Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars are a simple, low-sugar and gluten-free indulgent cookie bar, loaded with rich peanut butter and irresistible chocolate chunks. Peanut butter cookie lovers will have a new favorite in these. 

I had an amazing weekend.

The kiddos I nanny turned 4 on Saturday, so my husband and I went to their family birthday party. They were so adorable and thoroughly exhausted from being the only kids in a house full of people, entertaining all of us.

I learned that everyone should go in on ONE gift for a four-year-old, because they’ll unwrap it and immediately want to pull it out of the box and play with it, losing all interest in the room around them. Done. So, one gift. Mental note.

Also, I learned that you need to still bake a small cake for kiddo to blow on and a separate cake to cut and serve. Kids like to stick their hands in cake. And when one adult laughs at them, they do it over and over again to show off. So, by the time you’re cutting the cake and serving it, it’s been played with and touched by kid fingers that were previously doing a number of germy activities. Noted.

My Easter Sunday was spent cleaning bathrooms and speed-walking around my neighborhood, so I’ll spare you the details.

Instead I’ll share with you my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars!! Hooray!

I started by wanting to make a flourless peanut butter cookie…but then I remembered that I attempt a flourless peanut butter cookie several times a year, absolutely hate the results, and simultaneously remember that I hate peanut butter cookies. Um, I know.

So, these are sturdier, because I’ve added reinforcing peanut flour and sturdy brown rice flour, but only enough for texture, not to take flavor away from the cookies. And of course these needed chocolate! Pretty sure that’s the only way I like peanut butter cookies. Loaded with chocolate. I chose to use some allergen-free Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chunks, but use whatever you love.

These cookies are sturdy and toothsome but so tender and moist from the loads of peanut butter and from carefully baking them so they don’t over-bake. Chocolate chunks keep the flavor bright and add another much-needed texture to these delicious cookie bars.

I know you’ll really love these cookie bars. And perhaps you’ll enjoy them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! Just a helpful suggestion, because we’re best friends. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars

2015-04-05 20:46:45

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars are a simple, low-sugar and gluten-free indulgent cookie bar, loaded with rich peanut butter and irresistible chocolate chunks. Peanut butter cookie lovers will have a new favorite in these. (makes an 8" square pan of cookie bars)

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Ingredients

1. 1 cup creamy peanut butter
2. ½ cup raw sugar
3. ¼ cup brown sugar
4. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
5. 1 egg
6. ¼ cup peanut flour (or PB2)
7. ¼ cup brown rice flour
8. ½ tsp. baking soda
9. ½ cup chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Line an 8” square baking dish with parchment and spray with nonstick spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to mix together the peanut butter, sugars, vanilla and egg until smooth. Then, add the flours and baking soda and mix until the dough pulls together.
3. Transfer ¾ of the dough into your dish and use your fingers or a spatula to press into an even base layer (I spray my fingers with nonstick spray to make it easier). Sprinkle the chocolate chunks over the cookie dough layer. Then use the remainder of the dough to crumble over the top and press slightly into the chocolate.
4. Bake the cookie for 25-28 minutes, until the sides seem to be a darker golden color and pulled away from the edges of the parchment (but be wary of overcooking, so better to be slightly undercooked than over).
5. Let the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Notes

1. I used Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chunks in this recipe.
2. I used PB2, which can be found at most stores in some form. I found mine at Walmart.

By Melissa @ Treats With a Twist

Treats With a Twist https://www.treatswithatwist.com/