Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars are a tasty treat you can whip up in no time. These soft and chewy bars take just 15 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to bake. You’ll love how easy they are to make and how quickly they disappear!

The recipe combines creamy peanut butter, melted butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips to create bars that are rich and satisfying. With simple ingredients you likely have on hand, you can make a batch of 24 servings to share with family and friends. At 265 calories each, they’re a sweet indulgence that’s perfect for any occasion.

Exact Ingredients List

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these yummy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars:

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Make sure you have all these items ready before you start baking. The melted butter should be cool to avoid cooking the eggs when mixed.

Don’t forget to grab a 9×13-inch baking dish and some parchment paper too. These will help you get perfect bars that are easy to remove from the pan.

With these ingredients, you’ll be able to make 24 tasty servings. Each serving has about 265 calories, so they’re a nice treat to share with friends and family.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grab a 9×13-inch baking dish and grease it lightly. Line it with parchment paper for easy removal later.

In a big bowl, mix the peanut butter, melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat them well until they’re smooth and creamy.

Add the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla to the bowl. Whisk everything until it’s nice and smooth.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Give them a quick whisk.

Now, pour the dry mix into the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a spoon or spatula. When it’s about half mixed, toss in the chocolate chips.

Keep stirring just until you can’t see any flour streaks. Be careful not to overmix!

Press the dough into your lined baking dish. Spread it out evenly with your hands or a spatula.

Pop it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the edges turn light brown and the middle looks set.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan. This helps them set up nicely. Once cool, lift them out using the parchment paper.

Cut into squares and enjoy your yummy peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars!

Possible Substitutes List

You can make some easy swaps in this recipe if you’re out of certain ingredients. Here are some options:

• Peanut butter: Try almond butter or sunflower seed butter
• Unsalted butter: Use salted butter and skip the added salt
• Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar works too
• All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour is a good substitute
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Mix it up with milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips

For a fun twist, you can replace half the chocolate chips with:

• Peanut butter chips
• White chocolate chips
• Chopped nuts
• M&Ms

Don’t have cornstarch? Just leave it out. The bars will still be tasty!

If you’re out of vanilla extract, try almond extract for a new flavor. Use half the amount called for in the recipe.

No eggs? You can use 1/4 cup of applesauce or mashed banana instead. This might change the texture a bit, but your bars will still be yummy.

Remember, these swaps might slightly change how your bars turn out. But they’ll still be super delicious!

How To Make It Diabetes-Friendly

To make these peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars more diabetes-friendly, you can try a few simple swaps.

Replace the sugar with a low-carb sweetener like erythritol or monk fruit. Use a 1:1 ratio for easy measuring.

Pick a sugar-free peanut butter to cut down on added sugars. Natural peanut butter works well too.

Swap half the all-purpose flour for almond flour. This lowers the carb count and adds healthy fats.

Use sugar-free chocolate chips instead of regular ones. You can find these at most grocery stores now.

Cut the bars into smaller portions. This helps control serving sizes and carb intake.

Here’s a quick list of the main swaps:

• Sugar → Low-carb sweetener
• Regular peanut butter → Sugar-free or natural peanut butter
• All-purpose flour → 50/50 mix of all-purpose and almond flour
• Regular chocolate chips → Sugar-free chocolate chips

These changes will make the bars more diabetes-friendly while keeping them tasty. Remember to check with your doctor about how these treats fit into your meal plan.

Tips, Tricks & Storing

Let your cookie bars cool completely before cutting. This helps them set and makes slicing easier. For clean cuts, use a sharp knife and wipe it between slices.

To store your bars, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days. For longer storage, put them in the fridge for up to a week.

You can freeze these bars too! Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy.

Try mixing up the flavors. Use crunchy peanut butter for extra texture, or swap some chocolate chips for peanut butter chips.

For gooey, extra-chocolatey bars, press some extra chips on top before baking. The melted chips will create delicious pockets of chocolate throughout.

If you like thicker bars, use a smaller baking pan. Just remember to adjust your baking time – they may need a few extra minutes in the oven.

Don’t overbake! The bars will continue to set as they cool. Take them out when the edges are lightly browned but the center still looks a bit soft.