Soft and chewy chocolate cookie bars are topped with a thick layer of creamy peanut butter fudge and luscious chocolate ganache and are sprinkled with chopped peanuts.
After seeing our readers go nuts over our Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars recipe, I was excited to get back into the kitchen to create more layered bar cookie recipes.
I just had to start with a chocolate and peanut butter layered cookie. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorites and I'm guessing it's one of yours too.
To make these cookies, I started with our chocolate cookie bar recipe as the base. It's easy to make using a bowl and spoon and it tastes incredible.
Then, I topped it with an amazingly creamy peanut butter fudge. It's also easy to make by melting white chocolate and peanut butter chips in the microwave, then mixing in peanut butter and a pinch of salt.
It's pourable when it's warm but firms up into fudge once it has cooled. It's the perfect topping for these cookie bars.
To top it all off, I added some luxuriously creamy chocolate ganache and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts.
Let's make chocolate peanut butter cookie bars!
You'll need:
- mixing bowl
- silicone spatula (or wooden spoon)
- 8-inch square baking pan
- non-stick tin foil (or parchment paper)
- offset spatula, optional
- small saucepan
Tips for making cookie bars:
- Use great-tasting chocolate that you enjoy eating right out of the package. The chocolate flavor really shines through in this recipe so it's important to use something you love.
- Also, use good quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder or my favorite, Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder which is a blend of Dutch and natural cocoa for the best flavor.
- Add 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. The extra egg yolk will add richness and moisture to the cookie bars.
- Bake the cookie bars just until the edges look set and the center no longer looks wet. If you shake the pan and the center still jiggles (but doesn't appear too wet) you can remove the pan from the oven. Your cookies will have a moist, fudgy, brownie-like texture. If you prefer firmer cookies, bake longer.
Peanut Butter Fudge & Chocolate Ganache Topping
To make the peanut butter fudge you'll melt white chocolate chips (I recommend using Nestle Premier White Morsels) and Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, then mix it with creamy peanut butter (I use Jif) and a pinch of salt.
When making the chocolate ganache topping, you can simply combine semi-sweet chocolate with heavy whipping cream and melt it over LOW heat on the stove. Just be sure to remove the pan from the heat when about 75% of the chocolate has melted. You don't want to overheat the chocolate or your ganache will be grainy or greasy.
The residual heat will continue to melt the chocolate.
chocolate peanut butter cookie bars
Soft and chewy chocolate cookie bars topped with a layer of creamy peanut butter fudge and luscious chocolate ganache are sprinkled with chopped peanuts.
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cookie Layer
- 170 grams or (6 ounces or 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate (chips or finely chopped bars)
- 113 grams (or ½ cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 22 grams (or 3 tablespoons) Dutch Processed or special dark cocoa powder
- 141 grams (or ⅔ cup packed) light brown sugar
- 38 grams (or 3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk (for extra richness and to keep the cookie bars soft)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 128 grams (or 1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- Toppings
- 170 grams (or 6 ounces or 1 cup) white chocolate chips
- 85 grams (or 3 ounces or ½ cup) peanut butter chips
- 170 grams (or 6 ounces or ⅔ cup) creamy peanut butter
- 80 grams (or ⅓ cup) heavy whipping cream
- 170 grams (or 6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped bars or 1 cup of chips)
- 100 grams (or ⅓ cup) peanuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick tin foil or parchment paper.
- Combine the 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate with the butter in a microwave-safe mixing bowl.
- Heat on high power for 30-second increments, stirring after each until melted.
- Alternatively, melt the chocolate and butter in a small saucepan set over low heat, then pour it into a mixing bowl.
- Stir the cocoa powder into the melted chocolate. This will intensify the flavor of the cocoa powder.
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until well blended.
- Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
- Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together then mix it into the chocolate cookie dough.
- Spread the cookie dough into the 8-inch square pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan.
- Continue to bake for 4-8 minutes until the edges firm up but the center still jiggles slightly but does not look wet.
- Remove and let cool in the pan for 1 hour.
- Once cooled, make the peanut butter fudge.
- Heat the white chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on high power in the microwave for 30-second increments, stirring after each, until melted.
- Stir in the creamy peanut butter and pinch of salt.
- Pour the peanut butter fudge over the chocolate cookie and spread it into an even layer.
- Chill the fudge-topped cookie in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, then make the chocolate ganache.
- Combine the heavy whipping cream with 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a small saucepan.
- Set the pan over LOW heat.
- Allow the chocolate to begin melting, stirring occasionally until about 75% of the chocolate is melted.
- Remove from the heat and continue to stir until smooth and creamy allowing the residual heat to continue to melt the chocolate.
- Spread the chocolate ganache over the peanut butter fudge-topped cookie, then immediately sprinkle on the chopped peanuts.
- Cover the pan and set it aside for one hour. This will allow the chocolate ganache time to cool slowly ensuring it will be creamy and smooth.
- Then, chill in the refrigerator for about an hour until the chocolate ganache is firm.
- Remove the cookie from the pan, peel off the tin foil or parchment paper, then cut it into 16 bars.
Notes
Why do you use weights in the ingredients list?
When baking, it is always best to weigh your ingredients, particularly flour. If you have a scale, weigh your ingredients. You'll get the most accurate measurements using grams.
I do include measurements in grams, ounces, cups, tablespoons, or teaspoons to make it easier for you.
How to measure flour without a scale?
If you do not have a scale, spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup then scrape across the top of the cup with a spatula or knife.
How to tell when the chocolate cookie layer is done?
The edges of the cookie will bake more quickly than the center of the cookie. If you prefer more fudge-like cookie bars, then bake just until the edges look set and the center still jiggles for about 24 minutes. For firmer cookie bars, bake until the center no longer jiggles for about 28 minutes.
How to store these peanut butter chocolate cookie bars?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
OR place in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 450Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 181mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 3gSugar: 33gProtein: 8g
HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.
More Cookie Bar Recipes
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- raspberry oatmeal cookie bars
- chocolate chip cake mix cookie bars
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- Sugar Cookie Cups - May 17, 2023
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cups - May 9, 2023
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