Peanut Butter Lover's Cookie Bars
Quadruple the peanut butter, for real fans! These cookie bars feature a pb dough, mini cups, crushed cups, and a drizzle on top - all peanut butter of course.
Servings 16 bars
Calories 263kcal
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- ½ Cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ Cup Brown sugar
- ¼ Cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 ⅓ Cups All-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½-1 Tbsp Milk
- ½ Cup Mini Peanut Butter Cups
- 3 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups crushed
Peanut Butter Drizzle
- 1 Tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Tbsp Confectioner's Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the center. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, overhanging the edge on two sides.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium-low until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and peanut butter, and continue mixing until thoroughly combined.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl with ½ Tbsp of the milk, and mix on low until just combined. If the dough seems dry or crumbly, add the rest of the milk while mixing.
- Use a silicone spatula to fold in the mini peanut butter cups until distributed. Then transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or your hands to press the dough into the pan.
- Sprinkle the crushed peanut butter cups and top evenly, and then place the entire pan in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are starting to look dry, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cookie bars cool for at least an hour.
- While the bars are cooling, prepare the drizzle. In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk and butter. Microwave in 15 second increments until the butter is melted. Stir in the peanut butter until uniform. Then stir in the confectioner's sugar 1 Tbsp at a time until smooth.
- Once cool, use the parchment paper to carefully lift the cookie bars out of the pan. Use a spoon to top the bars with the peanut butter drizzle, and then cut into 16 squares. Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Notes
- I recommend using creamy peanut butter, not crunchy in this recipe. I have not tried making these with other nut butters, but if you try it out let me know how it goes!
- Make ahead tip: You can bake, cool, and cut the bars a few days in advance. I suggest adding the drizzle shortly before serving. It will taste fine to store these in the fridge after drizzling, but you may lose some of the appearance.