I’m a huge peanut butter and chocolate fan! Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, if it is combined with peanut butter, I’m IN! We’ve done plenty of peanut butter desserts in the past such as the Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Cookie Skillet, Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Balls, Peanut Butter Caramel Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars and No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars. While all those recipes are fantastic, I have to say that these Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars are probably my new favorite!
These cookie bars have a dark chocolate cookie layer, topped with cream peanut butter and finished with a dark chocolate topping. It just doesn’t get better than that, amIright?!?
Cookie Bar Ingredients
Ingredients Notes
While we used dark chocolate chips for the topping, any types of chocolate such as milk or semi-sweet will work as well.
Dark Chocolate Hershey’s Cocoa seems to work the best with this recipe, you can use regular baking cocoa if you prefer.
Don’t need so many cookie bars? Cut the recipe in half and make it in a square 8×8 inch pan.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9″ baking pan with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugars. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and the 1 egg. Beat until smooth.
Carefully add in the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.
Spread the cookie dough in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 18 minutes and no longer shiny. COOL COMPLETELY.
Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla until smooth. Spread over the COOLED cookie bars.
Place the dark chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in a bowl and heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Stir after each 30 seconds until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer in the pan. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Let the cookie bars harden for a few hours or chill the bars in the refrigerator to allow them to set faster. Remove bars from pan and cut into 24 pieces.
You can store these cookie bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze them for month.
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla divided
- 1 egg
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 12 oz dark chocolate chips
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13×9" baking pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugars. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and the 1 egg. Beat until smooth.
- Carefully add in the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined.
- Spread the cookie dough in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 18 minutes and no longer shiny. COOL COMPLETELY.
- Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla until smooth. Spread over the COOLED cookie bars.
- Place the dark chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in a bowl and heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. Stir after each 30 seconds until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer in the pan. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Let the cookie bars harden for a few hours or chill the bars in the refrigerator.
- You can store these cookie bars in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze them for month.
Jeannie
Monday 30th of August 2021
I love that its super easy to make and the flavor of peanut butter and chocolate is a great combo
Bianca
Monday 30th of August 2021
OMG all the good stuff in one bar! Can't et enough of this! Thank you for the recipe
Luca
Monday 30th of August 2021
These look so delicious. I would basically use peanut butter anywhere!
Shelby
Monday 30th of August 2021
They look drool-worthy! The perfect flavor combo!
Kayla DiMaggio
Monday 30th of August 2021
These peanut butter cup cookie bars were delicious!