Peanut Butter Blondies filled with chocolate and peanut butter chips are soft, chewy, and begging to be topped with vanilla ice cream!
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies
Peanut butter blondies are a sweet treat that gives peanut butter lovers an excuse to indulge! These bars are a thick, chewy, gooey version of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and they’re just as easy to make.
With one bowl and no mixer required, all you need are simple baking staples, creamy peanut butter, and loads of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips to make these sweet, slightly salty, moist, and decadent blondies.
They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day and all sorts of special occasions, and they’re just as good as a game day dessert or a midday snack!
Bake up a batch and watch how quickly they disappear. Better yet, make two batches and freeze one for later!
Why you’ll love Peanut Butter Blondies
Perfect taste and texture – Slightly crispy on the outside moist and chewy on the inside, loaded with melty chocolate chips and the peanut butter flavor combined with the sweet brown sugar, makes this peanut butter blondie recipe one you’ll keep coming back to.
Add your favorite mix-ins – There is plenty of room for creativity! Swap the chocolate chips for Reese’s pieces and make Reese’s peanut butter blondies! You could also use white chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans too!
Simple one bowl recipe – There’s no electric mixer or stand mixer needed. All of it is done by hand, in one bowl, and the entire batch is ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
Equipment you’ll need
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
- Butter – Use either salted or unsalted. Just keep in mind that peanut butter can be salty, so you may want to omit the added salt if using salted butter.
- Peanut Butter – I highly recommend using a creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. It’ll hold together better than natural peanut butter which tends to separate.
- Brown Sugar – This type of sugar adds moisture and a caramelized flavor.
- Large Egg – Binds the blondies together so they hold up nicely. Bring the egg to room temperature before you begin.
- Vanilla Extract – For added flavor.
- Salt – Enhances all the other ingredients.
- All-Purpose Flour – Measure your flour correctly so you don’t end up with dense, dry blondies.
- Baking Powder – Not to be confused with baking soda! This will help keep your blondie bars nice and thick.
- Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter Chips – I like dark chocolate chips, but by all means, use milk chocolate or semi-sweet instead.
How to make Peanut Butter Blondies
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Step One: Melt butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the peanut butter until creamy.
- Step Two: Stir in the brown sugar and mix until smooth. Then, add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Step Three: Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Step Four: Gently fold in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Transfer the thick batter into a prepared 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper and use a rubber spatula to spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top.
- Step Five: Bake for 20-30 minutes until the center is set and the edges are golden. Once cooled slice them into 12 bars. 9 if you’re feeling generous.
What to serve with Peanut Butter Blondies
As mentioned above, these blondies are begging to be served with some ice cream! They are decadent as is, don’t get me wrong, but as they say, go big or go home.
Peanut butter frosting might also be excessive, but can you ever really have too much peanut butter?
Tips & Suggestions
- For clean slices, make sure they’re cooled first. Use a plastic knife or wipe whatever knife you use, between each slice.
- If you don’t care about clean cuts but want a bit of warmth to your blondie, have at it!
- They’re rich, so cutting them into 12 bars seems about right. You can cut them into 9 larger pieces if you feel extra generous.
- Avoid natural peanut butter. It can cause your blondies to become crumbly and essentially fall apart as they won’t hold together.
- Before you add the peanut butter to the measuring cup, lightly spray it with non-stick spray so it easily slides out.
How to reheat and store Peanut Butter Blondies
How to store leftovers
Keep them stored at room temperature for up to 4 days. If you’ve got a lot left, stack them and separate the layers with parchment paper.
Can I freeze blondies?
Sure you can! Wrap them individually in plastic wrap nice and tight and store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. Take out what you want to eat and allow them to thaw on the counter before consuming.
FAQs
The major difference is in the use (or lack of) cocoa or chocolate. Brownies are known for their fudgy, chocolaty goodness, whereas blondies get their awesomeness from vanilla and brown sugar.
Yep! I mean, there’s a point where too gooey means they’re not baked enough, but slightly gooey, and nicely chewy is what you want.
I haven’t tried, but if you do, I would suggest using a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour rather than trying to use something like almond flour or chickpea flour. Gluten-free flours can be finicky, so choose wisely!
Need more dessert bar recipes? Try these:
Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Click here for my entire collection of dessert recipes.
Originally published January 28, 2011; updated May 22, 2018; updated January 2024
Beth Wilson says
These look delicious! I know they’ll be over the top good, so I’m rating these 5 stars now. LOL
I do use organic peanut butter, but I will be making these very soon. THANK YOU for sharing this fabulous sounding recipe. I know my husband and I will love these!
Melissa Williams says
Thanks, Beth! Organic is fine (I made this batch shown with Costco Organic Creamy Peanut Butter), you just want to avoid the natural peanut butters that need to be stirred.