Reese’s Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert Bars

How to make Peanut Butter Brownie Dessert Bars

These dessert bars are dangerously easy to make. Here’s the deets!

Prep your cookie pan…

First step is to always prep your baking sheets! Buttering and lining the baking pan with parchment paper may seem a little excessive, but trust us, it will make your life so much easier when you’re trying to remove the bars from the pan. Scroll for more details on prepping your baking dish.

Make peanut butter cookie dough…

The peanut butter dough is a sweet, soft dough that pairs so well with the fudge brownies. As it bakes, it becomes light and airy which ends up complementing the fudginess of the brownies. 

Like most cookie recipes, you’ll start by creaming butter and sugars together. Once that mixture is nice and creamy, you will add in peanut butter, eggs and vanilla, before adding your flour mixture. 

You can use a handheld electric mixer or stand mixer for this dough. 

Make brownie batter…

The brownie recipe we are using as the base is our popular fudgy brownies. They are to die for!!

All you need to make the brownies is a bowl, saucepan and a whisk – no electric mixer needed. 

You’ll start by melting butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth mixture. Use a whisk to mix chocolate into butter. 

Next you’ll pour the melted chocolate-butter mixture into a bowl, where you’ll add the remaining ingredients. Mix in sugar to help lower the temperature of the butter. Lightly whist eggs into the batter, on at a time! 

Lastly, you’ll fold in your flour-cocoa mixture into the batter until just combined. You want to make sure you don’t over mix the batter.

Assemble bars and bake…

The fun part!! First pour brownie batter into a 9×11 inch pan. Spread out the mixture in an even layer across the bottom of the pan. Scoop peanut butter butter dough in dollops across the top of the brownie batter. Gently press the peanut butter dough into the brownie mixture, leaving pockets of brownie showing. 

Lastly, sprinkle with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups and place in the oven to bake at 350ºF for 35-45 minutes until cooked through.

Cool, slice and enjoy!

Test doneness with a fork or tooth pick. If it comes out clean, It means they are done baking. 

Let the brownies cool before slicing. Slice into 12-16 bars. 

Easily remove dessert bars from the pan with this trick!

No one likes to leave bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Try this fool-proof method to remove brownies from the pan every, single time! 

1. Butter the pan. Making sure to cover the bottoms, corners, and sides. 
2. Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan making sure it is long enough to hang above the batter 1-2 inches. This parchment paper will act like a sling for your brownies.
3. After the dessert bars are baked and cooled. It is important that they are cooled for at least 10-15 minutes before you lift them from the pan. Carefully lift up on both sides of the parchment paper and lift up out of the pan. Place them on a cutting board to slice and serve.

Best way to store dessert bars…

Before you store your peanut butter brownie bars, make sure they have cooled completely. Whether your baking ahead or have leftovers, here are our tips for storing your brownies. 

• Room temperature: Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3-4 days. After about 4 days, they will start to dry out and won’t taste as good. 
• Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days. For the best shelf life, we recommend wrapping the bars tightly in plastic wrap. 
• Freezer: If you want to save some for a craving later on, freezing can be a good option. Cut and wrap each bar in plastic wrap. Store in a freezer safe ziplock or airtight container for up to 3 months. 

Pro tip for storing peanut butter brownie bars: If you are baking these in advance, don’t cut the bars until you are ready to serve. When you cut the bars, they have more air exposure and can dry out quicker.