Amazing 16 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

No heading needs to be written for the introduction.

Hi, I’m Anna! 👩‍🍳 Cooking is my passion, and here on Mom’s Kitchen I share simple, delicious recipes that bring joy and warmth to your table. Whether you love spending time in the kitchen or you’re just looking for easy ideas for everyday meals, I’m so happy to inspire you with my recipes. Thank you for being part of this flavorful journey! 💛

If you’re looking for that perfect, no-fuss treat that disappears the second you set it out, you’ve found your champion. I’m talking about the ultimate **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars**. These aren’t fussy cookies or complicated layered desserts; these are pure, satisfying comfort baked up in under an hour. Getting great flavor doesn’t require fancy techniques—it just needs the right approach to classic ingredients.

My cooking philosophy is all about making sure you feel confident every time you step up to the counter. I’ve tested these bars dozens of times, making sure they turn out perfectly chewy and rich, even if you’re rushing after soccer practice. Trust me, these easy baked bars are going to become your go-to recipe for potlucks and quiet weeknight cravings!

Why You Will Love These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I know you’re busy, and that’s why these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** earned a permanent spot in my weekly baking rotation. They deliver huge flavor payoff for almost no effort. You’ll find yourself reaching for this recipe again and again because it’s dependable and just tastes like home.

• They are ready to go into the oven in about ten minutes flat—seriously!
• The texture is just heavenly: perfectly chewy edges with a soft, gooey center.
• They travel well and stay fresh, making them perfect for sharing (or hiding away for yourself!).

Quick and Easy Assembly

The best part about this recipe is how fast it comes together. We aren’t creaming butter for ages or chilling dough. After preheating the oven, you’re just mixing wet things in one bowl and dry things in another. With only about 10 minutes of actual prep time, you can whip up a pan of these delicious baked bars before your coffee even gets cold!

Perfect Textures and Flavors

When you bite into one of these, you get that wonderful salty-sweet complexity. The creamy peanut butter base melts beautifully around the pools of warm, semi-sweet chocolate chips. They bake up sturdy enough to hold their shape, but they are soft and decadent inside. It’s the ideal marriage of peanut butter bars and a classic chocolate chip cookie!

Essential Equipment for Your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

To make sure your **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** turn out exactly right—chewy and perfectly set—you need the right tools ready before you start mixing. Don’t worry, this isn’t a list of fancy gadgets! These are the basics every good home baker keeps on hand. Having everything measured and ready makes the assembly process fly by.

Baking Pan Requirements

You absolutely need a standard 9×9-inch baking dish for this recipe. That size gives you the right depth so the bars bake evenly. If you use something too large, they’ll bake too thin and turn dry. If you use something too small, they’ll be too thick and won’t cook through in the time allotted. Measure your pan first!

Mixing and Measuring Tools

Get out two medium-sized bowls—one for your dry stuff and one for your wet ingredients. You’ll also need your measuring cups and spoons, of course. For mixing, I usually just grab a sturdy rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Honestly, you don’t need an electric mixer for this recipe at all; hand-mixing works perfectly and keeps you from overdoing it!

Gathering Ingredients for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Getting the ingredients ready is half the battle, and it makes the 10-minute assembly time possible! I always lay everything out on the counter first. Since these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** rely on a simple structure, the quality and state of your ingredients really matter. We need to make sure we have the right ratios for that perfect chewiness.

Here’s exactly what you need to pull together your wonderful dessert:

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
All-Purpose Flour	1 cup	Standard pantry staple.
Creamy Peanut Butter	1/2 cup	Must be creamy, not natural/separated style.
Brown Sugar	1/2 cup	Make sure it’s packed firmly into the measuring cup!
Granulated Sugar	1/4 cup	For that crisp edge finish.
Unsalted Butter	1/2 cup	Needs to be fully melted before mixing.
Egg	1	Crucial that this is at room temperature.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips	1/2 cup	Your classic baking chips work best here.
Baking Soda	1/2 teaspoon	Your leavening agent.
Salt	1/4 teaspoon	To balance the sweetness.
Vanilla Extract	1 teaspoon	For depth of flavor.

Dry Components Clarity

Start by whisking together your flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Whisking them well is important because it acts like sifting, making sure the baking soda is evenly distributed so you don’t get a salty bite later on. Don’t skip this little step!

Wet Base and Flavorings

In your second bowl, this is where the magic happens. You need the melted butter mixed thoroughly with the creamy peanut butter first. Then, beat in both the brown sugar (packed tight!) and the white sugar until it looks uniform. Finally, drop in your room-temperature egg and the vanilla extract. Mixing this until it’s smooth gives the bars their incredible rich base flavor.

The Chocolate Element

Finally, you’ll need a full half-cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are folded in last, so they stay distinct little pockets of melted goodness throughout the bars, rather than just dissolving into the batter.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Now that we have all our ingredients lined up, we’re ready to put these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** together. The key here is patience in the mixing stage—we want everything combined, but we absolutely do not want to overwork the batter once the flour gets involved. Follow these steps exactly, and you’ll have the best baked bars of your life!

Preparing the Oven and Pan

First things first: get your oven going! Preheat it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the standard 175 degrees Celsius. While that’s heating up, take your 9×9-inch baking dish and get it ready. I usually just line mine with parchment paper, letting the edges hang over like little handles. This makes lifting the whole baked block out super easy later on, which is a lifesaver when you’re tempted to cut into them immediately!

Mixing the Dry and Wet Batters Separately

We stick to the two-bowl method here. Take that bowl with your flour, baking soda, and salt—just give it a quick whisk to combine everything evenly. Then, turn your attention to the wet ingredients bowl. You need to mix that melted butter, peanut butter, both sugars, the egg, and the vanilla until you have a completely smooth, uniform mixture. Really beat this part well until it looks creamy and gorgeous; this step builds the flavor foundation for your bars.

Combining and Folding in Chocolate Chips

This is where we have to slow down! Take your dry mixture and add it all at once into the wet mixture. Use your spatula and mix it gently, just until you see the last streaks of flour disappear. Stop mixing right then! If you keep going, your **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** will turn out tough instead of chewy. Once it’s *just* combined, gently fold in those wonderful semi-sweet chocolate chips. Don’t stir them aggressively; you want them nestled in there, ready to melt.

Baking and Cooling Process

Scrape that lovely batter into your prepared pan and use your spatula to spread it into an even layer—press it down a little so it’s compact. Pop it into your preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. You’ll know they are ready when the edges start turning a light, inviting golden brown color. Now, here is the hardest part: you must let them cool completely! If you try to slice them warm, they will crumble and be a gooey mess. Wait at least an hour, or ideally until totally cool, before using those parchment handles to lift them out and slice them into 16 perfect squares.

Ingredient Notes and Simple Substitutions

I always get questions about swapping out ingredients in my favorite recipes, and these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** are no exception! Since this recipe is so straightforward, small changes can really affect the final texture. Don’t worry, though; I’ve got the insider scoop on what you can and can’t change to keep that perfect chewiness intact.

Peanut Butter Texture Check

Please, please use creamy peanut butter here, not the natural kind where the oil separates. The natural, runny peanut butter doesn’t have the same stabilizers, and it messes up the structure of the batter. We need that thick, creamy consistency so it mixes properly with the sugars and butter. Crunchy peanut butter is fine if you crave texture, but creamy gives you that smooth, satisfying melt we are going for in the base layer.

Butter State Requirement

You have to melt the butter for this recipe, and there’s a good reason why! Unlike cakes where you cream cold butter for air, here we are aiming for a dense, fudgy texture. Melting the butter allows it to fully combine with the peanut butter and the sugars without requiring any extra mixing that could develop too much gluten. It keeps the bars rich and slightly fudgy once cooled.

Storage and Reheating Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

These bars are fantastic because they are sturdy and don’t dry out quickly, which is great for busy weeks! You don’t usually need to reheat them, but if you want that lovely soft, melty chocolate chip texture again, a quick zap in the microwave does the trick. They keep really well right on the counter, but here’s my recommendation for keeping them fresh for as long as possible.

Storage Method	Duration	Notes
Room Temperature (Airtight Container)	Up to 3 days	Best flavor and texture maintained here.
Refrigerated	Up to 1 week	They will firm up; let them sit out 15 minutes before eating.
Freezing	Up to 2 months	Wrap slices individually before freezing for easy grab-and-go treats.

Frequently Asked Questions about Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I always get questions when readers try this recipe for the first time, especially concerning texture! Since these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** are so simple, it’s easy to tweak them, but I want to make sure you get that perfect result right away. Here are the most common things people ask me about before they bake.

Can I use crunchy peanut butter in these bars?

You absolutely can! If you love those little peanut chunks, crunchy peanut butter will work just fine in the wet mixture. Just be aware that it will change the final texture slightly. Instead of a perfectly smooth, dense base, you’ll have little bits of peanuts throughout the bar. It’s a matter of preference, but for the fudgiest, softest result, I still lean toward creamy.

How do I know when the bars are fully baked?

Don’t just rely on the timer! When the 25 to 30 minutes are up, look at the edges of the pan first. They should be lightly golden brown and maybe just starting to pull away from the sides of your dish. If you gently poke the center with a toothpick, you want to see moist, soft crumbs attached—not wet batter. If the toothpick comes out totally clean, they might already be overdone, so check them early!

Sharing Your Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Once these bars have cooled down completely, they are ready to enjoy! They are incredible served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but honestly, a tall, cold glass of milk is their best friend. They are also perfect alongside your afternoon coffee. Once you bake these, let me know how fast they disappear from your counter! Let me know how fast they disappear from your counter!

Gathering Ingredients for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Getting the ingredients ready is half the battle, and it makes the 10-minute assembly time possible! I always lay everything out on the counter first. Since these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars** rely on a simple structure, the quality and state of your ingredients really matter. We need to make sure we have the right ratios for that perfect chewiness.

Here’s exactly what you need to pull together your wonderful dessert:

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
All-Purpose Flour	1 cup	Standard pantry staple.
Creamy Peanut Butter	1/2 cup	Must be creamy, not natural/separated style.
Brown Sugar	1/2 cup	Make sure it’s packed firmly into the measuring cup!
Granulated Sugar	1/4 cup	For that crisp edge finish.
Unsalted Butter	1/2 cup	Needs to be fully melted before mixing.
Egg	1	Crucial that this is at room temperature.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips	1/2 cup	Your classic baking chips work best here.
Baking Soda	1/2 teaspoon	Your leavening agent.
Salt	1/4 teaspoon	To balance the sweetness.
Vanilla Extract	1 teaspoon	For depth of flavor.

Dry Components Clarity

Start by whisking together your flour, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. Whisking them well is important because it acts like sifting, making sure the baking soda is evenly distributed so you don’t get a salty bite later on. Don’t skip this little step!

Wet Base and Flavorings

In your second bowl, this is where the magic happens. You need the melted butter mixed thoroughly with the creamy peanut butter first. Then, beat in both the brown sugar (packed tight!) and the white sugar until it looks uniform. Finally, drop in your room-temperature egg and the vanilla extract. Mixing this until it’s smooth gives the bars their incredible rich base flavor.

The Chocolate Element

Finally, you’ll need a full half-cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are folded in last, so they stay distinct little pockets of melted goodness throughout the bars, rather than just dissolving into the batter.

Estimated Nutritional Information for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I always like to give you a general idea of what’s in these treats, but remember that this is just an estimate! Since we are dealing with homemade baked bars and different brands of peanut butter, the final numbers can vary a bit. This information is based on the 16 servings outlined in the recipe.

Nutrient	Amount (Per Bar)
Calories	Approx. 180
Sugar	Approx. 14g
Fat	Approx. 11g
Protein	Approx. 4g
Carbohydrates	Approx. 18g

It’s a pretty good balance for a satisfying dessert, especially considering the protein boost you get from the peanut butter! Nutritional guidelines can help you understand these values better.

Estimated Nutritional Information for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I always like to give you a general idea of what’s in these treats, but remember that this is just an estimate! Since we are dealing with homemade baked bars and different brands of peanut butter, the final numbers can vary a bit. This information is based on the 16 servings outlined in the recipe.

Nutrient	Amount (Per Bar)
Calories	Approx. 180
Sugar	Approx. 14g
Fat	Approx. 11g
Protein	Approx. 4g
Carbohydrates	Approx. 18g

It’s a pretty good balance for a satisfying dessert, especially considering the protein boost you get from the peanut butter! If you are interested in learning more about the science behind baking, you can check out resources on food science.

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