Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

These peanut butter cookie bars are thick, chewy, and perfectly gooey. They’re made with simple ingredients and come together in less than 30 minutes.

Love simple dessert bars? Try my chocolate chip cookie bars, oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and monster cookie bars next.

If you’ve tried my peanut butter blondies before, my peanut butter cookie bar recipe has to be next on your baking list. While they share similar qualities, the cookie bars have firmer and crisp edges while keeping the middles perfectly gooey. With the addition of chocolate chunks, they never last long!

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make peanut butter cookie bars
4. Arman’s recipe tips
5. How to store leftovers
6. More dessert bar recipes to try
7. Peanut Butter Cookie Bars (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• 6 simple ingredients. Nothing complicated here, just basic, easy-to-find ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand. 
• Peanut butter chocolate flavor in each bite. If you love the peanut butter chocolate combo as much as I do, then you’ll love these cookie bars. 
• A make-ahead treat. These bars taste just as good fresh as they do on day one or two, so feel free to make them in advance and store them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. 
• Quick and easy. From prep to plate, these bake up in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients needed

• Butter. I used unsalted butter, so I have complete control over how much salt gets added to the bars.
• Coconut sugar. I enjoy coconut sugar for its subtle caramelized notes, but you could use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar. While you technically can use white sugar, your bars won’t be as gooey throughout.
• Maple syrup. For extra sweetness and to bind the ingredients together. 
• Peanut butter. Smooth, drippy peanut butter with no sugar added.
• Vanilla extract. A key ingredient to any good baking recipe!
• Egg. Room-temperature eggs are best. 
• Self-rising flour. I used self-rising flour specifically because baking powder and salt had already been added to it. If you’re using all-purpose flour, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. 
• Chocolate chips. Optional, but I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you can use whatever chocolate chips you have on hand. 

How to make peanut butter cookie bars

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Cream butter. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. Beat until creamy and fluffy.

Step 2- Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the peanut butter, vanilla, and egg. Mix until combined. Add the flour then stir the chocolate chips into the flour mixture.

Step 3- Transfer, bake, cool. Transfer the batter to the lined baking dish and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cookie bars cool completely before slicing. 

Arman’s recipe tips

• Use good-quality peanut butter. Trust me, now is not the time for Skippy or Jif. You’ll want to use your best peanut butter since it’s the bulk of these cookie bars. 
• You’ll know the bars are done when they’re golden brown on top, slightly crisp on the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Avoid overbaking. The bars will continue to cook after they’ve been removed from the heat, so if you wait until they’re firm in the middle, they can become overcooked. 
• Cover in foil. If the tops of the cookie bars brown too quickly, you can cover them in foil to prevent burning. 

How to store leftovers

To store: Store the leftover peanut butter bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for 2 weeks. 

To freeze: Let the bars cool completely, then wrap them in foil or plastic wrap and freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw the bars overnight before enjoying them, or pop them in the microwave and heat them in 15-second intervals. 

More dessert bar recipes to try

• Caramel slice
• Zucchini bars
• Blueberry bars
• Banana blondies
• No-bake cookie dough bars

Originally published May 2019, updated and republished April 2024