Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (with PB Cups!) — Looking for things to do with store-bought cookie dough? Look no further! These are the ultimate lazy chocolate chip cookie bars and everyone LOVES them!
My Go-To Lazy Cookie Bars
There are only two ingredients in these bars. And they’re gluten-free. How’s that for keeping it easy. They’re so easy and it feels like there should be a catch, but there isn’t.
I used the new Pillsbury Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, pressed it into a pan, topped it with peanut butter cups, and baked.
Many gluten-free flours and blends taste like dirt, or leave items with a gritty, sandy texture. Other times gluten-free items are dry, or they’re crumbly and fall apart from the lack of gluten and its binding properties.
These choc chip cookie bars have none of those issues. There’s no grittiness, sandiness, and they certainly don’t taste like dirt. I kind of wish they did and maybe we wouldn’t have eaten the whole pan in less than a day.
They’re incredibly moist and are melt-in-your mouth soft and tender.
The dough is buttery with plenty of chocolate chips. Many refrigerated doughs, gluten-free or not, are very skimpy on the amount chocolate chips, whereas I am not. I was pleasantly surprised at the quantity of mini chocolate chips.
And then after being doctored up with peanut butter cups, there’s definitely no shortage of chocolate. Or peanut butter. Everything is better with peanut butter, of course.
If you know someone who’s gluten-free and want to make something that’ll be incredibly good — not just ‘good for gluten-free’ but good regardless — these easy chocolate chip cookie bars are the answer.
I want all desserts that I eat or serve, gluten-free or otherwise, to be excellent otherwise I’d rather just not have it. Don’t waste calories on something that’s mediocre. This dough holds its own and I’m very picky. My family had no idea it was store-bought dough or that it was gluten-free dough at that.
Two ingredients, ready from start to finish in 20 minutes, and you’d never guess they were gluten-free.
Doesn’t get any better. Or easier.
What’s in These Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars?
If you’re looking for things to do with store-bought cookie dough, look no further! To make these “lazy” chocolate chip cookie bars, as I like to call them, all you’ll need is store-bought cookie dough and full-size peanut butter cups.
I used gluten-free cookie dough, but you’re welcome to use your favorite kind.
How to Make These Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Normally I’m a scratch baker and have recipes for similar bars, including Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars and Peanut Butter Cup Cookie Dough Crumble Bars. Keep those recipes gluten-free by replacing the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
And there’s homemade vegan Peanut Butter Cups in case you’d like to do it all from scratch.
Or you can just crack open a tub of gluten-free refrigerated cookie dough and within 5 minutes, these two-ingredient wonders are ready to bake. Easy cookie bar recipes with few ingredients are my favorite!
The most time consuming part of the recipe is unwrapping 9 peanut butter cups.
The dough on top of the lid is the reserved dough used for crumbling over the peanut butter cups.
Don’t overbake to ensure your bars stay ooey-gooey-soft-and-chewy. I baked for just over 13 minutes for super soft bars.
I’m extremely impressed with this dough, which isn’t the norm when it comes to gluten-free products.
Can I Double This Recipe?
I don’t see why not! Use two packages of cookie dough and 18 peanut butter cups. Bake the bars in a 9×13-inch pan instead of an 8×8.
Can I Use Another Kind of Cookie Dough?
Of course! Whether you want to use regular chocolate chip cookie dough rather than gluten-free, or you want to experiment with another kind altogether be my guest.
Tips for Making the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
If you’re concerned with making this recipe completely gluten-free, double check the label of your peanut butter cups to make sure they’re certified gluten-free. Not all are!
If you’d rather make the cookie dough from scratch, you’re welcome to. I have lots of chocolate chip cookie recipes on my site!
These bars will keep up to 1 week at room temperature … if they last that long at your house!
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Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars (with PB Cups!)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Press three-quarters of the dough into the base of the pan to create a smooth, flat, even base layer. Reserve the remainder.
- Evenly place peanut butter cups on top of dough in 3 rows of 3 cups each.
- Haphazardly crumble the reserved dough over the top in marble-sized pieces.
- Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until edges have set and top is just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 14 minutes for soft bars because they firm up as they cool.
- Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Cookie Bar Recipes:
Gooey Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Bars — A buttery shortbread crust topped with a creamy, buttery topping that’s almost like custard!! The bars live up to their gooey, buttery name!!
M&M’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars — Soft buttery bars loaded with M&M’s and chocolate chips are a guaranteed hit!! Fast, easy, foolproof, no mixer recipe that’s so much simpler than making cookies!!
Peanut Butter Cup Peanut Butter Bars — Loaded with peanut butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate!! Soft, gooey and totally irresistible! Everything’s better with peanut butter cups!!
Chocolate Chip Cookie S’mores Bars — Between layers of super soft chocolate chip cookie dough there’s chocolate, marshmallows, and graham cracker crumbs for the most DECADENT smores ever!! So EASY and just 4 main ingredients!!
Fudgy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars — Chewy oatmeal cookie bars with a thick layer of fudge in the middle! Whoa, hello chocolate overload!!
Loaded M&M’s Oreo Cookie Bars — Stuffed to the max with M&M’s and Oreos! These Oreo cookie bars are an easy, no-mixer recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes. Always a hit at parties!
Tagalong Cookie Bars — Say hello to year-round Girl Scout cookie season with these delish bars! All the flavors of the classic cookies in easy bar form!!
Thanks to Pillsbury® for sponsoring today’s post.
I’m super impressed with the texture of this dough, at least by the looks of the pictures. When you mentioned this to me, I thought you were talking about another mix, not premade dough. I would eat this stuff raw, I’m sure. It would be dangerous to have around in my house. :D
That said, I may have to find it for those nights when I just NEED some cookie dough.
You have GOT TO GET THIS DOUGH! Everything about it is PERFECT. You would never know that it’s 1. a premade product and 2. a GF one at that! You are going to love it. It’s also not super sweet. And there’s ample chips without being TOO many (I know you like your dough vs. chips )- but this is a great balance. Run to the store. You’re gonna love it.
Two ingredients and 13 min of baking – means I can have these in my mouth in no time! Win!
Exactly!! :)
Well hello, didn’t know they made a GF dough now. I love the idea of doctoring up pre-made dough. Super simple but creative!
It’s brand new and tell your sis. She will LOVE IT!! And your comment went to my spam but it’s out now – maybe that was the issue you were having with other sites. Sometimes certain ppl randomly get marked as spam, out of the blue. It happened to me about 18 mos ago and I had to write to other bloggers asking them to check their filters and dig me out!
These look great, Averie!! I have not seen this dough in the store, but I am sure if you say it is good it must be amazing! And 2 ingredients? Well, no one can beat that!
It’s brand new and if you know anyone who’s GF, it’s the best best! product I’ve ever used!
I had no idea that Pillsbury made gluten-free dough!
It’s brand new and if you know anyone who’s GF, it’s the best product for GF baking I’ve ever used!
Dang girl, this is straight up heavenly!! LOVE the look of these bars. Anything with 2 ingredients is a win-win.
Thank you! And thanks for the tweet, too! :)
Awesome!!! The girl that cuts my hair has to eat gluten free, but she’s so cute she always has gluten-full baked goodies for her clients. So I like to bring her treats and I am NOOO GOOD at gluten free baking. Problem solved!!! Hope I can find this where I live!
It’s a brand new dough and it’s the best best! product I’ve ever used for GF baking, hands down, without a doubt. And you will look like a SUPERHERO if you bring her a pan of these :) 13 mins. Done. :)
quick and delish… whats not to love here. Gluten free is a bonus
My thoughts, too!
i m loving the new gf dough. So easy to work with and of course your recipe looks divine! as always.
I always read your blog, just don’t get time to comment, today i am saying HI!
xxoo
Thanks for commenting my friend WHENEVER you can, and for reading, WHENEVER you can. We are all so busy – no explanations needed! xoxo
Thanks for the tweet, too! And including Pillsbury on it. That was so thoughtful of you :)
That’s awesome that Pillsbury is making a GF cookie dough now. I guaranteed that makes a whole lotta people very happy. Some of my friends included.
It’s brand new the best product I’ve ever used for GF baking and yes, will make tons of ppl very happy!
My favorite gluten free recipes are raw crackers from my dehydrator. I usually cut back on the amount of nuts/seeds and use a little coconut flour or unflavored pea protein powder in them to sop up some moisture so they dry out faster. I’m glad to see a good review on this ready to bake cookie dough. I have a gluten intolerant co-worker so this would be something she could eat and everyone else would love too! Oh-regarding the pesto recipe–yes, small world indeed and thanks for the links back to those recipes of yours. Both sound good right now!
Oh glad you saw those recipes – and yes, what a smallllll world is right!
And if you need a good GF dough, this is the BEST baking product that’s GF I have ever, ever used and I am supremely picky about things :)
My husband (who eats gluten-free) and I just tried Pillsbury’s cookie dough product. He was pleasantly surprised to find that they tasted pretty darn close to the real thing. Great idea to jazz them up a bit for him by adding the PB cup!
That’s awesome you’ve tried it as well and he likes it. Yes, I always jazz things up if I can :)
I have not heard of this cookie dough yet! I will for sure give it a try :) I am not gluten-free, but I love trying new things and this looks very simple and very tasty. Thanks for sharing! Do they make other flavors or only chocolate chip?
As far as I know, just choc chip. They also make pie crust and pizza dough. https://pillsbury.linqiad.com/click/YNlXaGXncXJk
They’re all brand new. I love them!!
These look so good, I would have said they were made from scratch! c:
Me too if I wasnt the one making them! :)
Wow so cool Pillsbury came out with this, so many people will be so excited!! I know I am. I love that you said your family didn’t know it was GF, that happened to me at a pizza place once, I didn’t know I was “accidentally” served GF but still loved it!! Nice surprise!!
That’s amazing that you were fooled with pizza dough! THAT is HARD to do! GF dough is HARD to pull off. Pillsbury has a pizza dough too! https://pillsbury.linqiad.com/click/YNlXaGXncXJk
This is dangerously easy to make, and by dangerous I mean I would make them all the time!
Yeah I know. :)