From one peanut butter lover to another, you’ll want to most devoutly, devour these thick & scrumptious gourmet peanut butter cookie bars!
They are generously loaded with chunks of Reese’s peanut butter cups and mini chocolate chips stuffed with a creamy cream cheese filling in the middle. Extremely yummy.
Put your favorite candies on top to make it festive to your special occasion or party!
Using your favorite colored sprinkles and candies of festive colors to celebrate to top of your bars.
Change out the peanut butter cups with your favorite candy bars and the same with the mini chocolate chips. They don’t have to be mini and they can be any flavor, that goes with peanut butter of course!
These bars are soft, delicious and addicting. Besides those obviously, delicious details, these are also a perfect reason to make for all your upcoming parties, family gatherings, holidays.
Or giving to some special people in your life, that way you aren’t trapped alone with these bars. Crazy as it is to say, did I mention addicting above right?
Everyone will love these and they look like they would be hard to make right? Well, rest assured, they are not hard to make, so all you need are the ingredients and oven and an 8×8 pan.
You can give them your own personal touch with your favorite add-ins but still have a delicious treat worth eating, baking and then repeating.
Peanut Butter Reese's Cream Cheese Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Reese's Cookie Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 20 to 30 mini Reese's Cups chopped up & divided into two groups
- Additional for Festive Touch: Candy bars, Reese's mini cups, chocolate chips, M&M's, Reese's Pieces, Sprinkles, etc
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz . cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Peanut Butter Reese's Cookie Dough
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, using mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars, until smooth and fluffy.
- Add egg and vanilla extract and combine until mixed.
- Gradually add the flour mixture into the wet mixture mixing well after each addition.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream cheese filling: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread ⅔ of the cookie dough in the bottom of the 8-inch baking dish.
- Add a little over half of the chopped or mini Reese's cups and half of the chocolate chips on top of cookie dough.
- Pour and spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough/Reese's cup layer.
- Using your fingers, crumble the remaining dough over the top of the cream cheese layer.
- Add the remainder of the Reese's cups, chopped and sprinkle the mini chocolate chips on top.
- Cover with foil loosely and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 25-35 minutes, or until it is lightly browned on top and the cream-cheese layer is set.
- Transfer from oven and add any sprinkles or candies you wish on top. Cool on a wire rack. Cut and store leftover bars in refrigerator.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from my Peanut Butter Reese’s Cream Cheese Cookie Bars
All my favorites are here, Kim! How could these bars not be completely addicting? I’ll have to make these for my kiddos when they’re home so they can help me eat them all! awesome recipe, thanks!