Ultra fudgy, gooey and chewy, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter Cup Bars are a real winner for any peanut butter lover! Chocolate chip cookie bars sandwiched with peanut butter cups and a gooey peanut butter filling for a serious crave-worthy dessert!
You guys are in for a real treat today because these bars are on another level.
Since so many of you are home now, there’s been a LOT more of you baking which I love! It’s definitely a silver lining in this whole debacle, even if sometimes you are thisclose to sending your kids off to boarding school.
It’s been a silver lining for me because I’ve been challenging myself to create easy, delicious recipes for you guys to make during this trying time. Whether it’s something more complicated like bread, or something super simple, I want to make sure I am the best source for easy, tasty recipes for you and your family!
And on that note, lemme introduce you to these bad boys.
I admit that I don’t have a ton of peanut butter things on my site because shockingly, it’s not my favorite. I can go crazy on a PB&J or Reese’s Pieces Eggs around Easter, but otherwise I avoid peanut butter at all costs. I know, it’s basically sacrilegious to admit this on a food blog!
However, I know I am in the very small minority so today I’m bringing you something SO peanut buttery that it should wear a warning label. These Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter Cup Bars are for serious peanut butter lovers only. This isn’t for the faint of PB heart!
What I love about this recipe is it can be made two different ways: one way using a homemade chocolate chip cookie dough, and another using refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough. Use whatever’s easiest; it’ll yield almost identical results. This particular recipe is written for the homemade version, but I’ll leave some notes in the recipe portion for how to make this with prepared refrigerated cookie dough.
Basically you’ll pat some chocolate chip cookie dough into the bottom of a greased and lined square baking pan. Then you’ll top the cookie dough with tons of chopped peanut butter cups. To really drive home that peanut butter flavor, we’ll pour on a delectable peanut butter gooey mixture consisting of peanut butter and condensed milk. Lastly, we’ll crumble the rest of our cookie dough over the top.
It looks a little unsuspecting once it has baked – like a modest chocolate chip cookie bar. But once you cut inside and see the thick, gooey layer of fudgy peanut butter cups, you’re going to swoon with excitement!
Seriously divine, ultra chewy, gooey and fudgy Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter Cup Bars. Come to mama!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Ingredients
- FOR THE COOKIE BARS:
- 12 Tablespoons 1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
- 1 & 1/2 cups chopped peanut butter cups
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x9 square light metal baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil liberally with cooking spray; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the egg and egg yolk, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. Lastly, add in the baking soda, cornstarch, salt and flour and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.
- Divide cookie dough in half. Press half of the cookie dough in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the chopped peanut butter cups in a single, even layer.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and creamy peanut butter until combined. Pour/spoon the mixture over the peanut butter cup layer evenly. Lastly, crumble the remaining half of the cookie dough over the condensed milk layer. It is okay if the cookie dough doesn't completely cover the condensed milk layer, but try to get it as evenly covered as possible.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
- NOTE: To make this even easier, use refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough! Bring a log of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough close to room temperature and work in some peanut butter chips. Follow the directions of the recipe here to make the bars.
You are going to LOVE these outrageous peanut butter bars!
Craving more peanut butter? Check out these recipes!
Best Ever Peanut Butter Blossoms
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Have a great weekend!
xo, Hayley
Elisa says
Can these be made and then frozen?
thedomesticrebel says
Hi Elisa, I don’t see why not!