Peanut Butter Cup Bars
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Exactly 9 days post-New Year’s my aforementioned aversion to sweets disappeared like a puff of smoke. The holiday sugar cloud has lifted and I am ready to dive into butter, chocolate, sugar and, of course… peanut butter! These peanut butter cup bars are nothing new to the blogosphere, but I am thrilled to finally have them back in my kitchen. I had my first encounter with these bars waaaaaay back in college. I was at a cookout/bonfire and a girl brought a pan of these. I’ve been a peanut butter fanatic pretty much since I uttered my first words, so needless to say I fell in love with these immediately. As soon as I wiped the peanut butter and chocolate crumbs off my mouth, I asked for the recipe. I got it, and then promptly lost it before I ever got a chance to make them. I have lived without these for way too many years, so I must make amends. And share with you of course.
I was the kid on Halloween that dug through the candy to get to the Reese’s peanut butter cups. They were gold. On Easter, I was always thrilled when the bunny left a Reese’s peanut butter egg or, as I got older and more appreciative of good sweets, a Sarris peanut butter meltaway egg. So imagine how insanely excited I am that these taste just like a giant peanut butter cup. I could get even more authentic with a thicker layer of chocolate, or actually encasing a cup-shaped version in chocolate, but this recipe is super easy and darn-near perfect. If it ain’t broke…
Three years ago: Hidden Berry Cream Cheese Torte[/donotprint]
Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter
- 1¾ cups (210 g) powdered sugar
- 1 cup (258 g) smooth peanut butter
- ¾ cup (63 g) graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (90 g) milk chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- 1. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides, then butter the foil. Set aside.
- 2. In a medium saucepan, melt the ½ cup of butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs until completely combined and smooth. Spread the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- 3. In the now-empty saucepan, melt the ¼ cup unsalted butter. Add the chocolate and stir until almost completely melted. Remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted. Pour the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer and smooth into an even layer.
- 4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set. Remove from the pan using the foil overhangs and place on a cutting board. Use a pizza cutter to slice into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Can they be frozen.
Yes!
Closest recipe to a Reese peanut butter cup I have ever found. So yummy. Next time I will add in Reese’s Pieces for an extra flavour and crunch and a little thicker layer of chocolate coating. I can never have too much peanut butter and chocolate! Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
Easy and tasty, but my 15YO says that next time we should use less powdered sugar and more graham cracker crumbs. They are awfully sweet, and I like sweet.
Hi. I looooved this recipe! How long do you think they can be stored in the fridge before going bad?
Hi Sallie, I would say two weeks!
HI! Thank you so much, this recipe seams VERY good!!! I’ll make it in a few days for sure!! I would like to know if I could let them at room temperature instead ? I would like to bring them and sharing them with friends! Thanks for the answer!!
Hi Madeleine, Store them long-term in the refrigerator, but then once you’re ready to serve them you can definitely leave them at room temperature. Enjoy!
These bars/cups looks mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing.
I have been making these for years, I have tried a few other recipes on google, but nothing compares to this one. I usually double the chocolate though because I like mine thicker, and sometimes I will marble some melted peanut butter through the chocolate layer before letting it set, I set mine in the freezer for about 15\20 minutes because I’m impatient lol. I love these so much.
Incredibly delicious and easy. Made this last night, brought it to work today and it was gone in record time. Everyone loved it. It’s so quick and easy. I used salted butter, extra milk chocolate chips and didn’t add butter to the chocolate chips (just my preference). Couldn’t believe how easy and quick it is to make and it’s soooo delicious. No need to buy Reese’s pb cups anymore!! Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe.
This recipes amazing! So glad I found it. Unbelievably simple to make, cut like a dream and oh so delicious. I think they will become a part of my recipe collection from now on. Thanks for the good eats!
i made these last night to take to my coworkers on Monday….somehow, my fiancé and I finished these off today. I will argue that this batch was just my “test run”; hence, I am making another batch as we speak. Holy yum!
Can this recipe be doubled and made in a 9×13 or 15 x 10? P.S. LOVE your site and all your recipes–AMAZING! Thanks for all you do.
Hi Diane, Yes, absolutely! Thank you!
Finally, a variation of what I may have been searching for. Of and on for the last 20 years I’ve been looking for something like this that i had in my grade school café. This looks like it might be it. I can’t wait to try it, like I said, there are different variations and not everyone is the same when it comes to making goodies. Hopefully when I attempt to make these they at least taste like they did in school, but it has been 20 years-taste buds don’t fail me now. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to try them.
I MADE these and give them 5 stars. I don’t think I’ll make special K bars ever again.
Would these ship okay? They are not going far and it’s winter. Thanks.
Hi Caroline, Yes, I think they would ship just fine!
Can butter be substituted with margarine?
Hi Rose, I have never tried melting butter with margarine, and am not sure how it would set up. I certainly recommend the butter, but if you substitute, please let me know how it turns out.
I must say, one of my best friends in college made these all the time and they are absolutely amazing. when she made them they would not even last a week before they were gone!
I made these today. AWESOME! I linked the recipe from my blog to yours. Hope that is okay. I will remove the entry if you are not okay with it. Thanks.
Wow, these are crazy! They are just like peanut butter cups. They’re very rich and sweet – just one square is plenty for me. I’m bringing them to a party tonight and have a feeling that one pan cut into little squares will be just perfect.
WOW!!!!! These are out of this world! I made these yesterday, they’re gone! Everyone has loved them and I have gotten so many compliments, thanks for sharing! My special touch was sea salt in with the peanut butter mixture (I was using unsalted, natural PB) and then a sprinkle on top of the chocolate. Looked great and tasted even more phenomenal. Thanks again!