Ooey gooey chocolate chip peanut butter bars…
The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
These chocolate chip peanut butter bars are one of the top most popular recipes on my blog – and for very good reason!
When you need a recipe that both meat eaters and vegans love, these bars are an absolute must-try, because they will never let you down.
Of every dessert I’ve ever made, these peanut butter bars are still one of my go-to recipes for parties, because they’re easy to transport, get rave reviews even from guests who aren’t into healthy eating, and you’re pretty much guaranteed no leftovers by the end of the night.
People go crazy for the soft, gooey, peanut buttery texture and melty chocolate in each delicious bite, and they taste like the lovechild of a chocolate chip cookie and a Reeses peanut butter cup!
*There’s now also a chocolate brownie version, so be sure to try the Brownie Batter Bars!
Above – watch the video of making the peanut butter bars!
The peanut butter bars can be:
Vegan
Keto
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Sugar Free
Egg Free
Grain Free
Soy Free
Paleo
And Oil Free
(For high-protein peanut butter bars, make these Protein Bars.)
Homemade Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
With chocolate and peanut butter, is it any surprise how good these are?
If Nestlé and Hersheys were to collaborate on a dessert, I’m pretty sure they’d come up with something along the lines of these gooeylicious chocolate chip peanut butter bars.
The recipe was originally adapted from my Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, and I’ve changed it over the years to make it even better (which I didn’t think was possible, because the original was so good!).
Below is the newest version, which now includes a keto friendly option for those who need it. Everyone should be able to enjoy these crazy delicious peanut butter bars!
(Above, bringing the bars to a party earlier this year. They did not last long!)
If you want a bigger batch, try the popular Ryan Reynolds Blondie Bars.
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup applesauce, or yogurt such as coconutmilk yogurt
- 1 cup peanut butter OR allergy-friendly alternative – nut-free recipe here
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp flour – you can use spelt, white, sorghum, oat, almond, even or buckwheat (50g)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar of choice or xylitol
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips, optional
- up to 2 tbsp milk of choice, only if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch pan, or line with parchment. Gently heat nut butter if not already stir-able, then stir in the applesauce and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, stir baking soda, salt, flour, sugar, and chocolate chips. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and keep stirring—it will seem very dry at first, so you’ll need to break up the nut butter and stop occasionally to scrape it off your spoon. If needed, slowly add up to 2 tbsp milk of choice as you stir. Don’t add more milk; it will eventually get gooey like cookie dough. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth down evenly. (I press a second sheet of parchment on top to smooth, then remove this sheet.) Press some chocolate chips into the top if desired. Bake 10 minutes. When you take the peanut butter bars out, the top will look set but they will still be very undercooked underneath. This is okay! Leave them to cool for at least 20 minutes, during which time they will firm up. (They also firm up even more overnight.)View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
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Sub brown sugar for the white=EVEN BETTER!!!
Well, maybe not, or use both!
Brown Sugar+Chewie-y ness. And yeilds a caramel taste
White Sugar+ Melts in the dough and makes it sweet and a bit crisp.
Use both!
Amazing! I used applesauce and whole wheat flour. I’m having a hard time stopping. I have to keep telling myself to leave some for tomorrow. My husband and sons loved them, too.
Hi Katie
Do you think using peanut flour that is reconstituted into peanut butter will work for the peanut butter (pb flour +water) …maybe subbing half regular pb and half pb made with peanut flour?
Thanks I’m advance!
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Absolutely divine, heaven in a bite! Delicious! I used ricotta in place of the applesauce and finished off with a a little whip cream on top. Recipe was perfect and one of my favorite keto desserts now. Thank you!
I made these because they sounded delicious and they are! I used sprouted whole wheat flour, plain 2% yogurt, oat milk and common peanut butter. It took patience to get wet and dry incorporated but success when a consistency like cookie dough was achieved. My pan was glass and about 7″x5″ (exterior) so I baked about 13 min instead of 10. I think bars are a little thicker but are done. Recipe feey easy and I’m sure I will make again. 😋
Thank you so much for trying them 🙂
Can I use some cocoa powder in place of chocolate chips? Is so, any idea how much? Thanks!
These were the easiest desert to make! Thank you. I swapped PB for almond butter and I used 1/2 monk fruit sweetener and half coconut sugar instead of sugar to make them a bit healthier😉I am not use to so much sweetness but they were so yummy. Will make them again only double the recipe!!
I made this low carb. subbed 2 eggs for applesauce, used natural no sugar added PB, swerve brown sugar, lily’s sugar free chocolate chips and almond flour. they are amazing!! I probably should have baked them a bit longer than 10 minutes as they fall apart when I pick them up but that’s probably due to eggs making them more moist. I’ll bake them 13 next time and there will be a next time!! thank you for the recipe!!!
Loved the cookie dough before baking. 😉 I used the yogurt, almond flour, Pyure sweetner, and Lily’s chocolate chips as subs. I only baked them 10 min. They never got firm, even over night. I liked the taste, but will bake them much longer the next time to see if they firm up better. Would be great crumbled over some sugarfree ice cream!
Excellent idea for Father’s Day! My husband loves them. Thank you, CC Katie! ❤️