These Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars are a fun, easy twist on the classic PB&J sandwich!. Chewy and salty peanut butter cookie base with a fruity jam filling and a crumbly nutty topping.They are definitely comfort food at their best!
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Why you will love these Peanut Butter and Jelly bars
My Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars are a fun, easy twist on the classic PB&J sandwich! They give you the same flavors as the classic sandwich in a bar form.
Chewy and salty peanut butter cookie base with a fruity jelly topped with crumbly ,nutty oat topping.
For more peanut butter recipes try my Nutella stuffed peanut butter cookies or Peanut butter nutella sandwich cookies.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – I used unbleached all purpose flour.
- Granulated Sugar– I like to use granulated white sugar
- Light Brown Sugar : You can use dark or light brown sugar.I prefer to use light brown sugar here.
- Eggs – I used room temperature large eggs
- Unsalted Butter: Make sure to use room temperature butter.You can substitute with salted butter in case unsalted butter is not available
- Peanut butter- I like to use creamy peanut butter for baking. I don’t recommend natural peanut butter. The texture will not be the same.
- Old Fashioned Oats– They add a wonderful chewy texture to the topping.
- Jam- Any type of fruit jam or jelly would work.
- Salt- Don’t skimp on the salt as that really helps in bringing out peanut butter flavor.
Step by Step instructions to make peanut butter and jelly bars
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 350F/177C. Grease and line an 8*8 inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on the sides
Step 1: Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set them aside.
Step 2: In another bowl cream together butter, peanut butter and sugar for 2-3 mins until well combined.
Step 3: Mix in the vanilla and egg until well combined. Take ⅔rd of this dough and press into a prepared pan.
Step 4: For the topping, stir the old fashioned oats into the remaining ⅓rd peanut butter dough until well combined. Place the dough into the freezer for 10 minutes. This will ensure the dough firms up and will allow you to crumble it on top of the jam layer.
Step 5: After 10 mins, spread the jam all over the base layer making sure to leave ½inch from the borders. This would ensure that the jam does not leak out while baking.
Step 6: Crumble the remaining peanut butter on top of the jam layer and sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top.
Step 7: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 30-35mins.
FAQ’s
What kind of peanut butter to use?
For this recipe I used creamy peanut butter however any kind, creamy or crunchy would work well here too. I wouldn’t recommend using natural peanut butter in this recipe as its too runny and wont bake properly.
What kind of jam to use?
Use any flavor of jam, jelly or preserve for these bars.The traditional flavor choice for these bars is grape. I used a mixed berry preserves here. You can even use homemade jam for these bars if you fancy.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes! You can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 dish, the baking time may need to be adjusted.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use a kitchen scale: Baking with a scale is faster, easier, and overall much more accurate than cup measurements.
- Do not underbake: Do-not underbake the base cookie otherwise the bars will turn out too soft and crumbly.
- Cut after cooling: Let the bars cool completely before cutting otherwise they will be too gooey and fall apart.
How to store and freeze peanut butter and jelly bars
The best way to cut these bars is to let them cool down completely when they are out of the oven. While in the pan place them in the refrigerator for 2 hours or in the freezer for 30 mins. Once chilled, cut into squares using a sharp knife.
Once cut, these can be stored in an air tight container for 4-5 days.
Freeze the bars in a plastic bag or sealed container for up to 1 month.
More recipes to try
If you tried this or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! Also, please leave a star rating while you’re there! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Recipe 📖
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- 8*8 Square Baking Pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ granulated white sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup old fashioned oats optional
- ¾ cup jelly or jam, any flavor
- ½ cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF degrees. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl beat together the peanut butter, sugars, and butter until smooth. Add the egg, beat until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, stir just until blended.
- Press ⅔ of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Stir the oats into the remaining ⅓ batter until mixed well.
- Spread the jelly/jam evenly over the batter. Crumble the remaining batter evenly over the jam and sprinkle with peanuts.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until bars are golden brown on top. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Lift the bars out of the pan by the parchment overhang. Cut into squares when cooled completely.
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