marilynpeight
These easy peanut butter bars with chocolate chips are similar to a blondie, but with the addition of peanut butter, which makes the perfect cookie bar for those like me who are big fans of the chocolate and peanut butter combination! This recipe for chocolate chip peanut butter bars is a small batch made for an 8 by 8 inch pan, however if you wish to make enough for a 9 by 13 inch pan, simply hit the 2x button on the recipe card and you will have enough to fill a 9 by 13 inch pan. If you would enjoy more chocolate peanut butter treats, try out my recipes for Peanut Butter Brookies, Amish chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, Reese’s Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie or Double Chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cups.
These bars are very easy to make, and would be a great option if you are looking for a quick dessert for school lunches or work lunches.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases. Follow along for more Amish and Mennonite recipes and feel free to leave a rating and comment in the comment section below!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars (with chocolate chips)
Equipment
- 8 by 8 inch baking dish (linked below)
- Mixing bowl (linked below)
- Measuring bowl (linked below)
- Whisk (linked below)
- Parchment paper (linked below)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter creamy
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour, leveled *see note below for even gooier cookie bars
- 1 cup chocolate chips milk chocolate or semi sweet
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit).
- Cream softened butter and sugars together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg, then add vanilla extract and peanut butter, mixing until the mixture is creamy.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt, then mix into the wet ingredients until well combined and the dough has a soft cookie dough texture. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Press the cookie dough evenly to a greased or parchment lined 8 by 8 inch baking dish, then bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until the edges are golden and the bars are set (or almost set, depending on your preference) in the center.
- Allow to cool before cutting, then enjoy! *see storage notes below.
Notes
Equipment needed for these chocolate peanut butter bars with chocolate chips:
- 8 by 8 inch baking dish You will need an 8 by 8 inch baking dish to bake these peanut butter cookie bars in. I prefer to use a glass baking dish to be better able to gauge the doneness of the bars while baking.
- Mixing bowl I prefer to use stainless steel mixing bowls, all of mine have been sturdy and dishwasher friendly so far!
- Measuring cups I also prefer to use stainless steel measuring cups for measuring the ingredients for these chocolate peanut butter bars.
- Whisk You will need a whisk for mixing the wet ingredients, and a large spoon for creaming the butter and sugars together, then also for mixing the dry ingredients and chocolate chips into the dough.
- Parchment paper Lining the baking dish with parchment paper makes removing bars from the pan for cutting much easier and also keeps the bars intact better than simple greasing the pan.
Subscribe today and get free meal inspirations delivered to your doorstep!
Ingredients needed for these Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars: Vanilla extract, chocolate chips, brown sugar, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, peanut butter, butter and egg.
Note*
To keep the butter from seizing up due to being exposed to cold, be sure to use a room temperature egg. To warm up an egg that is still cold from being refrigerated, you can place it in a glass or deep dish and cover it with warm water. Allow the egg to set in the warm water for ten minutes, then it is ready to use.
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars together until well combined and smooth. Whisk in the room temperature egg, then add vanilla extract and peanut butter. Mix well until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients, then mix into the wet ingredients until the peanut butter cookie dough is well combined and has a soft cookie dough texture. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Tip*
To test the peanut butter cookie dough to see if it is stiff enough for making bars, you can do a roll test by rolling a walnut sized amount of dough between your palms. If the dough forms a ball without sticking to your palms, it is then ready to press into the baking dish. However, if the dough is crumbly and doesn’t form a ball easily, you have added too much flour and the resulting bars will also be dry.
For gooier bars: The dough should still be able to form a ball, but will leave a little residue on your palms and will feel more soft and somewhat fragile.
Step 3: Press the cookie dough into an 8 by 8 inch baking dish, then bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges begin to brown slightly and the bars are set in the center.
Note*
Keep a close eye on these peanut butter bars while baking. If the bars are overbaked they will dry out. Under baked bars will be more gooey, which is preferable for some, but may be too soft for others. If it is your first time making cookie bars, feel free to experiment to get the textured bars of your preference!
Step 4: Allow the peanut butter cookie bars to cool, then cut and enjoy. Additional chocolate chips can be sprinkled over the tops of the bars while still warm.
Storage for these chocolate peanut butter cookie bars:
These cookie bars can be kept in an airtight container or zip lock bag for 5-7 days at room temperature. To keep the bars for even longer, they can also be frozen (in an airtight container or zip lock bags) for several months.
Feel free to pin this recipe for later and tag me on Instagram to show off your own creation of this recipe!
