Posted Apr 10, 2023, Updated Feb 13, 2024 Sometimes the craving for peanut butter cookies strikes, but I don’t want to have to wait for the dough to chill or roll and bake multiple batches of cookies – so I make these peanut butter cookie bars instead! These peanut butter cookie bars are soft, buttery and absolutely loaded with peanut butter. Ready from start to finish in 30 minutes – they are everything you love about your favorite cookie with a fraction of the work! Make them your own by adding your favorite mix-ins like chocolate chips or peanut butter chips!
Peanut Butter Cookie Bars: Ingredients & Substitutions
Salted Butter. Unsalted butter or ghee are good substitutes. Creamy Peanut Butter. Choose your favorite creamy peanut butter. Just be aware of the salt content. If using unsalted peanut butter, increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. Whole Milk. 2% milk, heavy cream or half and half are good substitutes. Light Brown Sugar. If you like a little bolder, molasses taste then you can use dark brown sugar. Granulated Sugar. White sugar or organic cane sugar are both great options. Sea salt. I only ever bake with pure, fine sea salt. If you are using iodized salt I recommend decreasing the amount of salt by half. Peanut butter chips. You can omit these, or choose a different mix-in such as chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, etc.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Let’s walk through this peanut butter cookie bars recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. Begin by mixing together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder cinnamon in a medium bowl, then set it aside. Then, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Next, add the sugars and beat until combined. Then, add the egg, vanilla and milk and beat for 30-60 seconds on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and sugar is dissolved. Once the mixture is smooth, add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. If you want to add some mix-ins, now is the time to do it! Add 1 cup of mix-ins into the dough and stir to combine. Here are some suggestions:
chocolate chips peanut butter chips cinnamon chips chopped peanuts mini peanut butter cups Reese’s pieces
Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish, then bake in preheated oven for approximately 22-25 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Let the bars cool in a wire rack (note, they will likely “deflate” a little bit as they cool, that is normal).
Cool, Cut & Serve
Finally, let the peanut butter cookie bars cool for at least 60 minutes. The longer they cool, the better they hold up to cutting. If you’re just going to serve them warm with vanilla ice cream, then I wouldn’t worry too much about their appearance, because the taste and warm gooey texture is most important in that situation!
Store/Freeze
Store these peanut butter cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
