Description
These Peanut Butter Cup Gooey Cookie Bars are rich, decadent, and loaded with layers of chocolate chip cookie dough, gooey peanut butter filling, and mini peanut butter cups. Perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth, they’re an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Cookie Layers:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups (350 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the Peanut Butter Filling:
- 1 cup (240 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
For the Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups (225 g) mini peanut butter cups, chopped
Instructions
1. Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. Make the Cookie Dough:
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Prepare the Peanut Butter Filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the creamy peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar, and heavy cream until smooth and creamy.
4. Assemble the Bars:
- Press half of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the peanut butter filling evenly over the cookie dough layer.
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough over the top of the peanut butter layer, leaving some gaps for a gooey texture.
5. Add the Topping:
- Sprinkle the chopped mini peanut butter cups evenly over the top.
6. Bake:
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set but slightly gooey.
7. Cool and Serve:
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares. For cleaner cuts, chill the bars for 1 hour before slicing.
Notes
- Substitute the mini peanut butter cups with chopped Reese’s Pieces or additional chocolate chips for variety.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- For an even more decadent treat, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.