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Super simple, extra delicious, and perfectly sweet Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars. Easy shortbread, made with nutty brown butter and flavorful brown sugar, baked and layered with sweetened peanut butter. Each sweet bar is covered in chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Similar to a classic Millionaire Bar…but with a sweet, creamy peanut filling that makes them even more delectable. A fun addition to your Christmas table or Christmas Cookie Box

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

I shared a sneak preview of these over the weekend when I shared my Christmas Cookie Box. I can’t believe how many of you have messaged me since asking for the recipe! Of course, that got me very excited to share these simple but fun chocolate peanut butter bars. 

As crazy as it is, this is my first Christmas dessert using peanut butter. I thought about doing peanut cookies, but in end, I landed on these delicious bars that my family is excitedly waiting to try. 

It’s no secret that everyone in our family enjoys a chocolate peanut butter treat! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Which honestly is what inspired me to make these. Knowing how much everyone enjoys a peanut butter dessert, I figured these would be amazing handheld treats we could all enjoy and even have fun baking together. 

Actually back before we started the site, I used to take holiday cookie cutters, pour chocolate on the bottom, and then do a layer of peanut butter on top. The idea was to create holiday-shaped peanut butter cups, but they never quite worked out that well. 

These are similar, but with the addition of buttery brown sugar shortbread that creates an even yummier Christmas treat. Like a Millionaire bar but with sweetened peanut butter. 

And if you’re looking for a peanut-free Millionaire Bar, I already have a recipe for those. You can find them here! They’re yummy too, but we like this peanut butter adaption even more.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Here are the details

Start with the shortbread. I kept it simple, but I browned the butter, which is really key to adding delicious flavor to an otherwise flavorless base. Don’t skip! The nutty browned butter pairs so nicely with the flavors of the brown sugar and vanilla. 

While the shortbread bakes, make the peanut caramel layer, which really could not be simpler. I didn’t want to make it too sweet because I just didn’t feel it was necessary. So I opted out of using sweetened condensed milk and instead used maple syrup. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.comBring the mixture to a very gentle boil, then pour it over the shortbread and spread it in an even layer. At this point, chill the bars to help the peanut butter set up. Then cut the bars into cute little rectangles or squares and cover them entirely in chocolate.

Yummy! Oslo is going to be obsessed with these.

And my mom is really looking forward to trying these as well. She tries to avoid sugar, so I know she will enjoy the fact that these are not too sweet! 

These would be a great addition to your holiday dessert tables or cookie boxes, something fun for people to snack on that isn’t a cookie! 

Plus, I just love that they look like mini presents! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Tip for Success

Make sure the bars are thoroughly chilled before dipping them into chocolate. This is probably my biggest tip. If the bars are frozen, the chocolate will quickly set up and be easier to work with. Trust me, freeze the bars, then dip them through the melted chocolate.

This tip works well for any chocolate covered dessert! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other holiday dessert recipes? Here are my favorites: 

Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Asher’s 5 Minute Vanilla Bean Hot Cocoa

Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Brownies

Salted Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Blondies

Slice n’ Bake Bourbon Caramel Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Freeze time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 24 squares
Calories Per Serving: 298 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Add 1 stick butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer.
    2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. 
    3. In a bowl, beat together the remaining stick of butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour and mix until fully combined. Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden and toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.
    4. To make the peanut caramel. In a medium pot, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour over the shortbread. Freeze until firm, 30-60 minutes.
    5. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave. Stir eveery 30 seconds until melted.
    6. Cut the bars into 24 rectangle bars or 48 square bars. Freeze another 10-30 minutes to make dipping easier, then cover/dip each bar in chocolate. Let the chocolate set slightly, then sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until set. Keep stored in a cool dry place or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made these for a holiday cookie party and everyone went crazy over them. Made an extra batch for my son and his dad and stepmom as well as my family. They are addicting and we are all chocolate peanut butter fans. Take some time to make but so worth it. Yours in pic look prettier than mine but it did not matter!

    1. Hey Michelle,
      Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx

  2. 5 stars
    These came out so good!! Such good flavor! The brown butter is for sure key, lots of depth in flavor. Mine definitely didn’t come out as pretty as yours lol, maybe you can give us some tips on how you make yours so beautiful!

    1. Hey Jasmine,
      Happy New Year!!🎆 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review! xT

  3. 5 stars
    Made these ahead for Christmas Eve cookie tray. I had a hard time spreading the shortbread dough but it turned out great. I did crack a few of the squares while cutting. Perhaps I wasn’t using the proper knife?

    Overall the squares are delicious

    1. Hey Lori,
      I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Yes, these are great to make ahead! Merry Christmas! 🎁🎄

  4. 5 stars
    A friend and I tried this recipe yesterday. The shortbread layer didn’t turn out as expected, but I assume this is due to a beginner baker mistake (we ran out of flour, so had to let the dough sit while getting more). I typically prefer a darker chocolate with my sweets, so we went with semi-sweet; however, if we were to make this again, I think I would go with milk chocolate.

    Love the peanut butter spin on the traditional millionaire bars. Cookies still turned out delicious and look super fancy. Tieghan and her recipes are the best! We look forward to making these again next year!

    1. Hey Kristina,
      Happy Friday!!☃️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and your comment! Thanks so much for your kind message! xT

  5. Hello! Would it be possible to make the shortbread & caramel PB layer the night before and keep in the freezer? Then dip in chocolate the following day?:)

    1. Hey Jillian,
      Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT

    1. Hey Karen,
      Sure, that should work well for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT

    1. Hey Jillian,
      Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT

  6. 5 stars
    I made these last night, they are fantastic! Excellent flavor and not very difficult to make. I don’t think you can go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate and the coconut oil gives off just a hint of flavor. Teighan, mine aren’t as cute as yours as I was all thumbs as to how to get them in/out of the chocolate, let the excess chocolate drip off and get them on to wax paper without my fingers touching them! An excellent recipe, will be making again.

    1. Hey Elizabeth,
      Happy Monday!❄️🎄 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT

  7. Getting ready to try these out. They look amazing! Couple of questions. 1. Based on other comments it sounds like I melt the coconut oil prior to measuring it the first time it is used. The second time it sounds like it is not melted prior to measuring, correct? 2. Do you really melt the chocolate prior to cutting and freezing the bars? I would think the chocolate would be too set by the time I am ready to dip. Thanks for all the amazing recipes!

    1. Hi Katharine,
      Yes, the coconut oil is measured in the melted state. Yes, you want to melt the chocolate so it can evenly spread. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx

  8. Hello,
    Want to embark on trying this recipe but wondered whether you used natural creamy peanut butter or something like Jif?

    Thanks

    1. Hey Cydney,
      I like to use natural peanut butter because that’s what I buy, but use whatever you like:) Let me know how this recipe turns out, I hope you love it! xT

  9. 5 stars
    I made these for a cookies and cocktails party and they were a huge hit! I got several compliments. It’s a super easy recipe to make and they are so yummy. They taste like a combo of a reeses and a butterfinger with the crispy brown butter crust and creamy peanut butter filling. Next time I think I will try milk chocolate instead of semi sweet chocolate.

    1. Hey Stephanie,
      Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! xx

  10. 5 stars
    These were excellent, easy, and looked professionally made! My friends couldn’t believe I’d made them at home. A keeper recipe for sure!

    1. Hey Mindy,
      Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️

  11. I’m confused about the coconut oil. It is in step 4 with the peanut butter and again in step 5 with the chocolate. Do you divide the 1/4 cup between the two?

      1. Thanks Lili and Jen! I thought it was just me? I read that thing like 4 times trying to find out what I missed on the coconut oil.

      1. Hi Tieghan,

        Am I remembering correctly that you showed on Instagram you can spread the chocolate on the frozen bars in the pan instead of cutting up first and then dipping?

        1. Hey Heather,
          You bet, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT

    1. Yes, coconut oil is listed twice in the ingredient list. I saved this to my recipe box. So I went back into the HBH cite where Tieghan walks you though the recipe. Here the chocolate and 2T coconut oil are lumped together in the ingredient list so you know they are together. But whenever this occurs in a recipe the ingredients are usually used in order listed.

    2. Hi Jen,
      You are using 1/4 cup of coconut oil in step 4 and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in step 5. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe!! xx