If there is one food that I love more than anything else, it might be Peanut Butter. As a matter of fact, there may only be one thing I love more than that creamy, salty and sweet treat. That’s combining Peanut Butter with Chocolate. Add both flavors to a baked good and my day is made. So, that’s why I developed this recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bars.
I mean, it’s Peanut Butter and Chocolate and Cake and Cookie Bars!
How are you going to beat that!?!
Our Ingredients
The component list for our Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bars recipe is pretty straightforward. There’s nothing here that should be difficult to find in your favorite grocery store.
As I already mentioned, I love Peanut Butter. So, I use Peanut Butter Chips to add that extra pop of it within these bars. However, if you’d prefer the Chocolate to stand out a little more, you can replace the PB Chips with more Chocolate Chips.
Let’s get baking!
The Batter
Actually, before we begin whipping up our Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bar Batter (say that 5 times fast), you’lll want to knock out a couple of simple preparatory steps. First, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Next, prepare a 13″ x 9″ Baking Pan by coating it liberally with Cooking Spray or Butter.
Next, place the Peanut Butter, Softened Butter, Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar in a large bowl and cream together. Once the ingredients are completely combined, begin adding the eggs one at a time. Once the eggs have been fully incorporated, add the Pure Vanilla Extract and stir to combine.
While the Butters and Sugars are creaming together, place the All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder and Salt in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Add the Flour Mixture to the Butter, Sugar and Egg mixture and stir until completely combined.
Next, add the Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips to the Batter and stir until well combined.
Spoon the completed batter into the prepared 13″ x 9″ Baking Dish and spread it as evenly as possible.
Chocolate Topping
This is a portion of the recipe that can be skipped, if you’d prefer. However, I find it adds a nice, extra, Chocolate blast.
It also just looks cool! And, after all, presentation is everything!
Start by adding the Chocolate Chips to the top portion of a double boiler over medium-low heat.
- Be as careful as possible not to allow any moisture into the top portion while you are melting the Chocolate. This could cause it to “seize” and you’d have to start over. Who wants to do that? Heck, who wants to waste good Chocolate!?!
Once the Chocolate Chips have begun to melt, give them a stir. Continue to stir occasionally until all of the Chocolate has melted and is smooth.
Next, drizzle the Melted Chocolate over the top of the Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bar Batter with either a spoon, or just by carefully pouring it out of the double boiler. If possible, make the drizzle pattern into sort of a grid like in the photo above.
Here’s where we make it pretty!
Insert a small, sharp knife into the Batter at one end of the Baking Dish. Lightly drag it length-wise across the pan, like in the photo you see above. Do this 3 or 4 more times length-wise then switch and to it 6 or 7 times width-wise. Try to make sure each knife drag is about equal distance apart and you’re not too forceful with it. We, mostly, just want to “swirl” the Chocolate. Not displace a lot of the Batter. The result should look similar to the photo below.
Baking Time!
Place the Baking Dish into a preheated 350ºF oven and bake for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. You’ll know they Cake Bars are completely baked when you can insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
Once baking has completed, cool completely on a baking rack. Use a sharp knife to cut into your desired sized bars, serve and enjoy!
Final Conclusion
If you love the combination of Peanut Butter and Chocolate then these Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bars are going to be your new, favorite treat. They take all the flavors you enjoy and combine them into one wonderfully, luxurious baked good. Each bite gives you the salty and sweet combination you know and love from Peanut Butter contrasted beautifully by the regular pops of richness from the chocolate.
It’s a glorious marriage that will bring a smile to every member of your family.
They’re two great tastes that taste great together and you need to make them in your home!
If you have any questions about this or any of our recipes, just hit us up below in the comments. You can also reach us through our Contact Us page or through email.
Peanut Butter Cup Cake Bars
Makes Approximately 16 Bars
For the Batter
- 2/3 cup – Unsalted Butter – Softened
- 2/3 cup – Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 cup – Brown Sugar – Packed
- 1 cup – Granulated Sugar
- 4 – Eggs
- 2 tsp – Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups – All-Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp – Salt
- 2 tsp – Baking Powder
- 1 cup – Peanut Butter Chips
- 1 cup – Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
For the Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup – Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
For the Batter
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Prepare a 13″ x 9″ Baking Dish by spraying the inside liberally with Cooking Spray
- Place the Softened Unsalted Butter, Creamy Peanut Butter, Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar in a large bowl. Cream together until well combined and fluffy
- Add the Eggs one at a time, being sure they’re fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Add the Pure Vanilla Extract and stir to combine
- Place the All-Purpose Flour, Salt and Baking Powder in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the Flour Mixture to the Butter, Sugar and Egg Mixture and stir until well combined
- Next, add the Peanut Butter Chips and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips to the Batter and stir to combine
- Spoon the Batter into the prepared Baking dish and spread evenly
For the Topping
- Place the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips into the top portion of a Double Boiler over medium-low heat
- Stir occasionally until all the Chocolate has melted
- Carefully drizzle the Melted Chocolate in “grid” pattern on top of the Batter in the Baking Dish
- Lightly drag a sharp, small knife across the topping 4 times length-wise and 6 times width-wise to “swirl” the Chocolate
Baking
- Place the Baking Dish in a preheated 350ºF oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center
- Cool completely on a baking rack
- Cut into desired size Bars
- Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days
Be sure to check out our other Disney Dishes sweet treats:
Maple Creme Brûlée from Le Cellier
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Main Street Bakery
Pumpkin Mickey Waffles with Oven “Fried” Chicken and Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café’s Pumpkin Muffins
The Pumpkin Cheesecake from Disney Cruise Line
Pumpkin Beignets from Café Orleans
Croissant Doughnuts from Epcot
Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter
Peanut Butter Blondies from Sweet On You