If you love peanut butter and chocolate together, you’re going to fall head over heels for these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. These bars are the ultimate treat soft, chewy, rich, and brimming with chocolate chips in every bite. Made in a standard 9×13 inch baking pan, this dessert is a great crowd pleaser, perfect for gatherings, potlucks, or just a cozy weekend indulgence.

The combination of creamy peanut butter and chocolate is timeless. In this recipe, I use both light brown sugar and granulated sugar to strike the perfect balance between depth of flavor and sweetness. The brown sugar brings in that soft, almost caramel like chew that makes these cookie bars incredibly addictive. Meanwhile, the addition of cornstarch gives them a tender texture, ensuring they stay soft even after a day or two.

Using semisweet or milk chocolate chips, these cookie bars are bursting with gooey chocolate in every bite. You don’t need to choose between sweet and salty this treat offers both. The salt in the dough beautifully complements the sweetness of the sugars and chocolate, making each bite rich but balanced.

One of the best parts of this recipe is how simple it is to make. With only a few bowls and basic baking equipment, you can whip up a full batch of 24 bars in under an hour. I always recommend lining your baking pan with parchment paper it makes removal and cleanup super easy. If you don’t have parchment, just grease and flour the pan lightly.

The dough comes together quickly with a hand mixer, creaming together butter and peanut butter for that smooth, creamy base. After adding your sugars, eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients, a splash of milk helps bind everything for that perfect consistency. Once the chocolate chips are folded in, all you have to do is spread the dough into the pan and let the oven do its magic.

These cookie bars are best enjoyed after they’ve had time to cool down completely. This allows the chocolate to set slightly and makes slicing cleaner and easier. You can enjoy them plain, or for an indulgent twist, warm them slightly and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips & Tricks for Best Results

• Room temperature ingredients: Ensure your butter and peanut butter are at room temperature to mix evenly and smoothly.
• Don’t overbake: Keep a close eye around the 35 minute mark. The bars are ready when the edges are golden and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Custom chocolate: While semisweet and milk chocolate chips work perfectly, feel free to mix in dark chocolate or even peanut butter chips for variation.
• Cooling time matters: Let them cool fully before cutting to get clean slices and the best texture.
• Storage: These bars stay soft and chewy for days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Whether you’re baking for a party or just want to satisfy your sweet tooth, these peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars hit the spot every time. Easy, delicious, and guaranteed to disappear fast!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: American

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

333

kcal

Total time

50

minutes

Rich, soft, and chewy cookie bars loaded with creamy peanut butter and packed with chocolate chips. Baked in a 9×13 pan and perfect for sharing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1½ cups light brown sugar, tightly packed

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 2 cups chocolate chips (semisweet or milk chocolate)

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper or lightly grease and flour it.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar using a hand mixer.
• Add in the egg, extra yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
• In another bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
• Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
• Pour in the milk and stir until the dough comes together evenly.
• Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
• Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until the edges turn golden and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
• Let cool completely before slicing into bars and serving.

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