These Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are loaded with so much peanut flavor and dark chocolate chunks. They’re great for bake sales, get-togethers, and school lunches.
This recipe costs $8.46 to make twenty-four servings. That works out to be just $0.35 per serving.
If you love the peanut butter and chocolate combination as much as I do, then you need to try some of my other recipes! A few of my favorites include my Frozen Reese’s Peanut Butter Pie, my Deep Dish Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, these Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies, and these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are SO good! They’re nice and chewy and packed with peanut flavor and dark chocolate chunks.
The star of these cookie bars is the dark chocolate chunks. They add a bit of sophistication to the humble peanut butter cookie bar.
I used dark chocolate in this recipe as opposed to milk chocolate because I like how the intense chocolate flavor cuts through the peanut butter.
If you’re feeling super decadent, then I suggest sprinkling the top of the cookie dough with some chunky sea salt right before baking!
Ingredients and Cost
Per Serving Cost: $0.35
Recipe Cost: $8.46
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour – $0.30
- ½ teaspoon baking soda – $0.01
- ½ teaspoon baking powder – $0.02
- ¾ cup light brown sugar – $0.36
- ¾ cup chunky peanut butter – $0.78
- ½ cup granulated sugar – $0.12
- 1 large egg – $0.10
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – $1.36
- ½ cup lightly salted dry roasted peanuts – $0.50
- 8 ounces dark chocolate – $4.16
NOTE: The recipe prices are calculated by using grocery store websites. The actual cost of the recipe will vary depending on what ingredients you already have.
Instructions
- First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13-inch pan with foil that you then spray with cooking spray.
- Next, mix the flour and baking soda in a small bowl.
- Beat the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Then add the flour and pulse mixer until combined.
- Stir in the peanuts and chocolate chunks.
- Then press the dough into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Recipe Variations
- You can double this peanut butter cookie bars recipe and bake them in a standard rimmed cookie sheet. You will need to increase the baking time by 4-8 minutes.
- While I love dark chocolate in this recipe, you can use chopped milk chocolate, chocolate chips, mini peanut butter cups (I LOVE the ones from Trader Joe’s) or cut up peanut butter cups.
- Instead of chunk peanut butter you can use smooth peanut butter but I do not suggest using reduced fat or natural peanut butter.
Storage Tips
SERVE: These are best served slightly warm when the chocolate is still slightly melted. You can serve these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
STORE: Cooled and cut peanut butter bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
FREEZE: Once cooled, place the bars in a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag for 1-2 months. Any longer than 2 months and you run the risk of the bars getting freezer burn and/or drying out too much in the freezer. If I know I’m going to be freezing the peanut butter cookie bars, then I will slightly under bake them.
THAW: Thaw at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
REHEAT: These peanut butter cookie bars are best served warm. I suggest reheating individual cookie bars for 15 seconds at 50% power.
Cook’s Tools
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Wooden mixing spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wire rack
Recipe FAQs
The cookie bars may taste dry as a result of too much flour. Be sure to double-check your measurements before mixing in the flour.
If you first spray the knife with cooking spray and then wipe it clean with a dry paper towel, it will help cut clean smooth lines in the cookie bar dessert. As you firmly press the knife down through the bar, cutting horizontal and vertical lines, to create square pieces, you can then use a spatula to lift the cut pieces out of the pan.
More Desserts
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Fudge
- Cheesecake Bars
- White Chocolate Blondies with Macadamia Nuts and Coconut
- Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cake
- Brownie Bites with Peanut Butter Frosting
- Snickers Cheesecake Brownies
- Black and White Cookies
- No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Reese’s Rice Krispie Treats
- Buckeye Brownies
Peanut Butter Cookie Bars with Dark Chocolate Chunks
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup chunky peanut butter
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup lightly salted dry roasted peanuts chopped
- 8 ounces dark chocolate cut into chunks
Instructions
PREPARE OVEN AND PAN:
- Move oven rack to middle position, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9×13-inch pan with heavy duty foil, and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH:
- Whisk together flour and baking soda in a small bowl.
- Add brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl, and beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- With the mixer on low, beat in egg and vanilla extract.
- Stop the mixer, add flour, and pulse mixer until combined.
- Stir in chopped peanuts and chocolate chunks until evenly distributed.
- Press cookie dough into the prepared pan.
BAKE COOKIE BARS:
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the center is set.
COOL, CUT, AND SERVE BARS:
- Move the pan to a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Remove the cookie bars from the pan using the foil overhang, and cut them into 24 bars. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Makes 24 cookie bars
Ginny says
Ohhh, those look so perfectly delicious. I think those may be my dream bars!
Charla @ That Girl Cooks Healthy says
These peanut butter cookie look drool worthy. Just need some cold milk to accompany my cookie now.
Jillian says
Hehe, exactly!
Amanda | Chew Town says
See, the problem with this recipe is that I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one! I fear I would eat the whole batch.
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
Peanut butter cookies are my favourite and I love these big chunks of chocolate.
kelly smith http://kitchentuts.com/ says
I don’t like peanut butter but in cookies loved it. It really tasty and delicious.
Jillian says
Oh good, I’m so glad you liked them!
Kristen says
My kids raved over these! Thank you!
Anjali says
Omg these cookie bars just brought me back to my childhood – these were one of my favorite desserts growing up (and still is)! I had a blast making this with my kids yesterday – it was a fun after school activity and treat!
Eliza says
Oh yes PLEASE! What a great recipe. I love that you used dark chocolate chunks with the peanut butter – one of my favorite combos! Thanks for another winner from Food Folks and Fun.
Jillian says
You’re so welcome! 🙂
Mirlene says
This look absolutely delicious. I cannot wait to try it.