This is one of the easiest gluten-free dessert recipes you can make. Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are rich, crumbly cookie bars with a layer of chocolate cookie dough topped with peanut butter cookie dough and finished with melted semisweet chocolate.
Although baked in a pan like brownies, these bars are really more like peanut butter and chocolate shortbread-style cookies. They are firm and sliceable rather than soft and fudgy. Adding extra chunks of chocolate, candy, or nuts balances the texture and boosts sweetness. I especially loved the addition of cocktail peanuts, but you can use whatever add-ins you like.
Melting Chocolate
The first step is melting the chocolate. I do this by placing the chocolate in a small bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. I sometimes use the microwave, but I'm starting to prefer the double-boiler method because it melts the chocolate evenly. That, plus I'm left with hot water that helps with dish cleanup afterward. If the microwave is more convenient, feel free to use it.
Weighing and Mixing
While the chocolate is slowly melting, make the peanut butter mixture. You can even do it without measuring cups! Just set the mixing bowl on the scale and add 520 grams of sweetened peanut butter, 200 grams of sugar and 2 large eggs, then beat it all together. You could probably make these without an electric mixer, but it's much easier with one one since the peanut butter, sugar and egg mixture is so thick.
You will then reserve a cup of the peanut butter mixture to be used as the top layer, then add melted chocolate to the peanut butter mixture remaining in the bowl.
Using Melted Chocolate Chips Instead of Chocolate
Chocolate chips are designed to hold their shape, not melt smoothly It would be convenient to just melt chocolate chips and put them in the batter, but if you semisweet or dark chocolate in bar form please use that. The chocolate chips might make the batter too dry and stiff. If you want to use chips anyway, melt the 4 oz of chocolate chips with 2 teaspoons of neutral oil. The tiny bit of oil will help the chips emulsify so that chocolate batter stays smooth and fudgy rather than stiff. For the chocolate that goes on top, melted chips are perfect.
Half Batch Size
This recipe makes a 9x13 inch pan, but you can halve it and bake in an 8-inch square or my new favorite, a mini sheet pan. Here's a picture of the unbaked bars in the mini sheet pan. My peanut butter chips seem to have developed some fat bloom, but they tasted great and baked up just fine.
Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 4 oz semisweet or dark chocolate (114 grams)
- 2 cups sweetened peanut butter (Like Peter Pan or Jif) (520 grams)
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 1 cup chocolate chunks, peanuts, or peanut butter chips (mixed) (optional)
Topping
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chunks, chips or chopped chocolate 4 oz
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment. If making a half batch, use a mini sheet pan.
- Melt the 4 oz of semisweet chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl set over simmering water.
- While the chocolate is melting, beat the peanut butter, sugar and eggs for two minutes. The batter will be fairly thick. Spoon out 1 cup of peanut butter mixture and set aside.
- Add slightly cooled melted chocolate to the peanut butter mixture in the mixing bowl and beat on low speed to mix.
- Scrape the chocolate batter into the pan and press it into an even layer. Make sure it is cool, then sprinkle chocolate chunks and/or some peanut butter chips over and press them into the dough.
- Crumble the reserved peanut butter mixture over the chocolate layer and gently pat it down. It won't fully cover the chocolate, so just press it in patches. Sprinkle with more chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanuts if using.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. When done, the center should look set but still slightly soft; a toothpick inserted into the chocolate layer will come out with moist crumbs.
- Let cool, then melt the remaining 4 oz of chocolate (or chips) and drizzle over the top. Score while slightly warm, then put in the freezer to set the chocolate.
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