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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

A modified take on Hershey's chocolate peanut butter cookies recipe
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Equipment

  • 1 medium mixing bowl
  • 1 stand mixer like Kitchenaid
  • 1 mixer paddle
  • 1 rubber / silicone spatula
  • 1 11 x 17 glass pan
  • 1 pastry bag
  • 1 fork

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients group

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cups baking cocoa
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3 tbsp cocoa nibs optional

Wet ingredients group

  • 1 & 1/4 cups butter or 2 1/2 sticks
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar or just use 2 cups total sugar of any type you want.
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped or crushed unsalted peanuts optional
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 & 2/3 cups peanut butter chips 1 or 2 packages, as preferred.

Topping

  • 2 tbsp peanut butter optional
  • 2 tbsp caramel optional

Instructions
 

Set out the butter and eggs to reach room temp

  • Let them sit for 2-4 hours or more before starting recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350

    Combine all dry ingredients in the medium mixing bowl

    • Use the fork to ensure they're all incorporated.

    Combine wet ingredients

    • Add butter, sugar, and vanilla.
    • Beat with paddle on "4" until fully incorporated.
    • Add peanuts and mix.
    • Reserve eggs and chips.

    Add dry ingredients to wet

    • Turn the mixer speed down to 2.
    • Add the dry ingredients in 2-3 batches until fully incorporated.

    Add the other ingredients

    • After all dry ingredients are incorporated, add the eggs.
    • After the eggs are incorporated, add the peanut butter chips.

    Prepare the pan

    • Use the butter wrappers to grease the pan.
    • Use the spatula to scrape the beater tool into the stand mixer bowl.
    • Use the spatula to scrape the stand mixer bowl into the glass baking pan.
    • Use the spatula to press the batter evenly across the pan.
    • Use the pastry bag to squeeze ribbons of peanut butter and caramel across the top of the batter.
    • Use the fork to lightly drag and press the peanut butter and caramel ribbons into the batter.

    Bake for at least 25 minutes at 350

    • For soft & gooey cookie bars, remove at 25-30 minutes.
    • For FIRM cookie bars, bake 30 to 35 minutes.
    • Mixture will puff up during baking. Firm cookie bars will stay puffed up, Gooey cookie bars will collapse somewhat during cooling.
    • After baking, cool for at least 2 hours.
    • Slice into preferred sizes and serve.