These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars bake quickly in an 8×8 pan, making them extra thick and chewy! They’re the ultimate dessert and packed full of chocolate and smooth peanut butter.
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Soft and chewy peanut butter chocolate chip bars
Calling all chocolate, peanut butter, and sea salt fans! These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars are for you. Featuring a dreamy mix of thick chocolate chunks and creamy peanut butter, every bite of these chewy bars is sensational and even better when served with ice cream on top.
These chocolate chip cookie bars are inspired by Handle The Heat’s recipe. I stumbled upon her monthly baking challenge one day and just had to try these cookie bars for myself! I’m the first to admit that I’m not the world’s best baker, but this recipe was so much fun and easy too.
Just like Handle The Heat, I baked these bars in an 8×8 baking pan. The easy cookie batter fills the pan, leaving you with ultra-thick, soft, and chewy bars.
If you’re a nut butter and chocolate superfan, then you’re going to want to try these Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups and Dark Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates as well!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Peanut butter – Use smooth or crunchy regular peanut butter. The peanut butter at the top of a fresh jar will be the easiest to work with! Natural peanut butter won’t work as well because it’s very oily and can separate.
- Brown sugar – Just like classic chocolate chip cookies, brown sugar gives the bars a deep, molasses-like flavor.
- All purpose flour – I haven’t tested it, but a 1:1 gluten free flour mix should work if you need the cookie bars to be gluten free.
- Eggs – Make sure they’re at room temperature to help the bars bake evenly.
- Chocolate chunks – Either buy semi-sweet chocolate chunks or roughly chop your favorite milk chocolate bar.
- Flaky sea salt – To sprinkle on top of the bars when they come out of the oven. It’s a magical finishing touch that helps the chocolate and peanut butter sing.
How to make peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie bars
These gooey cookie bars are easy to make in 5 simple steps:
- Mix the butter, sugar, and peanut butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar, then take the pot off the heat. Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Let it cool before moving forward.
- The dry mix: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Finish the batter: Mix the eggs into the cooled butter mixture, then the vanilla extract. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined. Finish by folding in the chocolate chunks.
- Bake the cookie bars: Pour the cookie bar batter into the prepared 8×8 baking dish, then bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool, then slice and serve: Leave the bars to cool in the pan for a few minutes. Afterward, transfer to a wire rack, then slice into bars and serve.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! Replace the peanut butter with the same amount of almond butter. The bars will taste slightly different but will still be gooey and delicious.
I haven’t tested it, but you could try using a 1:1 gluten free flour baking mix instead of all purpose flour.
The recipe still works well in a metal or glass 9×9 baking dish. Because this dish is larger, the bars will not be as thick or chewy and you’ll need to reduce the baking time.
All kinds of things! Customize the cookie bars by folding in chopped nuts, candy-coated chocolate, chopped peanut butter cups, or dried fruit. You could even try adding a scoop of protein powder to transform them into protein cookie bars.
Storing
Store: Keep the sliced bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Wrap the individual bars in plastic and keep them in an airtight container. They’ll freeze well for up to 3 months.
Looking for more sweet treats?
- Grilled Peaches and Ice Cream
- Raspberry Lemon Burnt Basque Cheesecake
- Apple Fritters with Vanilla Lemon Glaze
- Strawberry Rhubarb Fruit Galette
If you give these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars a try, let me know in the comments below. I love seeing your pictures too, so please tag me on Instagram @lenaskitchenblog and use #lenaskitchenblog so I can share them to my page!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 (113 grams) stick unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 (350 grams) cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 (135 grams) cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 + 1 yolk eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 (286 grams) cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp flaky sea salt for finishing after bake, optional
- 6 (170 grams) oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan with parchment or foil.
- n a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Once the butter mixture is cool, add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the prepared dry ingredients, and stir to create a very thick dough-like batter. Fold in 3/4 the chocolate chunks, reserving the rest for sprinkling on top.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading evenly to the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chunks, lightly pressing them into the batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool in the pan. Use the parchment to remove the bars before cutting into squares and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
xoxo,
LENA
Vera
The perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate!!
lenaskitchen
So happy to hear that. It’s so delicious. Happy cooking!
Karlee
These look absolutely nummers!!!! okay okay okrrrr
lenaskitchen
Awe, thanks boo. I loved creating them. This made baking fun for me, for the first time.