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Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Recipe
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Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Recipe

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie Bars: Made with Reese's and peanut butter fudge on a peanut butter cookie crust! The kids will go nuts for these sweet homemade treats.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
22 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 37 mins
Servings: 48 bars
Calories: 86 kcal
Course: Baked Goods
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Cookie Layer:
  • ½ cup shortening butter flavored
  • ¾ cup peanut butter creamy
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 egg large
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
For the Middle Layer:
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14 ounce
  • 2 Tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 1 bag peanut butter morsels 10 ounce
For the Topping:
  • 1 bag Reese's Pieces 14 ounce
  • 1 bag Reese's mini peanut butter cups 8 ounce

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. For the cookie, beat Crisco with peanut butter, milk and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in egg. Add flour, salt and baking soda, mix until thoroughly combined.
  2. Press cookie dough into a lightly greased 15x10 baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes, until browned. Remove.
  3. While baking, heat condensed milk with butter over low heat until warmed. Remove from heat, whisk in peanut butter morsels and stir until melted. Pour over warm cookie layer.
  4. Immediately press candies into top layer. Allow to set, about one hour. Slice and serve!!

Notes

  • I store cut cookie bars in a ziploc freezer bag on the counter. You can also freeze these for up to 3 months. The color of the candies may change slightly, but they taste delicious!
  • I used plain old shelf stable creamy peanut butter in the cookie crust. While the natural style peanut butter you keep in the fridge would also probably work, I can't vouch for the results. These varieties can sometimes be too oily and mess with the texture of peanut butter cookies. If you try it, let me know how it works for you!
  • You're not limited to Reese's candies here. M&Ms, crushed oreos, chocolate chips and mini Hershey's kisses would also taste great on the peanut butter bars! Get creative and have fun experimenting with different toppings.
  • Be sure to use sweetened condensed milk in the filling NOT evaporated milk!

Nutrition Information

Calories 86kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 10g (3%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Cholesterol 11mg (4%) Sodium 85mg (4%) Sugar 5g (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 48 bars

Amount Per Serving

Calories 86

% Daily Value*

Calories 86kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 85mg 4%
Sugar 5g 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.