookies are SOFT AND CHEWY on the inside thanks to the addition of pudding mix in the cookie dough!
Originally posted August 29, 2014 and reposted June 17, 2022 with updated text.
This is the second time I’ve made the peanut butter chocolate chip bars and my family (all adults) love them! In fact, they liked them so much that I doubled the recipe so there might be some left on Day 2. Super easy. Pantry ingredients you likely have on hand. Great, moist, gooey taste! What’s not to love? Thanks for sharing recipe.
Thnks for the 5 star review and I am glad that everyone loves these! And that you need to double the recipe for them to even last past the first day, that’s great to hear!
Absolutely delicious! Just made it and tried it – crazy good!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad they are absolutely delicious!
I haven’t tried this recipe, but it looks like a really great one and will be made shortly. I think your peanut butter to chocolate ratio is perfect for my liking! I also like that it’s easy enough for my 11 year old to try.
Just had to let you know these are absolutely the best bars I’ve ever made! Thank-you so much for the recipe. I will be making these over and over.
Thank you for the five star review, and that is amazing to hear that these are the best bars you’ve ever made, and that he will be making them again and again! Excellent!
You CAN use oil, just put in half as much as the recipe calls for and add 1/2 Tbs milk or a milk substitute (I used macadamia milk). The texture came out great, but the recipe was missing something. Not sure what. Maybe salt? or maybe it was the generic peanut butter I used? Not sure…
1. If you use less oil it will change the taste
2. Macadamia nut milk which wasn’t called for will change the taste
3. Generic products can have inferior taste to name brands, at times
So any or all of those would change the taste. Sounds like overall they were pretty good despite your changes.
What temperature and how long?
350 and in step 8 is where the time is listed.
I made this recipe for the first time today. I love it! I did use natural PB but it was a no stir version. I had to bake them for closer to 30 mins where I live. Definitely going to use this one again! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love it and that your natural no-stir PB was fine and that you’ll definitely make again!
These bars are a keeper. After cooling completely, the edges were crispy and the center very moist. If you ever needed a cookie cake, this would be the perfect recipe to bake in a round cake pan. I added a 1/2 tsp baking soda to the flour, just because I was feeling adventuresome. They are delicious. Thank you Averie!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they are a keeper!
Hi, do you preheat the oven to 350 degrees? I couldn’t find if you said what to preheat the oven.
Yes, step 1. First sentence is where it states that.
Why is there no baking soda?
Because there isn’t any in this recipe. You can add some and see what happens. I don’t like baking soda in blondies/bars like this.
Very good but lacked the peanut butter taste, may try a full cup next time to see if that helps?
Or perhaps another brand…that could be the issue too. I like “cheap” peanut butter for baking. Jif, Skippy, store brand, lots of additives and sugar. The health nuts will freak about that but honestly, this is dessert, and not healthy to begin with :)
Wow! Loved these. They were fun to make on a whim and came out delicious. I’ll definitely make them again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved these and will definitely make them again!
I just made these and I’m so sad! They did not turn out as expected at all. I followed the recipe precisely, with the exception of doubling it and using margarine instead of butter. I am pretty sure that was my mistake as it baked very “oily” and looks like it will be extremely crumbly. I’m hoping it will be tasty still and I would like to try making them again. I should have paid attention to your NO oil tip!
Yes margarine is not the same in any way at all as butter, especially in baking, and that was the error. Hopefully next time you can make them as written as butter for better results.
Very unusual experience. I’m not a novice baker. I ended up doubling the recipe, had to cook them for 1 hr. The dough never bound together. The finished cookie bar was crumbly, over done at the edges and soft dough in the middle. Very odd.
I am not sure what happened, it does sound odd. I wouldn’t think that doubling it was the error or caused the issue but I don’t know. Do you think you accidentally mis-measured something? When you say the dough never bound together that would lead me to believe that something was off before you even put it in the oven, just guessing from afar. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I used natural sunbutter and they turned out perfect!
Glad to hear that natural sunbutter worked just fine!
Delicious! I made this recipe with natural peanut butter as it’s what I had on hand and I thought the texture was fine. I imagine if you make it with Jif or Skippy it may be sweeter but for me it was sweet enough and just what I was craving.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that they were just fine with natural PB for your tastes!
Love Love Love this recipe! It comes out exactly as recipe states. Delicious and easy peasy. Give it a try. Perfect for Church potlucks and kids sports games when you need to bring something sweet. Yummy.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love this recipe so much!
Made these yesterday and everyone loved them! :) Will definitely make again. Super easy crowd-pleaser!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they were a crowd pleaser and you’ll make them again!
I don’t know what happened. Followed recipe exactly and even after 30 minutes in the oven in metal pan it came out totally unset and consistency of mush. So disappointed! Have loved the other recipes on the site though so definitely will try another soon.
They are very soft bars to begin with. But things I would say…natural peanut butter not Jif or Skippy style, undermeasured the flour, underbaked. In the warm months with humidity, sometimes things just simply take longer to bake.
These came out very nice moist and some what crumbly but it was too sweet for me.
Amazing!!! I’ve already made this 3 times and they are just so delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Glad to hear you’ve already made it 3 times!
Does anything change if you use a 9×9 baking pan? Can’t wait to try it!
Will bake up a bit thinner so likely slightly less baking time needed.
These are amazing! Rich and delicious. I doubled the recipe for a 9×13 pan. Based on a previous suggestion in the comments, I used a full cup of Jif vs 2/3 cup (for the doubled recipe). The edges baked up perfectly crispy and the middle was rich and kind of fudgy. Make it and enjoy!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they were amazing!
10/10 recommend!!! Came together super fast and was delicious! Thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that they are 100% recommended!
I’ve made these twice in the last 2 weeks and they are easy, absolute yumminess! I used 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and definitely be sure to cool (though it was hard for my sweetie to resis!) at least 30 minutes before serving to give the bottoms time to cool and set up a bit. Great recipe I will make and share again and again!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you’ve made these twice in the past 2 weeks! Glad you’ll make them and share the recipe again and again!
I made this with gluten free all purpose almond flour, and they turned out great. I just recommend leaving them in the oven for the maximum cooking time because otherwise they don’t get cooked all the way through.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am pleasantly surprised that this recipe worked with almond flour since it has no gluten can cannot really ‘soak up’ the oils from the PB. But great to hear it worked!
Very delicious but I think some salt would help I sprinkled some on top but I think a tsp in the recipe would have helped.
I’m glad that you took the liberty to salt to taste. It’s hard at times to predict what people want with salt, because some people say it’s too salty and some people won’t see it salty enough, but I’m glad you worked it out.
These are super easy and super GOOD! Was searching for a recipe that i could use up my leftover choc chips, 1 cup. Came upon this.. glad I found this, thx!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these turned out super good for you! And that you could use up your leftover stash of choc chips!
Delicious……………….
Excellent, thanks!
As soon as they come out of the oven I shall let you know….
Does this recipe require leavening or is it an oversight? Otherwise, they look delicious.
No, and not an oversight.
I was a rebel and used oil anyways (this recipe is more versatile than you give yourself credit for!) I doubled the recipe and used natural peanut butter. Instead of 1 cup butter, I used 3/4 cup oil (canola and sunflower blend) and reduced brown sugar to 1.5 cups packed. I also added 1/4 teaspoon salt. They are amazing. Blondies made with oil are where it’s at IMHO. They are more moist and with all that sugar and PB, you don’t even notice they aren’t made with butter! Anyways, thanks for the inspiration!
Glad to hear oil worked, as well as natural PB. Good call to not quite double the oil even though you made a double batch. Salt is always a nice touch with chocolate and PB. Glad this turned out amazing for you!
Awesome recipe!!! Just made these today with my 10 year old daughter and we love it!!!!!!!!!!
I’m glad they turned out awesome for you two!
Could I use self rising flour its all I have?
I would not or the texture will change quite a bit I am guessing.
So easy to make I made this with my mom and we loved it we even loved the raw batter
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved the bars!
Can I use oil instead of butter?
no
These were delicious, thank you! However, to me and my family they tasted like super awesome blondes. We didn’t taste the peanut butter! Do you have any ideas – think I could add more next time or would it ruin the bars? Thanks!
Surprised that you couldn’t taste a half of a cup of peanut butter! That is a lot given the size of the pan. Increase it to a solid 1/2 cup and add 1 cup of peanut butter chips would be my suggestions.
Add some PB2 peanut butter powder.
I doubled these for a bigger pan tonight and they are delicious! Just what this pregnant lady was craving.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was perfect for your pregnancy cravings!
Just made these. I have one word for you… AMAZING! Thank you!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad they are amazing! Love hearing that :)
Delicious and so easy! Made them with my 3 year old. Toddler and husband-approved!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad these are toddler and husband approved in your house!
These were amazing I used dark+milk chocolate chips my 2yr old loved them thankyou for ur recipe.5 stars. So awesome 😀
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your 2 yr old loved them too!
HiThought I’d give these bars a try. Son in law loves peanut butter and chocolate. Usually make cookie instead of bar. Figured this would be much easier as the grandson is under foot. He’s two and he approved. I am sure his Dad will too. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad your grandson approved! :)
Very simple, quick and yummy! Feeds the chocolate need for sure! My 7 year old niece called it “the best dessert you’ve ever made”.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad your niece called it the best dessert you’ve ever made!
I love this recipe! I daughter who is very picky in food said that this was very yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad your daughter approved!
Delicious and easy!! will be making a double batch in a few days! thanks so much!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you’ll be making a double batch in a few days!
i cant wait to try it
Do you have to alter anything if you use a glass dish?
Not sure since I’ve only baked it in metal.
I cooked it in glass and it turned out great. No adjustments.
Great to hear that!
I cooked it in glass too
Yum yum! I followed the recipe and these turned out fantastic! Of course my family loves them too!
I am glad they turned out great and were a hit with your family!
Oh my yum! Made this last night and my family LOVED it. Followed recipe except forgot to mix choc chips in I sprinkled on top and didn’t have a 9×9 pan clean. Already had batter made before I realized so I used my 6 1/2 × 6 1/2 porcelain pan. I had to cook extra 10 mins but it made thick, soft gooey bars that were PERFECT. This recipe is now filed away in my special recipe box that I use for my family’s favorite foods. Thank you so much for this recipe. Now I’m off to check out some more of your recipes. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that your smaller pan still worked great and the bars with thick, soft, gooey, and perfect! Wonderful that this is now filed in your special recipe box :)
Could you double this for a 9 x 13 pan?
yes
I tried this recipe and it was so yummy! There was just one problem..I placed the bars inside a box since I’m giving it away to some friends and the bottom of box was soaked in oil the next day. I used Skippy’s Creamy peanut butter. Any thoughts on why it was this oily? or how to prevent it from making the box oily? I already placed the bars in brownie cups/ wax paper before putting it inside the box. Would appreciate your thoughts! Thanks
Peanut butter is inherently very oily and I would say wrap in Clingwrap first and then put in the box or just accept that no matter what you do there will be oil since that’s the nature of PB.
Can I substitute brown sugar with granulated sugar?
If you’re doing it because that’s all you have on hand and there’s no brown sugar in your stores right now, I would say you can try it and hope for the best. Not exactly sure how the results will be but I would say ‘decent’ but just guessing, haven’t tried personally.
OMG! I’m so happy I came upon this recipe! It’s so easy, but yields great results. I just made them, and they are AMAZING!! Thank you so much! I look forward to trying more recipes from you. :)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this and will try other recipes of mine!
Absolutely delicious! Just put my second batch in the oven. Super easy and rave reviews! Thanks so much!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved the recipe!
If I am using a ceramic baking dish (I don’t have metal) do I need to adjust the temperature or can I just cooking it for longer?
I would not change the temp but yes you may have to bake longer.
These bars are delicious!! Great recipe, thank you. (I threw in some pecan pieces for a little crunch.)
Glad you enjoyed these bars!
How many calories are in this?
There is a nutrition info button underneath the recipe.
If I double the recipe and bake these in a 9×13 how long would you recommend baking them for?
I would say likely to bake the same amt of time but you’ll have to watch it and play it by ear.
I can’t have nuts/peanuts due to an allergy, but these turned out amazing with Soy Nut Butter! I did a direct substitution and they are delicious. Thanks for the recipe and I’m excited I found a good peanut butter substitute and will be trying it with more of your peanut butter recipes.
Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know it works with soy nut butter! I have a feeling many of my PB recipes then will translate just fine. Enjoy!
What if I wanted to do a bigger pan, like a 9×13, do I just double everything? Thnx alot for an easy recipe!!
Yes, enjoy!
Hey do you have to use tinfoil or can I just grease my 8×8 in ? Thanks
You can just grease your pan but for easier cleanup I prefer foil.
This recipe was fantastic! I separated the dough into two- put half in the tray, smoothed it so it was even and spread some strawberry jam across it , then layered the rest of the dough on. It’s not a distinct line but it’s a nice subtle flavour that kinda pops around the crust of the brownie where it’s more defined. 10/10 will make again
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Fun idea too!
I made these according to recipe except I had no chocolate chips. I had a nice dark chocolate bar that I broke up into little pieces,and it turned out perfect. This is a really delicious, and easy to make recipe.
Way to be resourceful and use the chocolate bar!
Can I make these is a 9×13 pan? Double the recipe?
Haven’t personally tried but sounds like a safe bet to me to double and make in 9×13.
This is a great recipe my whole family loves it and it filled 22 brother and sisters t
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Oh yummy. These are just delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
These are great!!! Made them today! Taste great!
I used a glass pan because that’s all I had, and cooked them for 35min and they can out great.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hi Averie! I’ve been making these bars for months (only change I make is adding salt, which I do for all baked goods) and thought I would just say thanks for a simple, delicious recipe that hits the spot for something sweet!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a favorite for you!
how much salt do u add?
I didn’t use salt in this recipe because the peanut butter is salty enough for me but add to taste if you prefer.
Made these with gluten free flour and natural peanut butter (that is all I had) and they turned out great! For chocolate peanut butter flavor, like the peanut butter cheesecake stuffed brownies better but these were also good. So glad I found your site!
Yes the PB Cup Cheesecake Brownies are pretty decadent and hard to argue with all those chopped peanut butter cups! But for something a little less decadent, glad you loved these!
Can we substitute egg in this recipie. If yes , then with what
I haven’t tried the recipe without egg so can’t make any recommendations.
One of my favorite recipes! Often requested by friends and family. I converted this to be gluten free and substituted applesauce for the egg…. Divine!! Thanks for an easy recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it’s a keeper and that applesauce and GF works!
I just made these and had to add 15 min to the cooking time.. I’m still not sure if they cooked through. The top certainly doesn’t look like it. Could it be due to using a glass 8×8 pan?
Yes definitely due to baking in a glass pan! Things in glass cook slower than in metal pans. Next time use a metal pan for this recipe. I’m sure they’ll still taste fine in glass, provided they’re cooked through but with metal you won’t have the guesswork.
Can I make this with brown butter?
Yes I’m sure you could although I haven’t tried it that way.
Is the one tablespoon of vanilla really correct? I have never used that much in a recipe and wanted to be sure that it isn’t a typo. Can’t wait to try these!
1 tbsp = 3 tsp
I always use AT LEAST 2 tsp, and generally more, because I love vanilla, but if you don’t, feel free to scale back to what you’re comfortable with.
Just made these today and they are AMAZING!! Just like the pictures and I live in brrr cold Canada! Thanks for a great recipe. :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I made these today. They were delicious. So very moist. I used crunchy peanut butter and Halloween (orange and chocolate) chocolate chips. Will make again as this was a very easy recipe using readily available ingredients. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I’m glad that you’re a fan of easy recipes with readily available ingredients…me too :)
Can I substitute oil for the butter? If so, how much oil?
No you can’t in this recipe.
My gosh, the batter alone was amazing, but the final product is perfect!!! Thank you, thank you for this Saturday afternoon treat!! ?
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
These are FANTASTIC! Wouldn’t change a thing! I’m bringing them to a friend’s house for dinner and luckily made a double batch in a 9×13 so we can keep some here, too.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
These are absolutely incredibly delicious! And so easy! Basic ingredients that I always have on hand. This is now my go to dessert! Thank you!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and it’s your new go-to dessert!
Just finished making this recipe not quite what I expected. If I were to make the recipe again I would add something (not sure what). It turned out slightly dry and not quite as peanut buttery as I had expected. I followed the recipe exactly, not sure what I did wrong.
turned out slightly dry and not quite as peanut buttery = use another 1/4 cup of peanut butter or so next time AND bake for a few less minutes!
I just made these bars today but used 1/2 cup of mini semi sweet chips instead. I had to cook them about ten minutes longer than the original recipe, as they were gooey inside after cooking and sitting for 30 minutes. I still love the bar and will be making it again!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that you adjusted the baking time as necessary for your oven. There can be so much variance in ovens and climates I’ve found that can cause baking times to range quite a bit. Glad you’ll make them again!
Was delicious! I tweaked the recipe a little. Added 1/4 cup of flour and pressed it in a 10×8 sheet pan.
Sounds like it came out great for you with your little tweaks! Thanks for trying the recipe!
Hi Averie! I was looking for a super simple dessert recipe that my husband would enjoy eating, and my 18-month old would be able to help me make (she’s big on wanting to help in the kitchen these days). =) I stumbled across these + they turned out fab – thank you! Here the little one is in action, helping me prep ’em. =) http://instagram.com/p/ykETklw9pn/?modal=true
ADORABLE PICTURE!!! Omg too cute :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and that you were able to make your hubs and your lil one happy in the process!
I actually have a food blog! It’s http://www.sweetprecipes.blogspot.com. It’s mostly just a fun way for me to keep track of my own favorite recipes. (read: I haven’t figured out how to make any money with it yet!) Have you figured out that secret recipe? ; )
I made this recipe for my Superbowl party and it was a big hit. I added a chocolate topping (1/2 cup chocolate chips melted with 1 Tbs of peanut butter then poured on top) because I wanted them to be dark brown on top. I cut the bars into football shapes and piped on some white frosting laces. Super cute and SOOO yummy!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you and the idea of the PB/choc for a brown topping AND cutting them into football shapes, wow! You need to start a food blog! You are so creative – thanks for sharing that fun idea!
I know I want to make a chocolate peanut butter bar to take to a Super Bowl party tomorrow, but I can’t decide between this one and your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars https://www.averiecooks.com/2013/03/peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookie-bars.html)
Can you explain the taste/texture differences between the two? Thanks!
Probably you’ve already decided but this one is more of a blondie with peanut butter and a bit more soft-and-squishy, whereas the other one is like a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie with chocolate that’s baked in bar form. They are VERY similar and only someone like myself who’s written an entire cookbook devoted to PB recipes would probably notice these more subtle nuances :) LMK what you made!
They doubled beautifully! 40 minute bake time.
AWESOME to hear! Thanks for reporting back!
Could you double these for a 9×13 batch?
Probably although I haven’t personally tried. LMK how things work for you!
WOW these bars look amazing! Recipe pinned and first batch in the oven for family dinner tonight! The condo is just starting to fill with a yummy chocolate peanut butter smell. (Also thought I would add that your Caramelitas were a big hit last night! They froze great)
Glad to hear you’re making these and they’re making your house smell great!
Awesome that the Carmelitas froze well and they were a big hit!
These bars for us were too sweet. Is the amount of brown sugar correct? Is there a way to make them less sweet?
Yes the amount of sugar is correct. You could eliminate the chocolate chips, you could maybe reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup, but going less than that and you won’t really have very much batter since these are a pretty ‘flat’, thin bar to begin with.
Can you increase the amount of peanut butter?
Yes probably slightly, without having to then change the flour amount or other ratios. Whenever you change one thing in baking you have to remember how it will effect other ingredients.
I was craving something chocolate and I had pinned this the other day. They are so good. Thank you!!!
Thanks for pinning it, making it, and glad you enjoyed it!
There will never, ever, ever be such a thing as too many PB recipes. But with how many times a day I stick a spoon straight into the jar, it’d be a miracle for me to make them all… I run out of PB almost as fast as dark chocolate, and that’s saying something! ;) You always take the most amazing mouthwatering photos of cookies. I don’t know how you do it, but you always capture their ooey gooey-ness and melted chocolate so well!
Thanks for all the comments yesterday – loved reading them all :)
I made these today and liked them a lot! Simple and delicious. I did use natural peanut butter, but I made up for the extra oiliness by halving the melted butter. Which is a significant reduction, yes, but I wasn’t doing it only because of the natural PB; I also wanted the bars to be slightly drier than the gooey, almost raw-like consistency shown in the photos here. And it worked! The bars came out exactly how I wanted them: still soft and chewy, but not gooey.
They were also done in 15 minutes, but perhaps I just have a fast oven. It’s something I’ve been suspecting. (I don’t know if you remember that I’m a dorm room baker . . . ? Anyway, it’s a new year so I have a different room with a different oven, which is why I don’t really know yet how it behaves.)
Glad these came out great for you, and just the way you wanted them. Good call on all the tweaks you made & good luck with your new oven!
Hi Averie! I’ve been following you for a while but it’s my first comment over here! I was wondering if it would be a good idea to substitute chocalate chips for nutella (adding it like a swirl) and also add some walnuts to it, what do you think?
BTW, I LOVE your recipes!
Have a great day!
I have the recipe you’re talking about! It’s linked in the Related Recipes (go back and check the post) Nutella-Swirled Blondies. Same concept. I used PB chips too, or you could use nuts. This dough base the ‘everything is a one’ concept I wrote about – very flexible.
Greetings from Shanghai! I love your awesome blog! I made these last night and substituted GF flour and xanthan gum for the all-purpose flour. They were amazing! Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Glad they worked out great and that your substitutions worked out well for you!
Baking in Aruba? Hellooo paradise!
These look so simple, but so yummy. pinning!
Fantastic recipe! These turned out amazing! Baking in Aruba..deal lord.. you are a trooper! haha Thanks for the great recipe..these really hit the spot and they are so simple/so few ingredients?!!? LOVE IT! P.S. I’m just sharing this in case it helps one of your readers…I used the Peanut Butter with Coconut Oil type of PB from Costco (in Canada) and this still turned out amazing.
Peanut Butter with Coconut Oil is so good! I’ve had it before and sometimes when I make my own PB, I will add a little coconut oil (but it’s really runny that way and not recommended for baking) but sounds like the kind you used worked great! Glad you loved these :)
MMMM. Sounds great. Yeah, it turned out wonderful. These disappeared sooo quick.
Averie, these look SO good! What’s could be better than the flavor of chocolate and peanut butter?! Thanks for sharing them!
This recipe was calling to me so I had to use what I had – 1/2 milk chocolate chips & 1/2 peanut butter chips. I was concerned when the dough was much thinner than regular cookie dough, but they turned out great – had to bake 30 min. Thanks for another great recipe!
Yes this batter is much thinner than regular cookie dough, much more blondie-batter consistency than cookie dough consistency. Glad they came out great for you and you enjoyed them! Great way to use up your odds & ends, too!
Peanut butter bars = brilliant! These look absolutely wonderful!
omigoshhhhhh YESSS! These bars are so goooey and chewy and packed full of YUM
You can never go wrong with PB and chocolate. These look amazing!!
Thanks for pinning too :)
I’ve never experimented much with peanut butter and chocolate but after reading this recipe and looking at these pictures I’m wondering why I haven’t already… your peanut butter bars look delicious! :)
Chocolate is only good in abundance! And theses bars sure do fit the bill for that, they look so buttery and rich as well! I would defo devour these :)
I love how these are modified blondies! Same amazing brown sugar chewiness, but with PB! And no mixer, too. Will definitely make these today!
LMK how they turn out!
These bars are just gorgeous, pinned!
Thanks for pinning, Laura!
You can never have enough! The picture is gorgeous and I am sure they taste as lovely as they look. Yum!!!
Made these today and they were fantastic. Turned out exactly like your pictures! Super easy, perfect to bring to get togethers. Thank you!
I love it when people make my recipes, but especially on the same day I post them! Now that is awesome & so glad they were a big success for you!
Those close-up shots are absolutely luscious! I’m seriously craving a sweet midnight snack now…
I would love to try all these recipes, however I have two kids that are allergic to nuts. Is there an alternative or can th PB be left out. I love so many different blogs, but have the same issue that most of them use PB in their recipes.
You could use sunflower seed butter. The texture is a little different than PB but in bars which are pretty forgiving, you’ll be fine. Maybe use 1/4 cup more flour if the mixture is very goopy but I don’t think that will happen. With cookies, it’s more iffy if you can swap SFSB for PB because cookies arent as forgiving…case by case, and game time looking-in-mixing-bowl decisions with adding more flour, more baking soda, etc. may be necessary.
I’ve always wondered why you need both butter and peanut butter in recipes. Or why you can’t add peanut butter to replace and equal portion of the butter. Don’t the fats just do the same thing?
I mean, obviously not,but….off to google!
I’m not even going to start answering this because it’s a bazillion paragraphs and I know you’ve already googled! :)
Too many PB recipes? Nevah! The pictures, both on your website and in your book, are absolutely gorgeous… We always feel compelled to try something of yours on a regular basis and they’ve always turned out perfectly… Love that this one contains a lot of 1’s:)
Thanks for your support and trying my blog and cookbook recipes!
Never too many pb bar recipes! And this one couldn’t be any easier. These peanut butter bars are gorgeous Averie (I noticed the lighting was different from usual!). Hope Aruba’s been wonderful!
Isn’t it interesting how we can literally tell each other’s photos apart by the LIGHTING. Crazy. Being back in SD today for my first shoot made me realize that in some ways, my ‘vacation lighting’ is almost better. Gah, love my place, NOT the lighting. I literally bought a table today and as weather permits, may be shooting on my screened in patio…
I got so hungry for your bars:-)
really great photos you take.
Delicius recipe!
Try this lovely and special cake:
http://mariahoffbeck.blogspot.dk/2014/08/skovbunds-chokoladekage.html
Enjoy.
Birgit and Hans
These bars are like my DREAM. I love the simplicity of the recipe, and scrolling through those other PB/chocolate combos is making my mouth water (espeically that ginormous skillet cookie at the end… yum!)
Oh gosh, those memorizable recipes are dangerous. I have a few, and they always seem to make their way into my oven. And on my mind when I’m working really hard in spin class, hahaha. I love the simplicity. Straight-forward peanut butter and chocolate!
Wow, you are dedicated–on vacation, 90 degrees out, and you are baking in your oven! This is exactly the kind of recipe that I love–quick and delicious and no messing with measuring out cookies and pulling batches in and out of the oven. You are my hero. :)
Well baking bars is how I get to go on vacation so I figured I needed to work a little, even if I was sweating.my.butt.off! :)
These look amazing…I’m going to make them for our labor day bbq and top them with ice cream..perfect…
Yay! Please LMK what everyone thinks of them!
They look so gooey and peanut butter-y and yummy Averie! I am only slightly jealous you are in sweltering Aruba!! Sounds sunnier than rainy Belgium right now :D Enjoy your labor day weekend!!!
Thanks, Ceara, back home now but it was an awesome trip & enjoy your weekend too!
I’m so in love with all your blondie bars. And they look perfect – not like they were cooked in a weird oven. I’d eat them ALL!
The oven. Omg I think I would do better cooking by candlelight compared to that oven. It’s like the most crazy hot wicked weird oven on earth, I promise :)
What a great recipe! Love that everything is just “one”. Hope you are enjoying your vacation!
These look awesome–and no, you can’t have too many PB bars, especially when chocolate is involved. These have that extra gooey look like your nutella blondies (swoon)!! Have a nice weekend (and safe travels if you’re headed back to the states). We’re celebrating my dad’s 80th today–the big party starts this afternoon.
Happy Bday to your Dad! What a milestone! And just got back last night at 3am but I have already been baking, to Target, 3 groc stores, assembled a table, 10 mile run, you know, I took it easy today :)
These have that extra gooey look like your nutella blondies = that’s because they were baked in the same oven, the same climate, and the same overall sweaty environment! You have great eyes!
No such thing as too many peanut butter recipes! :)
Happy Labor Day weekend to you!
These look so yummy! Peanut butter is already amazing but now with chocolate chips and in a blondie form?! Totally pinned! :D
Thanks for pinning!
These look amazing. And just like you said – you can never have too many PB bars!
You can never have to many great PB bars recipes! These look so gooey! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning as always!
these look so amazing! totally pinned ;-) absolutely mouthwatering!
Thanks for pinning!