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Looking to recreate a peanut butter cup in cookie bar form? Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars do just that: they’re a chocolate cookie bar topped with peanut butter and covered in melted chocolate!
Peanut butter cups will get me every time. #addictedtopeanutbuttercups
Raise your hand if you love peanut butter cups!!
(My hand is so high in the air I’m jumping.)
Peanut butter and chocolate should be considered a food group. Just saying the two words together makes my mouth water!!
I love eating peanut butter cups but I also love making them into other things, like cupcakes, martinis, pies or cake rolls. Now I’m turning them into cookie bars!
I feel like cookie bars always have their place in our recipe box: they’re easy to make, quick to clean up, and are perfect for taking to a party or giving away. These would be the perfect gift for a peanut butter lover!
Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars have a chocolate cookie bar base, a creamy peanut butter filling, and are topped with a melted chocolate coating!
They’re pretty much the perfect cookie bar recipe.
And I know you’re going to LOVE THEM!!
Alrighty, let’s talk about cookie bars. These? Are thebombdotcom. They’re the juggernaut of all cookie bars. They’re a bar that tastes like a candy.
How to make a copycat peanut butter cup into a cookie bar
These bars have three delicious layers:
- A dark chocolate cookie bar. I used my Oreo cookie recipe to make the base of these bars. (That was a good decision.) If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate cocoa, or you can’t find it (I used Hershey’s Special Dark), you can use regular unsweetened cocoa.
- Peanut butter. This layer is pretty simple: peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. The sugar sweetens the peanut butter and makes it easier to spread. Use your favorite kind (y’all know I love me some Skippy Naturals!)
- Melted chocolate and peanuts. The melted chocolate frosts the bar and the peanuts add a nice crunch. I added some Crisco to my chocolate to help it melt, but you can use vegetable oil instead. And I love Trader Joe’s Honey Roasted Peanuts but you can use whatever kind you like best!
A note on cutting: similar to when I made these peanut butter pretzel bars, and these Tagalong Bars, you don’t want to cut these bars when they’re cold. I let the chocolate harden for several hours on the counter, which worked because it’s winter. In the summer (of if your house is warm), I would need to chill them to harden the chocolate. Just make sure to let them come to room temperature before cutting or the chocolate will splinter.
Storing Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
These are easily stored stacked in the refrigerator. Unless it’s cold winter in your house, I wouldn’t store them on the counter otherwise the chocolate will melt. But you can easily freeze these too! I love making them and freezing them for a party or gifting.
Chocolate cookies, peanut butter, chocolate, and peanuts. 4 things that should always go together.
Other Peanut Butter Cup Recipes:
- Peanut Butter Cup Cake Roll
- Peanut Butter Cup Gooey Bars
- Peanut Butter Cup Pie
- Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes
- Reese’s Overload Brownies
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I used Hershey’s Special Dark
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla divided
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 12 ounce bag chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
- 2 teaspoons Crisco or vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13” pan with foil (for easy removal) and spray with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and both sugars. Mix in egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Spread cookie dough in prepared pan. Bake for about 17-19 minutes until it’s no longer shiny. Cool completely before continuing.
- Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over cooled cookie bars.
- Place chocolate chips and Crisco or oil in a medium sized bowl. Heat on high heat in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth (about 1 1/2-2 minutes). Spread over peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Let harden for several hours. You can chill the bars to make the chocolate harden faster, but be sure to let them come to room temperature before cutting so that the chocolate doesn't splinter when you cut them.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
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Click here to see more PEANUT BUTTER recipes!
Soft Homemade Peanut Butter Oreos
Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffle Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
If you love peanut butter and chocolate these Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars are the perfect cookie bar recipe for you!
These bars were a hit. Next time I will use unsalted peanuts. Will definitely make these again.
I am addicted to peanut butter cups too! These look incredible!
All these layers, flavors, textures, all in one bar. Each bite has got to be just perfect. And with PB and chocolate, well, I know it’s perfect 🙂
And don’t you hate it when chocolate sets up too firm and it cracks upon cutting it – so I read your ‘note’ while nodding. I have ruined more ‘pretty desserts’ that I was all set to photograph with cracked chocolate than I can even tell you…LOL
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