Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars are similar to blondies, but these bar cookies have peanut butter chips and chocolate through the center of the bars. Easy dessert for any time you want a little sweet treat. These also pack up well and often my go-to treats to send in the mail.

Sliced peanut butter chocolate bars on a white plate.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Chocolate and peanut butter. They are mean’t to be together, you know that. I’ve paired them up before; Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, chocolate sugar free peanut butter eggs, a late night snack of a spoonful of peanut butter topped with a few chocolate chips – uhh, yes, please and thank you!

These dense chewy bars aren’t overly sweet. There is just enough flavor from the peanut butter chips and swirl of chocolate. Perfect with a glass of milk or a warm cup of coffee or tea.

These are the bars I would send to my son during his first year in college. Right before summer break I would pack up a batch before finals. Definitely helps with taking tests, right?!

  • One pan easy recipe. No dropping or forming cookies in batches. All the batter is spread in one pan.
  • Can be mailed easily. For the freshest delivery, wrap each bar in plastic wrap, then place in an air tight container. Add cushion like bubble wrap under, over and on the sides of the container.
  • Not overly sweet. I cut the sweetener to just 1 1/2 cups from over 2 cups of sugar. The peanut butter chips and chocolate add more flavor, so you can taste all the flavors, not just the sugar. Want to lower the sugar even more? Use a sugar alternative like Lakanto monk fruit (affiliate).
A stack of cookie bars on a wooden plate.

Ingredients needed:

To make these cookies you need basic baking ingredients like butter, eggs, flour sugar and an leavening agent.

This recipe is a basic cookie base recipe laced with peanut butter, peanut butter chips for extra deliciousness, and swirled with some melted semi-sweet chocolate. I know, crazy good.

Most items will be stock pantry ingredients. However, you may need to pick up the following:

  • Peanut butter baking chips – if you can’t find them, then pick up butterscotch baking chips.
  • Chocolate chips – use your favorite chocolate chips. I always have milk chocolate on hand. However, dark or even a sugar free chocolate will work well in this recipe.

STEP 1: Cream Butter and Sugar

For these cookie bars you will whisk together the butter, peanut butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

STEP 2: Mix Dry Ingredients

Next, whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the sugar mixture.

STEP 3: Fold in Baking Chips

Fold in the peanut butter chips into the cookie bar batter.

STEP 4: Layer the Batter

The next step is what makes these cookie bars a little different. We layer the cookie dough. First, lightly spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put half of the prepared cookie dough on the bottom of the pan spreading it evenly.

STEP 5: Melt the Chocolate Chips

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or double boiler, then drizzle the chocolate over the cookie dough. You may want to place the chocolate in a piping bag to distribute on the cookie dough.

For for a homemade piping bag, place the melted chocolate (cooled) in a small sandwich bag and snip one corner with scissors before drizzling over the cookie batter.

STEP 6: SWIRL Melted Chocolate

Finally, add the remaining cookie dough and spread over the chocolate layer. Take a sharp knife and swirl it through the batter to distribute the chocolate under the batter.

STEP 7: Bake

Bake in the oven at 350°F and cool before slicing!

Go make a batch of these bars and send them to someone special for no reason at all! Every bite gets a mmmm comment and hello… what’s not to like, darling duo; peanut butter and chocolate!

Sliced cookie bars on a plate with milk on the side.

How to Store Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Keep these bars in an airtight container. This will remain fresh for up to two weeks.

How to freeze

Freeze for up to 6 months. To freeze, cool completely before placing the cookie bars in an air tight freezer container. If you are layering the bars, then place freezer paper or parchment paper between the layers.

I like to use hard containers for cookie bars instead of freezer bags so that the bars don’t get smashed by other foods in the freezer.

Recipes with Peanut Butter and Chocolate

Interested in more peanut butter recipes? Try these Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies from Epicurious.

Or this heavenly special occasion Peanut Butter Mousse Cake. Don’t miss these gooey Peanut Butter Brownies, Just Because recipe!

Peanut Butter Brownies - The Foodie Affair
Peanut butter cookie bars with a clear glass of milk.
Sliced peanut butter chocolate bars on a white plate.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Bars

Peanut butter chocolate chips and a swirl of chocolate mixed in the batter. These are a cross between a bar and a cookie. A delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, cookies, dessert, peanut butter bars, sweets
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 3 Dozen
Calories: 118kcal
Author: Sandra Shaffer

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, solftened
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package 10 oz peanut butter chips (Reese’s)
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted microwave until smooth. approximately a minute. Cool chocolate.

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350°F degrees. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with cooking spray.
  • Beat butter and peanut butter in a large mixing bow. Add sugars, beating well.
  • Add eggs one at a time until blended together. Add vanilla.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture. Fold in peanut butter chips.
  • Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the pan, spoon melted chocolate over the first layer of batter.
  • Top with the remaining batter, carefully spreading it over the chocolate layer. Swirl batters together with a knife.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g

Disclaimer

Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.

This recipe was first shared May, 2013. It has been updated with new photos July 2021.

Peanut butter chocolate bar square
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips in each bite. YUM! (Photo from May, 2013)
Delicious peanut butter cookie bars with a layer on milk chocolate. Delicious chunks of peanut butter chips are through the cookie batter. So good! #CookieBars #PeanutButter #EasyDessert
Hugs Sandra Signature

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10 Comments

  1. I made a batch of these and took them to the lake this weekend — my family DEVOURED THEM! Such a great recipe!!

    1. I don’t often review, but I found this recipe 3 months ago and I’ve made 8+ batches since. Every one loves these things! Two things I would note after several batches, is:
      1) Do spoon your flour into your measuring cup. It is possible to measure too much flour by simply scooping.
      2) I skip the step of melting the chocolate. I simply mix in the morsels and it still turns out stellar!

      1. Thank you Bonnie for taking the time to comment. Your tip to #1 is spot on! I think people know this, but not everyone does, so I’ll add that tip in the notes. I’m all for saving an extra step (#2).

    1. Thanks, Heather! the bars are so good – thick cookie, brownie consistency. In a category of their own! I actually got a manicure, so thanks for noticing my nails. No clue on the color. I let them pick it for me 🙂