Home » CoursePeanut Butter Cookie Bars Pin RecipeRate RecipeSeptember 8, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our full Disclosure Policy for details. Learn how to make soft and chewy peanut butter cookie bars packed with peanut chips and tons of flavor. These cookie bars take only 30 minutes to bake! Jump to Recipe These thick and chewy peanut butter cookie bars are a hit with peanut lovers of all ages. They are surprisingly easy to make and will be ready in only 30 minutes. No need for long chilling times or rolling of individual cookies. Just put the delicious dough in a pan, bake and slice. It’s that easy! Our peanut butter bar recipe only requires simple ingredients that you probably already have at home. So there is no need for a trip to the grocery store! If you have been looking for a delicious new recipe to bake with your children, then this is the perfect recipe for you. Table of Contents WHAT ARE COOKIE BARS? Ingredients INSTRUCTIONSRecommended Tools Tips For the Best Peanut Butter Bars HOW TO STOREMore Cookie Bar RecipesFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSMore Peanut Butter RecipesPeanut Butter Cookie Bars Recipe WHAT ARE COOKIE BARS? Cookie bars are made from a basic cookie dough that is flavored by adding delicious add-ins like chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter chips, caramel bites or coconut flakes, for example. Most importantly, no individual cookies need to be rolled, as you bake the dough in a baking dish and then cut into squares. They are quick, easy and oh so delicious! Notable: soft and gooey cookies, full of peanut flavor and packed with peanut butter chipsMain Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, peanut butter chipsCooking Method: oven bakedCooking Time: 20 minutesDiets: vegetarianSpecial Equipment Needed: electric mixer, 8×8-inch baking dish, mixing bowls, cooking spoon Ingredients You may have all of these cookie bar recipe ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts and print the recipe. Pantry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, peanut butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, peanut butter chipsRefrigerated/Frozen Ingredients: butter, eggSpices: vanilla extract, sea salt VARIATIONS We love how quick and easy cookie bars come together. Some of our other favorite flavors are: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie BarsWhite Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie BarsSalted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love peanut butter desserts then you’ll love our No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Parfait. INSTRUCTIONS This section shows how to cook peanut butter bars in the oven, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full step-by-step instructions, photos and nutritional information see the recipe in the recipe card below. You can print the recipe with or without photos. PREPARE: At first, preheat the oven to 350°F, then line a square baking pan with parchment paper. MAKE BATTER: Start by combining the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine softened butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat with an electric mixer until well mixed. Afterwards add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing as you go until just combined. Finally, add peanut butter chips and stir until combined. BAKE AND FINISH: Evenly spread the cookie batter into the pan. After that, bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Afterwards, let cool completely, then remove from the baking dish and cut into 16 pieces. Serve. WHAT TO MAKE NEXT: If you love satisfying your sweet tooth with a freshly baked peanut butter cookie then you’ll love our Air Fryer Cookie For One. Recommended Tools Electric Mixer – We recommend using an electric mixer for this recipe because it helps cream together the butter and other ingredients particularly well. Tips For the Best Peanut Butter Bars Follow these tips to make the best peanut cookie bars. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. It is tempting to use cooking spray but they’ll come out of the pan much better with parchment paper.Use softened butter. The easiest way to soften butter is to take it out of the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before you make cookies. If your butter is not soft, cut into 1 tablespoon portions and place on a microwave safe plate. Microwave for 5 seconds. Be careful, however, because it will melt quickly.Do not overmix the cookie batter. Mix just until it’s all combined. HOW TO STORE Counter: You can store leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze: Completely cooled oven baked cookie bars can be frozen in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Defrosting: Thaw your peanut butter bars on the counter for a couple of hours. To enjoy a delicious warm cookie bar, simply pop the defrosted treats in the microwave for a few of seconds or in the oven for a minute or two. More Cookie Bar Recipes Marshmallow and cereal treat bars are quick, no bake desserts that are always a huge hit with kids and adults alike. We especially enjoy making Fruit Loops Treat Bars, Trail Mix Bars, or S’mores Treat Bars. Better Than Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Chocolate Coconut Bars Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking peanut butter cookie bars. Do I have to use parchment paper for the baking pan? YES. In addition to parchment paper, you can also line the baking dish with aluminum foil. Both work equally well. Make sure you have a slight overhang on the edges. This will eventually make it a lot easier to lift the baked cookie bar out of the pan. We do not recommend using non-stick spray or buttering and flouring the baking dish for this recipe. How do you know the perfect time to get the cookie bars out of the oven? For the cookie bars to be done they should be slightly puffed up, golden brown with crispy edges. The middle might still look underdone, but don’t forget the cookie bars will keep on cooking for a couple of minutes after they have been removed from the oven. When you insert a toothpick at the center it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it. If there is still raw batter on the toothpick, keep the cookie bars in the oven for another couple of minutes. Can I double this recipe? Yes. You can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ baking pan. You might have to add a couple of minutes to the baking time. However, start checking the cookie bars at the 20 minute mark to be sure you don’t overcook them. More Peanut Butter Recipes We love making dessert bars of all kinds because they are quick and easy to make and taste amazingly delicious. Have you tried our Pumpkin Bars, Chocolate Coconut Bars or Stef’s Lemon Cream Cheese Cookie Bars, for example. Course Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Course No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Parfait Desserts Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Desserts Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Hand Pies 5 from 1 vote Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Recipe Course Dessert Cuisine American, vegetarian Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Print Pin Rate 16 cookie squares Learn how to make soft and chewy peanut butter cookie bars packed with peanut chips and tons of flavor. These cookie bars take only 30 minutes to bake! Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Equipment9×9-inch baking pan lined with parchment papermixing bowlselectric mixerknife Ingredients 1x2x3x▢ 1½ cups all-purpose flour▢ ½ tsp baking soda▢ ¼ tsp baking powder▢ ½ tsp sea salt▢ ¼ cup butter softened▢ ¼ cup peanut butter▢ ½ cup granulated sugar▢ ½ cup light brown sugar packed▢ 1 large egg▢ 1½ tsp vanilla extract▢ 1 cup peanut butter chips InstructionsLine a square 9×9” dish with parchment paper.Preheat the oven to 350°F.In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.In a separate bowl, combine softened butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix with an electric mixer until well mixed. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix with the electric mixer until combined. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture, mixing as you go until it’s all just combined. Add peanut butter chips and stir until combined. Spread cookie batter into the pan. Cook for 20-22 minutes or until golden and cooked to your desired crispiness. Once cool, remove from the baking dish and cut into 16 pieces. Notes Do not overmix the batter. Mix until just combined. If your butter is not softened it will not mix well and your cookie bars won’t cook correctly. NutritionCalories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 162mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg Did you create this? Share it on Instagram and follow us on Pinterest for more cleverly simply recipes. Email Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe PinShareTweet