Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a delicious and convenient variation of the classic chocolate chip cookie. These bars combine the irresistible flavors of peanut butter and chocolate into a chewy, indulgent treat that is pressed into bar form, making it easier and quicker to prepare.
Why You'll LOVE This Recipe
Ease: Cookie bars are simpler and faster to make compared to individual cookies. The dough is pressed into a pan, eliminating the need for shaping and spacing individual cookies.
Soft and Chewy Texture: The thickness of cookie bars gives them a chewy, dense, and fudgy texture. The edges often have a slight crispness, while the center remains soft and moist.
Customization: Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars can be customized to your liking. You can add other ingredients such as chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or other candies for extra flavor and texture.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need room temperature butter sticks for this recipe! If you need to use salted butter, decrease the salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- Light Brown Sugar & Granulated Sugar: Together, both light brown sugar and granulated sugar create soft, chewy, and sweet cookie bars.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract rounds out the flavor of the bars.
- Eggs: 3 large eggs at room temperature contribute to structure and chewiness.
- Peanut Butter: I use creamy, regular peanut butter. Try to stay away from natural peanut butter for best results!
- All Purpose Flour: Regular, plain, all purpose flour that is measured properly using a kitchen scale or through the spoon and level method creates soft bars.
- Corn Starch: Corn starch is the secret ingredient for an ultra soft and chewy texture.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is the leavening agent that helps these bars rise in the oven. DO NOT substitute with baking powder.
- Salt: Salt brings out sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Chocolate Chips: A combination of mini and regular chocolate chips of all different flavors creates depth in the bars, but whatever you have and whatever you like will work great!
Step by Step Process
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil to ensure the bars come out cleanly.
STEP 2: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix room temperature butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth.
STEP 3: Add vanilla extract, eggs, and peanut butter to the bowl and mix until combined throughout.
STEP 4: Slowly, add the all purpose flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt into the dough. Mix on low speed, and only mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
STEP 5: Add chocolate chips to the batter and mix until combined. Batter will be thick but smooth.
STEP 6: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Spread the batter with the knife to make sure the bars cook evenly.
STEP 7: Then, top the batter with dollops of the peanut butter and additional chocolate chips as desired.
STEP 8: Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the sides of the bars are deep golden brown and the middle is light golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with some crumbs and batter because the bars will continue to cook as they cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
I do not recommend using natural peanut butter in this recipe. Natural peanut butter tends to have a thinner consistency and can affect the thick, chewy texture of the bars.
Yes! You can use chopped chocolate bars, chocolate chunks, or even chocolate candies instead of chocolate chips. This can provide a different texture and flavor experience.
The bake time for these bars can vary depending on your oven and pan. A good indicator is when the edges of the bars are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it. The bars will continue to set as they cool, so avoid overbaking them to ensure they remain soft and chewy.
Expert Tips
- Once you add the dry ingredients, do not overmix. Mix until just combined and there are no streaks of flour visible because overmixing can result in tough and dense bars.
- Use a 9x13 inch pan for best results. If you use a larger pan, the bars may spread too thin and bake unevenly. If you use a smaller pan, the bars may become too thick and take longer to bake.
- Top the bars with additional chocolate chips and dollops of peanut butter for a professional, elegant look.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting them. This allows them to set properly and ensures clean and neat slices.
Storing and Freezing
To store your peanut butter cookie bars, allow them to cool completely and then store them tightly covered, in an airtight container, or in a resealable plastic bag for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw the cookie bars at room temperature for a couple of hours before serving or reheat the bars in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
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Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 9x13 inch pan 1x
- Category: Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter, Chocolate
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are a delicious and convenient variation of the classic chocolate chip cookie. These bars combine the irresistible flavors of peanut butter and chocolate into a chewy, indulgent treat that is pressed into bar form, making it easier and quicker to prepare.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (230g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs (150g), room temperature
- ¼ cup (65g) peanut butter. + ½ cup (130g) for spreading
- 3 cups (420g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon (9g) corn starch
- 1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (4g) salt
- 1 cup (180g) chocolate chips
- ½ cup (100g) mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×13. inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil to ensure the bars come out cleanly.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer that is fitted with the paddle attachment, mix room temperature butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until smooth. Mix for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture is lighter and color and slightly fluffy in texture.
- Add vanilla extract, eggs, and creamy peanut butter to the bowl and mix until smooth and fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
- Add all purpose flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and mix on low speed. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Do not overmix the batter- just mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
- Add chocolate chips to the batter and mix until incorporated. Batter will be very thick.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Top the batter with additional chocolate chips and dollops of peanut butter as desired.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the sides of the bars are deep golden brown and the middle is light golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with some crumbs and batter. The bars will continue to cook as they cool. Allow the bars to cool before slicing.
Notes
Measuring: Measure ingredients using kitchen scale for most accurate results. When measuring flour without a scale, use a spoon to transfer the flour to your measuring cups before using a knife to sweep across the top and level the peak.
Additional Topping: For a fun and professional look, top the dough with additional chocolate chips, peanut butter, and other desired toppings after you've spread the dough in your prepared pan.
Storing: Do not slice and store until the bars have cooled. Store the bars at room temperature for up to 4 days tightly covered or in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Keywords: Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
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