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Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Swirled Cookie Bars. Sweet, doughy, and buttery, filled with chocolate chips, and swirled with creamy peanut butter. If your day needs a sweet, chocolatey treat, you should be making these bars…because sometimes all you need to brighten your day is a really good cookie!
You’ve probably guessed by now, but for whatever reason I am into baking at the moment. All summer long I’ve been baking up fresh fruit desserts (hello to this blueberry buckle, this peach cake, these raspberry bars, and this galette). But with school starting up again this week (Asher’s first day is Thursday), and feelings of fall beginning to settle in, I’m left craving some more classic recipes that remind me of being a kid.
Sooo. Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
I’ve said this one times too many here on HBH, but when my brothers and I were kids my mom would make homemade cookies at least twice a week. We’d come home from school to cookie dough, eat some, and then help her bake fresh cookies. She’d always make a batch and half to ensure that there was enough dough to fill a 9×13 inch Pyrex pan with extra dough for eating.
She’s a smart thinker.
Honestly, baking cookies with my brothers and my mom are some of my best memories from growing up and it’s always so comforting to be reminded of them. It seems every single year that late August rolls around I love digging back up these memories. Do you guys ever do this? It’s kind of fun to feel like a nine-year old kid again, even if it’s only for five minutes while you stand over the mixing bowl and shovel in spoonfuls of homemade cookie dough…
Anyway, I’ve been really excited to share this recipe with you today. It’s one that has been requested over and over by friends, family, and you guys, so I’m glad to finally be sharing. Because let’s be real, the combo of chocolate and peanut butter is pretty unbeatable.
Let’s talk details.
It was really important to me that I keep this recipe as simple and classic as possible. There is a time and place for over the top desserts with crazy flavors and things, but sometimes you just need a good cookie bar. One with classic flavors, a doughy center, too many chocolate chips, and a ripple of peanut butter running throughout.
That is these bars.
I used my mom’s base recipe for the cookie dough, which I do believe is the very same recipe that’s listed on the back of the Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. I think the only changes mom made was reducing the sugar and adding more chocolate chips.
My addition? Salted butter, which I swear is the secret to giving baked goods that extra special touch. If you haven’t tried it, you have to bake with salted butter. You have to.
And now that I think of it, I am 99.9 % sure my mom always bakes with salted butter too, and her desserts are nothing short of perfect. So bake with salted butter. You’re going to love it.
Moving on.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add your eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Stir in lots of chocolate chips. You could also use dark chocolate chips, but then if you’re making cookie bars why not make them really good…
Hint, hint. Use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Snack on some dough (only use pasteurized eggs and toasted flour). Then spread the dough in a baking dish. Dollop with peanut butter and add the remaining dough. Bake, smell the deliciousness coming from your oven. Wait (impatiently) for twenty minutes, find some cold milk, grab a fork and eat hot cookies, right out of the pan because it’s Tuesday and summer is coming to an end soon, and sometimes in life, you just need to live a little.
Today is a good day to live a little.
Eat hot cookies with a glass of cold milk and enjoy every last moment of it.
Very dramatic aren’t I? But really, did I sell you? Pretty sure as my mom reads this that she’ll be hopping up from her computer, calling for Asher, and running to the kitchen to find herself some butter, sugar, eggs, flour, chocolate chips, and peanut butter.
Hoping you all have the same reaction, because like I said, sometimes you just have to do what sounds so amazingly good and comforting. Eat cookies now…have salad for dinner (new salad recipe coming Thursday!). And maybe even a smoothie for breakfast.
Balance, it’s all about balance.
And with that, enjoy your Tuesday…and make cookies!
If you make these chocolate chip peanut butter swirled cookie bars, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every one of you. And of course, if you do make these cookies, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
The Best Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Swirled Cookie Bars
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 1527 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2-3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, and baking soda, beat until combined. Stir in the the chocolate chips.3. Spread 1/2 the dough out in the prepared dish. Dollop and then gently swirl the peanut butter into the dough. Add the remaining dough overtop, don't worry if the dough doesn't fully cover the peanut butter. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, until just set in the center. Let cool and then cut into bars. Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Notes
*If you don't have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in place of the salted butter.
These cookie bars look like a dream, I love the peanut butter swirl!
Thank you so much Laura!
Well.. I made this for my family and it was a HUGE HIT! so much so that they requested I make this every family gathering. These cookie bars are THE BEST! thank you for coming up with this recipe!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Jessica!
These were great! Moist and delicious, everyone loved them
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you Cassandra!
Hi Tieghan – Just found your site a couple of weeks ago and made two recipes of this tonight – one for my office and one for my husband’s … he swears he’s stopping for a gallon of milk on the way in after taste-testing a corner tonight! I’m debating trying another recipe this weekend for neighbors, trying it with fresh ground honey roasted peanut butter. I thought the salty of the regular peanut butter would be best, but now I think either would be yummy. Thank you! I look forward to enjoying many more recipes. Wonderful photography as well – you are doing a phenomenal job with this blog.
I am so glad you loved these Bonnie! Thank you so much! You are so sweet!
This recipe was really easy to put together. I wish there was a tiny bit more dough – or next time I’ll use a smaller baking dish. By only using half the dough, the bottom layer didn’t quite make it to the edge of the pan and the bars came out quite thin.
Hi Hilary! I am glad you liked these and hope you love them even more the next time you try them! Thank you!
I baked these 2-3 minutes less than instructed. Dry, dry, dry. Even with the worlds biggest glass of milk/ still dry. No worries tho, still love your recipes and photos.
Maybe a little oil would improve moistness?
HI, did you do anything differently to the recipe? These should be dry in anyway. Hope I can help problem solve for you! Thanks so much! x Tieghan
Your gorgeous pic of these choco chip peanut butter bars popped up on my Instagram story feed. You saved my cravings. I’m currently devouring these in the most unattractive way possible. Texture and taste hit the spot! And I’m so glad I’m not the only one who uses salted butter! Loveeeeeeee!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you are loving these cookie bars, Nam! Thank you!
These are so good! Most went into the freezer for next weekend’s party. The rest are my husband’s lunch box treat this week. Everyone will be happy with these bars! Thanks for the recipe,!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Fran!
Made these yummy bars today! Thank you for the recipe. I had to adjust baking time, baked for about 32 min.
I am so glad you liked them! Thank you JoAnna!
SOOO YUMMY!!!
Worthy of my 1st Insta post since June 2nd?
YES! I am so glad you loved this Kristy! Thank you!
How do you know when the cookie is cooked?
The edges should be browned and set the center should no longer be wiggly, but just a little on the doughy side. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
Hey Teighan! I’m making this right now with my 6 year old daughter. Wanted to ask if you’d clarify how packed the brown sugar should be. I’m just going to pack it gently this time around, but have noticed you generally don’t note whether brown sugar is loosely poured or packed. Thanks!
HI Renee! I just like to loosely pack brown sugar. So sorry, I will clarify that in the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you loved this recipe. Thanks so much! x Tieghan
I’m 100 percent with you on salted butter. I feel like it brings out the buttery flavor, and that’s never a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. Team Salted Butter all the way.
Haha love that! Thank you Amanda!
My Mom has always baked with salted butter and I do too. I agree, it is the best for baking!
Yes! Thank you Lauren!
I so so so agree! The idea that unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt is not a good reason. Salted butter has never made something too salty, you just have to be smart about adding any more than that.
Thank you so much Ashley!