There’s nothing worse than dry dessert calories. Such a waste. If I’m going to have dessert, I want it to be moist, drippy, gooey, and luscious. The bars are just that.
They’re rich, fudgy, decadent, and almost brownie-like. There’s a soft chocolate base is topped with chocolate chips and flooded with a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter.
If you’ve never tried that combination, it’s pure heaven. The sweetened condensed milk takes on creamy, caramely notes as it bakes and pairs perfectly with peanut butter.
More chocolate dough tops the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter mixture but doesn’t cover it completely. That exposed mixture is gooey perfection.
The chocolate portion is made with Pamela’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix. Even though it’s cake mix, in this application the result is tastes more like bars or brownies than cake because it’s dense and fudgy.
If you need to bring a dessert to a holiday event or party where there may be gluten-free attendees, this is the perfect recipe because no one will ever miss the gluten, whether they need to be gluten-free or not.
After baking, poke holes in the bars and drizzle sweetened condensed milk into the holes. Be patient for the bars to soak it all up. Overnight is best, but if all you have is a few hours, that’s fine. It’ll be messier but this is a messy, gooey dessert no matter what. The best kind.
The sweetened condensed milk soaks in and it’s like ice cream seeping into warm brownies. So good.
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Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- one 21-ounce packet Pamela’s Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, very well softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons water, if necessary (see below)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- one 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, divided
- ½ heaping cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. I strongly recommend lining the pan for easier cleanup.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large bowl and electric mixer) add the cake mix, egg, butter, vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Dough is very thick (thicker than cookie dough) and you’ll know it’s the right consistency when it forms a softball-like mass inside the mixer and the ‘softball’ sticks to the paddle. I added 3 tablespoons of water in order to get the dough to combine but all brands of mixes are slightly different in exact size, ingredients, etc. so add water only as necessary.
- Turn half the dough out into prepared pan, pressing lightly with a spatula or your fingertips to create and even, flat crust.
- Evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips; set pan aside.
- To a medium bowl add half the can of sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and whisk until smooth and combined.
- Turn mixture over the crust and chocolate chips, keeping a 1/2-inch bare margin from the edges as it’s prone to sticking and burning if it touches the edges. Smooth it lightly with a spatula as necessary.
- Using the remaining cake dough, form small 1-inch balls or small pieces and evenly drop them over the top. Press gently to seal and compact them noting there will not be full coverage over the sweetened condensed milk layer.
- Bake for about 25 to 27 minutes, or until top is just set and not jiggly. A toothpick test doesn’t work because the interior stays gooey and moist, and the toothpick comes out looking wet, even when bars are done.
- As soon as you take bars out of the oven, using the blunt end of a wooden spoon, poke the cake in about 25 spots, going down about 1/2-inch.
- Evenly drizzle the remaining sweetened condensed milk over the bars, filling up the holes as best you can. It looks like a lot but it does soak in over time. Allow bars to cool, uncovered, for at least 3 hours before serving (overnight is best to allow sweetened condensed milk to soak in even more). Bars will keep airtight at room temp for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Post is brought to you by Pamela’s Products. The recipe, image, text, and opinions expressed are my own.
Sometimes when I’m eating a dessert I don’t really care for just to be polite, I think “I could be wasting these calories on something chocolatey and gooey.” :). These bars pretty much look like something I could crave every day!
And isn’t that a darn shame when you are served something, either by a family member or in a restaurant or where ever, and it’s just not that good and you’re thinking that even a Snickers bar would be a better use of calories! Been there!
That is some kick-ass chocolate peanut butter butter bar! Would love to taste it. Now I’m hungry!
Girl, I share your love for condensed milk and this dessert is making me crave it badly! Hard to beat the combo of PB and chocolate!
WHAT THE HELL! This looks too good, just when I’m about to change my life style and start to eat some what “healthy”. Obviously I’m gonna attempt to bake this for someone else, but break a little off for myself.
Oh my goodness, YES!!! I always want a refund on calories when the dessert is dry, crumbly, or bland. Just not worth it… And then I eat something else anyway and feel like I need to run extra miles to make up for it. I’d definitely run a marathon to eat a plate of these bars though — they look phenomenal! :) P.S. Are you going to BlogHer Food?? I missed the chance to see you last year in Miami!
Not going to BHF but have fun! I know so many people are going and I’m sure it will be a blast!
Aww bummer!! I don’t blame you for staying home in sunny CA. ;) Maybe we can get together sometime when I visit my grandparents in SD instead!
This looks so good!
Abbie E.
https://abulouslife.blogspot.com/
I NEED these!! Loving the shortcut of cake mix. I can make them even faster!
And as busy moms, that’s the name of the game!
This looks soo yummy! I want some so bad now haha x
Lina / lina-khalifa.blogspot.com
Thank God I have all the ingredients for these – making them RIGHT NOW! :D
Holy heck Averie!! Can I get a tray of these NOW? Wow!
You are the gooey bar queen :)
Wow – these bars look so good! I love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate, so adding sweetened condensed milk to the mix sounds amazing! :)
Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com
Oh man! These bars look incredible!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
These look killer! It can’t possibly get better than all this chocolatey peanut butterness!
These look dangerous in the best way possible! The baked layer of sweetened condensed milk and then more in top to soak in….kind of a cross between a poke cake and magic bars. I know I’d never miss the gluten!
Seriously! You are so right. Dangerous is just the right word. I’m giving my dentist your number Averie! Ha. Just a little joke. I’m with you on the gooey desserts, no dry desserts for me either. Dry brownies, icky, I just toss them.
A cross between a poke cake and magic bars is spot on! They were so good – no one would miss a thing here!
Adding SCM to anything is just a recipe for happiness. It makes the fudgiest desserts even fudgier, and everything so awesomely gooey. These look irresistible!
Adding SCM to anything is just a recipe for happiness = YES! Totally true and yes to the fudgier and gooier!
I absolutely LOVE sweetened condensed milk!!!! If it is kept anywhere near me, I will devour the whole 400 grams tin in ONE sitting without any shame! This automatically becomes my FAVORITE dessert because who can say no to peanut butter + condensed milk? I certainly can’t!!!!! Love how ooey – gooey this is, so perfect!!!
I love sweetened condensed milk so much, too! Well, and PB, and chocolate…. :)
Just wanted to say how gorgeous your recipes are and site…..keep them coming and we’ll done you !!!
Thanks for the compliments and praise!