This easy recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip bars yields soft, chewy cookie bars loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips, then finished with mini peanut butter cups for extra flavor. It’s a simple dessert that’s sure to become a family favorite.
My daughter made this recipe twice last week, and the bars disappeared within days. The classic pairing of chocolate and peanut butter never gets old. These bars are soft, chewy, and irresistibly chocolatey—perfect for snacking or serving as a dessert.
This version builds on a classic chocolate chip cookie bar base with the addition of peanut butter and peanut butter cups. Serve the bars warm with a glass of cold milk, or enjoy them with coffee, cocoa, or tea. They’re also ideal for slicing and packing as a sweet treat for picnics or lunchboxes.
Why you’ll love these peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars
One-bowl, easy-to-make batter that comes together quickly.
Bar cookies bake faster than individual cookies, so you can enjoy them sooner.
They’re soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate and peanut butter flavor—perfect when you crave both.
What You Need
Basic ingredients for these bars. Full measurements and the printable recipe are in the recipe card below.
- Butter — salted or unsalted works.
- Peanut butter — creamy for a smoother texture, or chunky for extra crunch.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar — provide sweetness and chewiness.
- Eggs — bind the batter.
- Vanilla extract — enhances flavor.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder — helps the bars rise slightly.
- Salt and cinnamon — add depth to the flavor.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips — most go in the batter, with a few reserved for the top.
- Mini peanut butter cups — used to top the bars for extra peanut butter flavor.
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Melt the butter in a large bowl, then stir in the sugars, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Fold in the dry ingredients and stir in most of the chocolate chips. Press the thick batter into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan, top with remaining chocolate chips and mini peanut butter cups, and bake until the top is no longer greasy and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the bars cool before slicing.
Quick Tips
Avoid overbaking: the edges should be set and the top no longer greasy, while the center can still be slightly soft — it will firm up as the bars cool. A toothpick should come out clean.
If your peanut butter is refrigerated, bring it to room temperature so it mixes easily.
Store cooled bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days.
More Easy Cookie Bar Recipes
- chocolate chip cookie bars
- oatmeal chocolate chip bars
- s’mores cookie bars
- monster cookie bars
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- ¾ cup peanut butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips divided
- ½ cup mini peanut butter cups
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
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Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl.
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Add granulated and brown sugar and mix until combined.
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Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
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Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated.
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Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon until just combined.
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Stir in 1¾ cups of the chocolate chips.
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Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
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Top with the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips and the mini peanut butter cups.
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Bake 20–25 minutes, until the top is no longer greasy and a toothpick comes out clean.
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Remove from the oven and let cool about 15 minutes before lifting from the pan.
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Slice into squares and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Smooth or chunky peanut butter both work.
The batter is thick—press it into the pan with a spatula or your hands.
Do not overbake. Bars are done when the edges are firm, the top is no longer greasy, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
Additional Info
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