Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars

These peanut butter cup cookie bars are a delectable treat with the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate sweetness. These chewy cookie bars are an easy recipe to make with simple ingredients and loaded with mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts for added texture and flavor.

Love peanut butter recipes like this?  Be sure to make these peanut butter bars, these amazing peanut butter chocolate chip cookies or these homemade peanut butter cups.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Cookie lovers and peanut butter lovers! Get ready for mouthwatering joy with this delicious cookie bars recipe. Made with a rich and buttery cookie base, these dessert bars are an amazing dessert for any occasion or just for satisfying your sweet tooth cravings.

Making cookie bars is such a quick way to make desserts for any occasion! Make them for bake sales, holiday gatherings or just because!

No scooping cookie dough needed for this recipe, just mix, spread and bake! 

Ingredients Needed

Flour – all-purpose flour is best but you can also use oat flour or gluten free flour for these.

Baking soda Baking powder and salt – to make the the perfect fluffiness.

Butter – use unsalted butter in this recipe

Sugars – I used both brown sugar and white sugar. 

Eggs – 3 large eggs are perfect.

Vanilla extract – Gives a wonderful warmth to cookies

Peanut butter cups – miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups are what I used. But you can use bigger peanut butter cups and just chop them into smaller chunks too.

Chocolate chips – Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite. 

Nuts – these are optional but I love walnuts or pecans for the added extra crunch. 

Variations & Substitutions

1. Use regular sized Reese’s peanut butter cups and chop them into smaller pieces.

2. Add in ½ cup of creamy peanut butter for extra peanut butter flavor. (crunchy peanut butter would be great too)

3. Drizzle with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce after the bars have cooled.

4. Add some other chopped candy like M&M’s or Snicker bars.

5. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

6. Use any other favorite nut like peanuts, cashews or sliced almonds.

7. Add in ½ cup of Reeses pieces candies or peanut butter chips if desired or in place of some or all of the chocolate chips.

8. Take them up a notch by add in ½ cup of raisins or other dried fruit and/or coconut flakes.

9. Use semi sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chip or milk chocolate chips.

10. Use a gluten-free flour like Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One flour if desired.

How to Make this Easy Cookie Bars Recipe

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F and grease the bottom of a 9″x13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or oil. Line it with parchment paper as well if desired. 

Step 2: In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and blend together

Step 3: In a large bowl, add the butter and blend with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Then add both sugars and blend on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. (you can use the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment too) 

Step 4: Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and blend on medium speed until incorporated.

Step 5: Then gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until the flour mixture is just barely blended it. (scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition) Be careful not to over-mix. 

Step 6: Next, add in one cup the chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cup , ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, and ¼ cup of the chopped nut (if using) and gently stir them in evenly. (the remaining of each of these will be put on top)

Step 7: Pour the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. 

Step 8:  Add on the remaining mini peanut butter cups, chocolate chips and nuts and press them into the dough slightly.

Step 9: Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

After baking, place the entire baking dish on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

TIPS

• The ingredients blend together best if they are at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before mixing, especially the butter which will make the bars more light and fluffy.
• Carefully measure the flour by carefully spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling off with the back of a butter knife.
• Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. 

How to Store Cookie Bars?

After cooling completely, store cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.  To keep them from sticking together, place parchment paper or aluminum foil between them. 

Can you  Make Cookie Bar dough ahead of time?

The cookie dough can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  Any longer and it may dry out. Let the dough reach room temperature for about 30 minutes before spreading it into the prepared baking dish.

How to Freeze Cookie Bars?

Freeze leftover cookie bars slices by placing parchment paper, plastic wrap or wax paper between each bar and placing them in a freezer bag or container.