All the familiar flavors of a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich in dessert bar form with a hint of honey and an irresistible chocolate chip streusel!
Oh, peanut butter and jelly! The classic combo that holds such a memorable taste of childhood for most of us. The combo that most of us still crave through adulthood. It just never gets old. It’s comforting and it’s downright delicious.
I’ve been baking up a version of these peanut butter and jelly bars since I was in college. It was my way of satisfying my craving for peanut butter and jelly all while trying to be a grown-up. Haha!
This recipe has taken on many tasty versions throughout the years with variations from the flavor of jelly I use to the consistency of the peanut butter (are you team creamy or team crunchy??) to even using peanut butter chips and peanuts in place of the chocolate chips on top, like in these fresh Strawberry Peanut Butter Bars.
They turn out so yummy every time and get such rave reviews. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve shared the recipe with. It’s actually embarrassing that I’m just now sharing my favorite version of these peanut butter and jelly bars here on the blog.
I’ve always been a big fan of drizzling honey in my peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a beautiful balance of flavor and sweetness, so instead of using granulated sugar to bake these bars, I use honey and oh my yum! The hint of honey in every bite is absolutely amazing!
We love switching up the jelly each time we bake these bars. Strawberry or blackberry are definitely our go-tos, but peach and even blueberry jellies make their way into them quite often. You really can’t go wrong!
And I always say the chocolate chips on top are optional, but come on! If we’re making peanut butter and jelly in dessert form, chocolate has to be invited to the party. 😉
These bars are so easy to make! A simple dough made with ingredients you probably already have on hand along with whichever jelly you’re feeling at the time.
You’ll prep the dough and then press two-thirds of it into the bottom of the baking dish. Spread with the jelly and then crumble the remaining dough over the top of the jelly to create this irresistible streusel top as the bars bake.
Finish the bars off by sprinkling them with the chocolate chips and into the oven they go for about 30 minutes…
That’s all there is to them!
They’re simple yet so scrumptious! The chewy peanut butter base with a thin layer of fruity jelly and a crunchy chocolate chip sprinkled streusel on top all come together so perfectly.
I could go on and on about how much we love these bars, and about how often I bake them for us and others, and about how I enjoy them for breakfast, lunch and definitely for dessert, but I don’t want you to wait any longer to bake them for yourselves. I know you’re going to love them just as much as we do!
Enjoy!
xoxo,
- 2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup jelly (any flavor)
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or line with parchment paper; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the peanut butter, butter and honey. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture until well combined and a thick dough forms.
- Transfer two-thirds of the dough into to the prepared baking dish. Press down evenly with your hands or a spatula. Spread the jelly evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Crumble the remaining ⅓ of the dough evenly over the jelly. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
- Bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.
PRODUCTS USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
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Hello, do you think l could use almond or coconut flour instead of all purpose flour? THank you.
Hi Diana! I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure exactly how they will taste or how the texture will turn out, but I think it’s certainly worth a try. Keep me posted on how they turn out for you. Fingers crossed. Enjoy!
Can these be frozen?
Hi Pat! Absolutely, they freeze great for up to 3 months. I put the bars in a freezer-friendly container between sheets of parchment paper. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving or enjoy them slightly frozen. 🙂
Yikes! Incredibly dry. Made them as written. Should’ve known by how thick the dough was. Maybe less flour if I try them again.
Oh no! What kind of peanut butter did you use? They should be dry at all given the amount of peanut butter in them. I’m wondering if your peanut butter was dried out. Sorry to hear they didn’t turn out as great as they are supposed to!