Description
Delicious and easy-to-make peanut butter chocolate chip bars featuring a rich and chewy texture with sweet chocolate chips throughout. These bars are perfect for a quick dessert or snack, combining the creamy richness of peanut butter with the satisfying sweetness of brown sugar and chocolate.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare an 8×8-inch baking pan by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, and melted unsalted butter until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Stir in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt to the wet mixture just until combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Transfer to Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares for serving.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- The melted butter is optional but helps improve texture and moisture.
- Do not overbake to retain chewy texture; watch closely after 20 minutes.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- These bars can also be refrigerated to extend freshness for up to 1 week.
