Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars taste even better when they’re swirled with creamy peanut butter! These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are a must try for anyone who can’t get enough chocolate and peanut butter treats.
Two things have never been more loved than chocolate and peanut butter. While we LOVE peanut butter cookies, the addition of chocolate is just perfect. For example, there is a reason readers are obsessed with Peanut Butter Blossoms!
Chocolate Chip Bars Swirled with Peanut Butter
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from years of making and writing about desserts it’s this: people are nuts about chocolate and peanut butter together.
It shouldn’t be any surprise that some of the most loved desserts I’ve shared over the years, like Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cake and Peanut Butter Cookie Cups are based on this beloved combo of rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter.
Today’s recipe features a classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar base with the simple addition of peanut butter swirled between the layers. That creamy peanut flavor couples with the chewy cookie bars makes these extra special!
Ingredient Notes
- Salted Butter – Typically, I use unsalted butter when I bake to control the saltiness of the finished dessert. This is one instance where I find salted butter adds the ideal touch of saltiness to complement the peanut flavor and sweet chocolate.
- Peanut Butter – Make sure to use a traditional creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for this recipe. Natural unsweetened peanut butters have a different consistency that won’t work here.
- Brown sugar – I prefer the flavor of light brown sugar in this chocolate chip dough compared to dark.
- Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet morsels are my favorite. Chocolate chunks would work too!
- Vanilla Extract- pure vanilla is always better than imitation. You could even make my homemade vanilla extract!
Easy Instructions
Make the Dough. To make the peanut butter chocolate cookie bars, you’ll start by beating together the ingredients for the dough, then folding in chocolate chips.
Add the Peanut Butter. Press half the dough into a baking pan, then dollop the peanut butter over the layer of cookie dough. Do NOT spread with your fingers.
More Cookie Dough. Add the remaining dough over the peanut butter, using your fingers to slightly crumble the dough over the peanut butter.
Bake. Place pan in preheat oven and bake for 22 – 24 minutes. They will be slightly jiggly, but will firm up once cooled. Let the bars cool in the pan before slicing and serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a tablespoon, teaspoon or cookie scoop to dollop the peanut butter. Do NOT spread it out after adding it to the dough. As the bars bake the peanut butter will natural melt and “swirl” into the chocolate chip dough.
- Make sure to let these cool completely in the pan before you try to cut them, otherwise they will fall apart. Use patience– I promise it’s worth it when you bite into one of these chewy bars and taste the swirl of peanut butter!
Recipe FAQs
Store chocolate chip peanut butter bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
I tested the cookie bar recipe in a 9 x 13 baking dish lined with parchment paper. It would work in a square dish as well but the finished bars will be thicker and will need more baking time.
Sure! I like the classic taste of semi sweet chocolate in cookie bars, but feel free to swap out for milk, white or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.
Natural style peanut butters are not shelf stable and have a different consistency than classic varieties, meaning it’ll stay hard and clumped when the bars bake instead of swirling into the dough.
You also want that little bit of sugar that regular peanut butter has for best taste. This is dessert after all!
More Cookie and Bar Recipes
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars taste even better when they're swirled with creamy peanut butter! These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are a must try for anyone who can't get enough chocolate and peanut butter treats.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a mixing bowl beat butter and sugars until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in eggs and vanilla extract and beat until blended. Add in flour and baking soda.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Spread half of the dough (using fingertips) in the bottom of the baking dish. Dollop the peanut butter onto the dough. I used a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop to do this. Do not spread the peanut butter, drop by teaspoon or tablespoon instead.
- Top with remaining cookie dough (it's okay if some of the peanut butter shows).
- Bake in preheated oven for 22-24 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan.
- Cut into bars and enjoy.
Notes
- Choose a traditional peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy, not a natural version.
- Don't spread the peanut butter, you'll thank me later when you take a bite with a creamy swirl of peanut butter.
- Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 162mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 5g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
With the perfect balance of chocolate chips to cookie dough to nutty peanut taste, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are hard to top.
I really can’t imagine any better combination than this. These are absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Thanks for answering all the questions too.
If I cut the recipe in half, would I use an 8×8 pan or 9×9 pan. Thank you