There are lots of easy recipes for peanut butter bars, and this is one of my favorites. They remind me of the old school cafeteria peanut bars that were moist and never dry. These are a little better, though. They're topped with Reese's candies and peanut butter cups!
Peanut Buddy Bars
If you don't want to deal with finding Reese's Minis or Pieces, you can make the bars that these are based on -- Buddy Bars. Instead of using a variety of chips and candy, they just used a pack of milk chocolate chips. Whichever recipe you go with you'll get a really good bar, but my take is that if you are going to eat a peanut butter bar, why not go all out?
Related Recipes
Recipe Update: This recipe has been updated and now has 1 cup of flour. The old version had 1 ½ cups.
Recipe
Peanut Butter Bars
Dense, moist, peanut butter bars topped with Mini Reese's.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (260 grams)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (84 grams)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (250 grams)
- 3 large eggs lightly whisked in a separate bowl
- ¼ teaspoon plus a big pinch of salt omit the pinch if using salted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (130 grams)
- ⅔ cup white chips
- ½ cup chopped lightly salted peanuts
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips plus about ½ cup more (if needed)
- 1 cup Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- ½ cup Reese's Pieces or M&Ms optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch metal pan with foil and grease foil (or use parchment)
- In a mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter, softened butter and sugar until smooth. By hand, stir in the eggs, salt and vanilla stirring just until mixed. Add the flour and stir just until mixed.
- Stir in white chips, peanuts and a cup of the chocolate chips. Press firmly into pan.
- Bake on center rack for 23-25 minutes or until center is set.
- Remove from oven and Immediately scatter the halved Reese's Minis over the top. Sprinkle more chocolate chips (or Reese's Pieces) into the gaps.
- Let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then transfer pan to a larger pan (a roasting pan). Put ice water in the pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides. Let cool in pan.
Notes
For a half batch, use an 8 inch square metal pan and halve all the ingredients. That means 1 large egg plus 2 tablespoons beaten egg.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Holiday Baker Man says
Cute and addicting
Cookie Sleuth says
Oh my! I think I need to go eat some peanut butter now. These look so good!
Michelle says
Yum. My husband goes crazy for peanut butter cookies--he would love these. 🙂
Carol says
Oh pinning! I love Reese's pieces. Thanks Anna!
corinne says
Hah, I just ate basically a whole bag of the minis after using 6 of them to decorate. Baked mini cupcakes inside of cupcakes, then frosted the mini Reese's like cupcakes and stuck them on top. So cupcakey!
More than happy to buy another bag to try this, though!
Chewthefat says
Peanut butter to the fourth power!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
mmm drool