Description
Deliciously rich and chewy peanut butter cookie bars that combine creamy peanut butter, brown and white sugars, and a tender crumb. Easy to prepare and perfect for sharing, these bars bake to a golden finish with a soft center that firms up as they cool.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1¼ cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and set it aside to make sure your cookie bars don’t stick after baking.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This ensures a creamy base for your bars.
- Add Eggs and Flavor: Beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract until fully incorporated, making the batter rich and flavorful.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder to evenly distribute the leavening agents and seasoning.
- Mix Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the bars tender.
- Spread and Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9×13 baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 32 minutes, or until the bars are set but still slightly soft in the middle. Do not overbake as the bars will firm up while cooling.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. This helps achieve clean cuts and perfect texture.
- Store: Store the bars tightly covered at room temperature for a day or two, or freeze them for up to a few weeks to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Do not overbake to keep the bars chewy and moist rather than dry and crumbly.
- Use creamy peanut butter for a smoother texture; chunky can be used if preferred for extra crunch.
- Cooling completely before cutting is crucial to prevent the bars from falling apart.
- These bars freeze well; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil before freezing.
- For a chocolate twist, consider topping with chocolate chips right before baking or drizzling melted chocolate over cooled bars.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: peanut butter bars, peanut butter cookie bars, easy cookie bars, dessert bars, chewy peanut butter bars
