Peanut butter cups get a whole new look with these decadent Reese’s peanut butter cup cookie bars. The perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate baked in a soft and chewy cookie bar.
These sliceable cookie bars are loaded with chopped peanut butter cups in every bite.
If you love peanut butter and chocolate, then you can’t skip this cookie bar recipe. Whether you’re craving a mid-week sweet treat, a birthday dessert, or a gift to a friend or family member, these bars will wow anyone.
Why I Love This Recipe
- This made-from-scratch dessert is packed with chocolate chips, walnut pieces, and peanut butter cups.
- Minimal simple ingredients are needed.
- A peanut butter lovers treat that will get everyone excited.
Ingredients Needed
Here is all you need to make these peanut butter cup chocolate chip cookie bars. The measurements for the cookies recipe are in the printable recipe card.
Variations
Try these fun variations to make even more varieties of cookie bars.
- Leave out the nuts or swap walnuts with pecans, pistachios, or even chopped almonds.
- Use milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or caramel pieces.
- Use chopped, full-size Reese’s peanut butter cups, or opt for minis.
- Add in crushed cookies like Oreo cookies or Nutter Butter cookies to elevate the flavor.
- Swap the chocolate chips with M&M’s to add more crunch.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
This easy recipe is really fun to make. To begin, preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9x13inch baking dish by lightly spraying it with oil and lining it with parchment paper.
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a medium bowl and mix to combine. Then, set aside.
Step 2: In another large bowl, cream your butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. This should take a couple of minutes at medium-high speed with a mixer.
Step 3: Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and salt to the butter and sugar mixture until well combined.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl, until thoroughly mixed.
Step 5: Mix the chopped mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, nuts, and chocolate chips into the dough. Leave some aside for topping if desired.
Step 6: Spread the mixture into the baking pan, top with additional chocolate, and bake. You will know the bars are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once the bars are fully cooked, place on a wire rack to cool. Then slice cookie bars into squares, serve, and enjoy.
Recipe Tips
- Use room-temperature butter to ensure all the ingredients cream together nicely and give the cookies a creamy and light texture.
- If you use salted butter, omit the added salt in the recipe, as it can make the cookie bars too salty.
More Peanut Butter Recipes
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Bark
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Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Bars
5 from 1 vote
These cookie bars are soft and chewy with just the right amount of crunch from the nuts.
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 35 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr
Yield: 12 bars
By: Andrea Updyke
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups minis, divided
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and both sugars together.
Add in the eggs, vanilla, and salt and mix on medium speed until just incorporated.
Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until you get a cookie dough consistency. Then fold in 1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cup minis, ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips, and ¼ cup chopped walnuts until evenly distributed in the dough. Set the remaining aside for topping.
Spread and press the cookie dough down into an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle on the remaining toppings and lightly press them in so they stay in place.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
After baking, leave the bars in the pan and set it on a wire rack. Allow it to cool at room temperature before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
You can use regular sized Reese’s peanut butter cups if you like. Just roughly chop them into smaller chunks. Swap out the nuts with whichever is your favorite.
Make sure that the ingredients come to room temperature before mixing. This will help it mix easier and incorporate much more evenly.
Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature before slicing. This will help give the bars time to firm up and get you the neatest slices.
STORING
The dough can be made ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Any longer and the dough will begin to dry out.
Store leftover baked cookie bars in an airtight container as soon as they are cooled. They will keep on the counter for up to 3 days.
Freeze leftover bars by slicing them into squares and stacking them in a freezer safe airtight container or bag with parchment paper between each slice for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 680kcal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 71mg, Sodium: 426mg, Potassium: 301mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 53g, Vitamin A: 541IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
