Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: The nutty peanut butter coupled + the semi-sweet chocolate chunks = just the perfect flavor combination!
Texture: The bars are perfectly thick and chewy with a generous amount of gooey chocolate chunks studded throughout.
Ease: Super easy!
Pros: Simple recipe to satisfy any PB & choc craving.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? I make these bars ALL the time.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars are the perfect quick and easy bake for any PB and chocolate lovers out there.
I could go on and on about how much I adore chocolate + peanut butter. But hopefully, if you’re reading this post, you’re already sold on the combination!
I have a feeling these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars will become a staple part of your baking repertoire.
They’re super quick and simple to throw together, and you likely already have most of the ingredients on hand. I love that they’re thicker than a cookie, and they’re absolutely amazing with a scoop of ice cream on top.
Most of the time when I’m craving something sweet, I want something with a substantial texture. Whether that’s thick, fudgy, rich, dense, chewy, gooey, or crunchy, I’m all about the texture.
That’s probably why I’d take a cookie, bar, or brownie over a slice of cake almost any day. I might be the only one who feels this way, so if you agree please let me know in the comments below!
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars
What Type of Peanut Butter for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars?
I used Skippy peanut butter when creating these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars. If you wish to use natural peanut butter, be sure it’s extremely well stirred and cohesive, with no oily pockets or dry bits, before using. I’ve found in other recipes (like my Classic Peanut Butter Cookies, and my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies) that natural peanut butter can increase the PB flavor, so feel free to give that a try here.
Avoid Dry Cookie Bars: Measure Correctly!
If you are not measuring your ingredients with a digital kitchen scale, you could accidentally be adding too much flour, causing hard, dry, or cake-like cookie bars. Learn more about how to measure ingredients for perfect results every time here!
The Chocolate Chunks
- Be sure to use high-quality baking chocolate, like Ghirardelli.
- I prefer to chop up bars of baking chocolate, but chocolate chips will work, too, if needed.
- I find semi-sweet or even milk chocolate works best in this recipe. Bittersweet is too dark to complement the nutty slightly salty peanut butter flavor, overshadowing it slightly.
Do I Have to Use Brown Sugar in Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars?
Yes! Lightly brown sugar adds moisture, extra chewiness, and that wonderful butterscotch flavor that complements the peanut butter so well. If you don’t have brown sugar on hand, learn how to make DIY brown sugar here. Dark brown sugar can also be used, but note that your bars will be a little darker in color, and will be slightly softer in texture.
What Pan For Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars?
I highly recommend using a 8-inch square metal baking pan for these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars. I don’t recommend using a glass or ceramic pan, as these pans can take much longer to heat up and bake through, causing underdone middles and overbaked edges. Learn more about Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here. Avoid using a dark-colored metal pan, as these pans will heat too aggressively and can cause dry or even burnt cookie bars.
Will Cookie Bars Sink as They Cool?
These bars may bake up taller at the edges and slightly sunken in the center – and that’s okay! Rich, delicious cookie bars may sink slightly in the middle – but if your bars sink too drastically, that may be due to undertaking.
How to Store Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars
Store Cookie Bars for up to 3 days at room temperature inside an airtight container.
Can You Freeze Cookie Bars?
Yes! Wrap the whole slab or individual slices in plastic wrap and store inside an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
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Ingredients
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 3/4 (350 grams) cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (135 grams) smooth peanut butter*
- 2 eggs plus one egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6 ounces (170 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan** with parchment or foil.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Once the butter mixture is cool, add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, stirring until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the prepared dry ingredients, and stir to create a very thick dough-like batter. Fold in 3/4 the chocolate chunks, reserving the rest for sprinkling on top.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading evenly to the edges. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chunks, lightly pressing them into the batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges are slightly browned. Allow to cool in the pan. Use the parchment to remove the bars before cutting into squares and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
I used another peanut butter and it separates from the butter. and when it got cold it was like a stone 🙁
I melted adding some water and stiring in stove but I don’t know if I can use it in this recipe.
Just made this and my kitchen smells so good. Can’t wait to try it…
These look amazing! I only have salted butter on hand. Can I use that?
Made this tonight. Yum. I ran out of peanut butter so I substituted half of the peanut butter for Tahini, it was the next closest ingredient I had in the pantry. Works really well. So if someone has a peanut or nut allergy this would be a great substitution.
So glad to know that tahini works in this recipe as well! Thanks Ahang!
Do you ever double your recipes? Like making these bars into a 9 x 13 pan.
Hi Tessa,
These sound so yummy. I have celiacs so need to try with Gluten Free flour! will let you know the outcome!.
Barbara
I’d love to make these and enter your contest!!! Sounds exciting- I’ve never done a baking contest before, although baking is probably my favorite thing to do in the kitchen. I’m right with u on cookies and bars being better than cake!!! Absolutely! There are very few cakes I like, but cookies and bars- oh my!!!
Hi Tessa!
Would semisweet chocolate chips work instead of chunks for this recipe? 🙂
Of course!
They are so good to make. My house smells amazing. thanks Tessa
Yay, so happy to hear that!
Love the idea of this! Do you think this would work as one- or two-bite bars, made in a mini-muffin tin (with obvious adjustments to the cooking time)? If so, how full would you make each muffin cup, because these do look like they rise a lot.
I’m not sure if a mini muffin tin would work well, but a regular muffin tin should!
I’m also on the brownies & cookies over cake train. PS these look so awesome. My mouth is watering.
I’ve made your chewy brownies twice now, and both times were successful. I can’t wait to give this a shot
Yaaassss!!! Brownies over cake ANY DAY!!! And I agree; it’s all about the texture.