I have been making these peanut butter chocolate chip bars for years. I have sent them to blog readers, baked them for parties, taken them to co-workers and even brought them to yoga as a treat for my students on multiple occasions. I have never received a single complaint about these bars. They seem to always disappear quickly! I first blogged about this recipe on my old food blog years ago but I wanted to resurrect it and bring it to new light over here on Peanut Butter Runner after I baked the bars again last weekend and was reminded how amazing they are!
They are simple to put together and require a relatively small ingredient list of things I always seem to have on hand.
The original recipe is made in an 8 inch square pan but can easily be doubled and baked in a 9 x 13 if you’re baking for a crowd. The baking time tends to vary quite a bit depending on your oven and the size pan you use but I always recommend beginning to check them early and then every five minutes after.
You definitely want to avoid overbaking these bars because the thing about them is their soft and gooey chocolately peanut butter center. I always make these with natural peanut butter instead of something like Jif or Peter Pan. I think the oil in the natural peanut butter helps to enhance the gooey texture. Also, over the years I’ve transitioned to making these with sea salt instead of regular salt because the salty/sweet combo plays so well. They’re even great with an extra sprinkle of sea salt over the top before popping them in the oven to bake.
You can get creative with the batter mix-ins. I can only imagine that peanuts, mini Reeses, white chocolate, etc. would be delicious in this recipe. I also highly recommend serving them warm with a scoop of ice cream on top!
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July 22, 2026
I am such a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast. 95% of the time I’m craving a breakfast that is on the sweet side. That mostly alternates between smoothies or yogurt bowls with overnight oats, chia pudding or oatmeal occasionally thrown in there. On the rare occasion I go savory – it’s scrambled [...]
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July 19, 2026
I want to bottle up this summer and make it last forever (well, maybe minus the wildly hot and humid weather that makes running a big thumbs down). I mentioned this in my last post…but I am really enjoying the slower pace and the days that feel like they have more space. While I’m trying [...]
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July 10, 2026
Happy Friday! I hope this post finds you well and enjoying the summer. We are in the dog days of it over here in Charlotte – the heat and humidity is off the charts – but it’s something I’ll embrace because I deeply appreciate the massive slow down that summer has brought. A lot of [...]
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June 21, 2026
I recently traveled to Big Bear Lake, California for the inaugural Big Bear Peaks + Pines three-day stage race hosted by TransRockies Running. This was my third TransRockies event in 12 months (see also Colorado + Moab) and I’m here to tell you that they can do no wrong when it comes to race organization [...]
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May 30, 2026
Happy weekend! Another week in the books! I got three runs in (6.5 miles, 5.5 miles, 5.5 miles) and I have a trail run planned for tomorrow. Total weekly mileage will end up around 30-35 miles depending on if I go for 13 or 17 tomorrow! I’m 16 weeks out from the Golden Ultra so [...]
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May 23, 2026
Happy Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a very rainy one here in Charlotte and while I am a little bummed not to be spending the weekend in Florida with the fam or by the pool at our swim club (just opened for the season!), I’m also welcoming a slower pace and time at home. It’s been [...]
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May 3, 2026
Hi and happy May! As we roll into the first full week of a new month, I have almost a month’s worth of lunch ideas for you. It’s a great mix of sandwiches, bowls, salads and wraps. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your midday meal! Open-faced chickpea salad sandwich on toasted [...]
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