Peanut butter, peanut butter cookies, and chocolate. Sounds like a good idea to me.
And dangerously fast and easy to make.
These rich, soft and chewy, peanut buttery bars are a hybrid of the Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars and the Loaded M&M Oreo Cookie Bars, with Nutter Butter Cookies instead of Oreos.
Even after writing a cookbook with 100+ peanut butter recipes, I can never have too much peanut butter. What better way to work it in than via Nutter Butters. If you’ve never had them, they’re peanut butter-sandwich cookies with a peanut butter filling.
If you don’t have Nutter Butter’s in your area, try a storebrand peanut butter-sandwich cookie or vanilla-sandwich cookies like Golden Oreos. You’ll miss out on some of the peanut butter flavor, but it’s better to substitute than miss out on the recipe.
The recipe follows the pattern of my trusty blondies recipes, and are made in one-bowl, no mixer required, and the batter is whisked together in minutes before being turned out into a pan and baked.
Simply melt one stick of butter in a bowl in the micro, stir in an egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, and flour, before folding in diced Nutter Butters and chocolate chips.
I reserved a couple tablespoons each of diced cookies and chocolate chips and sprinkled them on top before baking so that I could really see those big, chunky cookie hunks and melty chocolate in each bite.
We eat with our eyes first, and my eyes like to see cookies and chocolate.
The bars have a nice peanut butter flavor, but it’s not overpowering, and the buttery, rich dough shines.
Chocolate and peanut butter go hand in hand, and the semi-sweet chocolate is perfect against the sweetness of the Nutter Butters.
The chunks of cookies are a wonderful contrast to the otherwise smooth, dense dough. Although the Nutter Butters soften slightly while baking, they provide a serious dose of texture.
It’s a small batch recipe, making about 9 bars in an 8-inch pan.
It’s a good thing I made these last week before I picked up my daughter at school. I ate one, gave one each to my husband and daughter, and promptly donated the rest of the pan to my daughter’s teachers.
It’s way too easy to go to town on peanut butter and chocolate. Especially vis soft, dense, moist cookie bars, packed with peanut butter and chocolate.
About midnight when my inner snacking monster comes out, it’s really good these weren’t around.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Nutter Butter Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 10 Nabisco Nutter Butter Cookies
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth.
- Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Stir in most of the chopped Nutter Butters, reserving about 1/4 cup to be sprinkled on top.
- Stir in most of the chocolate chips, reserving about 2 tablespoons to be sprinkled on top.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle the reserved Nutter Butters and reserved chocolate chips over the top, lightly pressing them down with your finger or a spatula.
- Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center (if you can find a bare patch to test) comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you like Nutter Butters?
I always get so excited when I see your signature blondies and bars come up on my feed–such a chewy looking bunch with all the right touches–like Nutter Butter! If I buy myself a bag (and I haven’t done that in probably 10 years, eeks), I will so be making these. Thanks for sharing, Averie!
Glad you like my bars!
Gosh, I wish I lived in your kitchen! Those look incredible!
Man, oh man – this looks positively delicious. Dangerously addictive but delicious… :)
Oh, gosh. I love it when people put things like cookies inside of cookies. :) Plus, peanut butter! I’ve made your basic blondie/bar cookie recipe and it is so. good. It’s the perfect density! I don’t make blondies or bar cookies that often, but I will definitely go to your recipe when I do!
Dangerously simple to made indeed!
A cookie…within a cookie? You have got to be kidding me. I could cry.
Mmmmm I totally have the urge to bake right now and these bars look AMAZING!
These look great, Averie. I love Nutter Butters!
They’re so….beautiful!
Nutterbutters, peanut butter, chocolate, TOO MANY AMAZING THINGS!
I just so happen to have some nutter butters in my pantry…
I absolutely loved nut butters as a kid so naturally I know I will love these!
I don’t know how you keep coming up with so many unique peanut butter recipes! But cookies, INSIDE of cookie bars? OMG!! yum. I love it when there’s a texture explosion in a cookie!! And nope- never tried nutter butters in fact I’m not even sure if they sell them in Canada. I’ll have to check!
Oh yes Averie! I’m ALL over these!
There is no such thing as too much peanut butter. Yes, I love nutter butters! I can’t keep them in the house because I’ll devour the bag in no time. Love this recipe. Pinned!
Love peanut butter and love nutter butters! These look great :)
I cannot handle a bag of Nutter Butters – I literally can eat the whole thing! I don’t have that problem with Oreos and MnMs … but Nutter Butters? Yeah:) I am always SO impressed with how soft you get your blondies! That’s why I love using your recipes – I’m guarenteed the underbaked taste:) Chocolate chips, Nutter Butters; what is not to love?!