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! 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.
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. Bring 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!
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! 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
