Description
These Peanut Butter Cup Gooey Cookie Bars combine the richness of peanut butter and chocolate chips with a sweet, creamy condensed milk layer for an irresistibly gooey dessert. Perfectly soft and chewy, with pockets of peanut butter cups throughout, these bars make a decadent treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
Filling and Topping
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, halved
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring a well-aerated base for the dough.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly to combine and create a smooth batter.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until a soft cookie dough forms without overmixing.
- Fold in Chips: Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips to ensure even distribution throughout the dough.
- Layer Dough in Pan: Press two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, creating the base layer for the bars.
- Prepare Filling: In a small bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and creamy peanut butter until smooth and well incorporated.
- Add Filling Layer: Pour the peanut butter and condensed milk mixture evenly over the dough layer in the pan.
- Top with Peanut Butter Cups: Sprinkle the halved mini Reese’s peanut butter cups evenly over the filling layer for bursts of peanut butter goodness.
- Crumble Remaining Dough: Crumble the remaining one-third of cookie dough over the top of the peanut butter cups to create a crumbly topping.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is just set, ensuring gooey but fully baked bars.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the parchment paper and slicing into 24 bars for serving.
Notes
- You can substitute chopped full-size Reese’s peanut butter cups if mini ones aren’t available.
- For firmer bars, refrigerate the bars before cutting to help them set.
- These bars freeze well for up to 2 months; thaw before serving.
