Peanut Butter Swirl Bars are the perfect combination of sweet and salty. These bars are tender, perfectly chewy and are usually eaten within a few hours at my house. These cookie bars only take a few ingredients and are super EASY to make. These bars are perfect for entertaining, taking to a friend, or enjoying with the family. If you love cookies as much as my family does, you cannot pass up this recipe.
Perfectly Chewy Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
This recipe has been one of those recipes I have been making for a long time. I have always loved the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. I love these bars because unlike cookies where you cook batches after batches, these cook up in one pan. The combination of melted chocolate and creamy peanut butter is a perfect match. Grab yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!
If you are a cookie lover, or just love desserts you can check out my other cookie recipes and my special Thick and Chewy Cookies here!
Tips and Tricks to Making Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
This recipe is quick and easy to make. I am going to run through an overview here and add some notes that might be helpful for you while making the dish. Make sure to get the FULL recipe at the bottom.
- Mix peanut butter, butters and both kinds of sugars together until creamy (I really, really prefer Jif for baking. When you bake, it doesn’t work well to use natural or peanut butters other than the classic kind. I also like to use crunchy peanut butter to switch it up for an added crunch in the bars).
- Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla (I use my KitchenAid mixer for this with the beater attachment, but you can also use a hand mixer or it is really easy to just do it by hand as well).
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Mix the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture one cup at a time.
- Spread into a 9″x13″ pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over top.
- Cook 5 minutes then remove and use a knife to swirl the chocolate evenly into the bars. The secret to getting the perfect swirl is the chocolate chips evenly sprinkled over the top then, then baking them just long enough to melt but not yet start to really cook. At that point they can be smoothly swirled throughout the bars by running a knife around them. Return to oven and cook.
FAQ’s for Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
What pan is best for Peanut Butter Swirl Bars?
I used a 9″x13″ pan for this recipe. You can use glass or metal. If you prefer you could also use 2 8″ round cake pans, or 1 12″ cake pan. The cooking time may vary if you change the pan you use so keep an eye on it.
What is the best kind of butter to use?
I prefer to use unsalted butter for baking, but if you have salted butter you can use that.
What type of chocolate chips is the best to use?
Use what ever flavor chocolate you prefer. I love dark chocolate so I always use the Ghirardelli 60% Cacao chips, but if you have regular semi-sweet on hand those will work great too. My kids really like milk chocolate chips so if I am making these for the family I will use milk chocolate chips as well.
How do I store Peanut Butter Swirl Bars?
You can store these in an air tight container for up to one week. You could also freeze these bars for up to one month. I like to freeze my leftovers and take out one bar at a time for a treat.
I really hope you enjoy this classic Peanut Butter Swirl Bars recipe as much as we do and you can both enjoy them and make memories with your kiddos. If you do get a chance to try it, I would love it if you let me know! You can leave me a comment below, or if you post a picture on Instagram, make sure to tag me @easyfamilyrecipesso that I can see what you are cooking up! It makes my day to see others enjoying the recipes that I share!
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Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Beat peanut butter, butter, and both sugars until light and creamy. Gradually add in the 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with the peanut butter mixture one cup at a time. Once combined, spread in a 9"x13" pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.
- Cook 5 minutes then remove and use a knife to swirl the chocolate evenly into the bars. Return to oven and cook 30 more minutes.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
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