Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
I am dumbfounded as to how these cookie bars do not yet have their own little cozy corner of this site. After the chunky pecan pie bars, these cookie bars were the second baked good that I made over and over and over again in high school and beyond. I came across a recipe for chocolate chip cookie bars at one point, and then decided that they needed peanut butter and some peanut butter chips for good measure. Like most things in the kitchen, peanut butter turns regular chocolate chip cookie bars into an amazing concoction that are completely addicting.
I made these a lot in high school, and once college rolled around I went to a school in the same city that I lived, while two of my best friends went off to a school a couple of hours away. While I lived on campus at school, I was only 25 minutes or so away from home, so I made it home more often than my friends did. I took the opportunity to bake these up every time I was home, and then I would package them up and send them off to my friends. I still remember standing in the kitchen and packing them up in shoe boxes to mail off.
They always made my friends smile – they got a taste of home, and I got the satisfaction of baking and showing my friends I cared. I highly recommend baking these and sharing them with someone you love!
One year ago: Chocolate Fudge Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Four years ago: Italian Stuffed Peppers
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (193.5 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (170 g) peanut butter chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan; set aside.
- 2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
- 3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy and light. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until the flour is just incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
- 4. Turn out the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the center is set. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars and store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I’ve got these baking right now and I’m sure they’re going to be delicious just based on how the dough smelled soooo good!! I love cookie bar recipes because it’s much less time consuming compared to baking individual cookies and also less time of using my oven. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I made these for my Dad (who’s obsessed with pb and chocolate) and he was like, “If you make these for me every day, I will get so fat, but it will totally be worth it” He loved them! Thanks for an easy recipe for a teen baker!
I decided to make these because I am a peanut butter and chocolate addict. I personally think that they are amazing and I love them. I will probably make them again this weekend.
For the record, I used all organic everything, and I used dark chocolate chunks and no peanut butter chips (only because I didn’t have them).
My husband just commented that these were the best cookies that he has ever had in his life. (And I triple checked just to make sure that he wasn’t just being silly) He absolutely loves these.
THANK YOU! All of your recipes that I’ve tried have been amazing.
These bars are to die for! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Ok, they’re in the oven right now. Didn’t have creamy PB so I used chunky. No PB chips in pantry but I’m sure the basic recipe won’t disappoint. My husband loves PB. I can’t wait for him to try them.
Made these this weekend and they are soooo rich and delicious! Thank you! Will definitely be making again.
I made them in a glass pan with a little Crisco and they turned out just fine.
Do you think i can use a parchment sling to lift these out of the pan once cooled rather than cutting in the pan? If not, i’ll use my pyrex. if so, i’ll use my metal pan. And do you use a glass or metal pan for this? Thanks!
I have used both glass and metal. Yes, you can definitely use a parchment sling. Enjoy!
I just made them they look so amazing
I made these with coconut shreds instead of PB chips and that is my favorite combo. The bars crumble easily though. Could it use another egg and a bit more sugar and flour?
You can try, I haven’t done it, so I can’t tell you what the results would be. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Thank you sooooooo much for this wonderfully delicious recipe! :) I have searched high and low for a melt in your mouth, thick and chewy cookie bar and i hit the jackpot with your recipe! I made them for my husband and they smelled so delicious when they baking he couldnt wait for them too cool down so he could have a taste, lol This one is a winner and will be added to my recipe book along with my sweet moms homemade banana pudding, i love it!
I actually made these bars today and they were kind of thick because I used a brownie pan. Yet they still came out delicious and peanut buttery lol.
I made these a couple weeks ago at my boyfriend’s house for his family, and they turned out really good. I ended up melting some extra chocolate and peanut butter to drizzle over the top but it was too rich. I’m making them again right now, and one tip I learned was to use natural peanut butter. To me, it gives it more of the peanut butter flavor.
my boyfriend I just made these! So yum
xoxo from seattle
Just made these and they are perfect. So chewy and packed with peanut butter flavor! I skipped the peanut butter chips and just used chocolate chips but it was still fantastic. Thanks!
These are great!! I made them last night. I did tweak the recipe a bit. I cut down the actual amount of peanut butter and substituted white chocolate chips for the peanut butter chips. Still great. They were a hit with my nieces and nephews. None of them are big peanut butter fans. So this is why I tweaked the recipe. Either way, it was a success. Thanks!!
Really yummy. I received very strict instructions to never make these again! The sandy texture, slight salt hit, and sweetness of the chocolate were wonderful together. Going into the Christmas plates this year.
Okay, come on – just made this recipe…. “Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.” – Yeah right, you think we could wait that long!!!! ;) Sure it comes out of the pan better once it’s cool, but it tastes so yummy hot! No willpower in this house! ;)
These bars are so delicious! I made them today for lunch & our guests couldn’t stop eating them. They are rich & totally scrumptious. Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. Just wonderful.
Mmm these look so delicious, I can’t wait to try them and I may even add a little candy to them. I’m sure M&Ms may just make this the absolute perfect recipe for me.
Just tried these out, and they’re delicious! They’re perfect with a tall, cold glass of milk! :D
My favorite combo! Peanut butter and chocolate…you can’t go wrong! :D
Oh these look so delicious! I love peanut butter in baked good :).
I agree – peanut butter and chocolate go hand in hand, so I have no doubt that these cookie bars are downright excellent =)
WOW! These are great!!! I’m really glad I took your suggestion and shipped them to my pregnant friend in another state otherwise I would have eaten them all! They turned out fabulous. Thanks for the great recipe and helping me share some love:)
Everything I want and more, in bar form! I cannot wait to try these
I made this over the weekeend and they were delicious! Thanks.
MIchelle, these were amazing. I am also a notorious peanut butter + chocolate fanatic, and made these tonight (added an egg, an extra huge glob of peanut butter, and butterscotch chips to the mix). I ate half the pan. (My bf, who doesn’t eat baked goods, was incredulous.) Keep ’em coming!
sometimes you want cookies, but just don’t want to scoop and wait…bars are a perfect option! I love them and can’t wait to try these!
These look incredible, much like everything else you make. I can’t wait until my kitchen is done and my mixer is back in business! I’m a PB and chocolate addict as well and LOVE your use of the two together. I want to try your cream cheese/brownie recipe BUT use PB cream cheese. I figure chocolate+pb+cream cheese can’t be bad…
Oh my these look so delicious. Knocked another one out of the park. Love them. and your friends are so lucky.
After looking at these scrumptious bars I’m wishing that I was one of your very fortunate friends back in your schools days. How I would have jumped for joy at receiving a shoe box full of these in the mail from you.
Your blog is amazing. I am a huge oat fan and love the combo of oats, peanut butter and chocolate chips. Do you think I could change the recipe around so that the addition of oats would be complementary? If I reduced the flour and added some oats do you think this would turn out? Any suggestions would help. Thanks!
Hi Gretta, Yes I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t work.
I’m not much of a fan of peanut butter, but these look amazing!
Can you ever go wrong when you add peanut butter? Great recipe! It would bring a smile to my face too :)
Ooohhh!!! PB & Chocolate yum!
Looks good and hopefully it will start cooling down so I can start baking more.
These look like the equivalent to a hug or wearing a wooly grandpa cardigan. Love!
xo
http://www.allykayler.blogspot.com
Delicious! Who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together?!
Umm yeah..these are pretty much perfect. Peanut Butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven
Oh I can just imagine how wonderful these taste!
If I didn’t just make bars last night, I would be all over this one! They look and sound amazing!
So many different ways to put peanut butter and chocolate together, and this one sounds great!
Peanut butter makes most things better!!! :D
Of the different food blogs I’ve found, yours with the delicious recipes on it are the ones I print & try the most. I love it! Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Looks amazing! Will have to try as I am a peanut butter with Chocolate lover too! Really enjoying your blog. Glad I stumbled onto it!
You were very good to your friends. =) And popular with them, too, I’m sure. Come to think of it, my popularity in every new office has always increased exponentially when I started baking people happy. That, or a candy jar on the desk, is a great way to break the ice!
Wow these look amazing. I wish I could eat peanut butter, but I’m allergic to peanuts.
I’m just now trying out cookie bars. Don’t know where I’ve been. Looks great!
These look wonderful!
Wow… no words!!! ;)
The ingredients in this are great because I already have them all on hand ;)
Cookie bars for breakfast? I think YES.
These bars look amazing!
Mmmmm, I love the idea of adding peanut butter to ordinary chocolate chip bars!
Peanut butter cookie bar combines so many comfortable flavors and textures for me. I think I need to share these with my kids tomorrow!