OMG you guys….I am SO excited to share these. They are seriously AMAZING. I can think of so many people in my life that have to try these bars.
They are gooey, carmel-y, and you can bask in their chocolate peanut butter glory all day long if you want.
These have me so excited!
My best friend’s birthday was a few weeks ago, and we missed her celebration because we were traveling. On Saturday, we decided last minute to get together, and I knew I needed to make something special.
I was stuck at work until 3:30PM and didn’t have time to grocery shop before they came over, so I had to mix something up on the fly. That’s when I remembered I had purchased the ingredients for a favorite Christmas bar of mine, though I didn’t think Dark Chocolate Cherry Bars would get her excited.
She is, however, a HUGE peanut butter and chocolate fan. I adapted the cherry bar recipe and something ah-mazing happened.
The first time you make these bars, I recommend not having to share them. You’re going to want to finish off the first pan by yourself. If you think I’m kidding, you should just try them for yourself.
These bars are perfect for any occasion.
You’ll start by cooking the butter and sugars on the stovetop. This is a crucial first step. It gives the bars a caramel undertone that is to die for!
Let the mixture cool before adding the eggs. Since you’re cooking the butter and sugars over low heat, you only need to wait a minute or two before adding your eggs. You don’t want the eggs to scramble, so waiting those few minutes is crucial.
You could change this recipe if you don’t have peanut butter chips! The base will stay the same, but you could do any kind of chocolate chip. I used these chips, but you’ll still get great flavor without them.
You can mix the entire recipe inside the pan. That’s one of my favorite parts! I LOVE recipes that only dirty up one bowl, so I always mix my ingredients by hand in the pan I melt the sugars in.
You’ll be the hit of the bake sale, housewarming party, birthday celebration…you name it! These are at the TOP of my list for favorite desserts, and I know you’ll love them, too! Let me know what you think!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
In a large saucepan, cook and stir both sugars and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for one minute.
Add eggs one at a time, beating with a spoon until combined. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Add remaining dry ingredients and half of the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Spread the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until middle is set and golden brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle remaining chips immediately over the pan. Once set, cut into bars and drizzle with melted peanut butter if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
In a large saucepan, cook and stir both sugars and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for one minute.
Add eggs one at a time, beating with a spoon until combined. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.
Add remaining dry ingredients and half of the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Spread the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until middle is set and golden brown. Remove from heat and sprinkle remaining chips immediately over the pan. Once set, cut into bars and drizzle with melted peanut butter if desired.
This post contains affiliate links. If a purchase is made through this link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
This sounds delicious! I love chocolate and peanut butter together. I’m totally going to try these. Have you ever substituted coconut sugar, coconut oil, or almond flour to make them a little “healthier”?
Hey, Ashton! Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite combinations, too. I haven’t made this recipe with those substitutions. You may lose some of the “caramel” flavor by substituting the butter, and it may turn out a little more dense if you swap out the flour for almond flour. I think the coconut sugar would be the easiest substitution. Let me know if you try it!
Xo, Lindsey