Chewy Apple Peanut Butter Bars
Chewy dessert bars layered with fresh apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and peanut butter chips. Chewy Apple Peanut Butter Bars are easy to make and are totally addictive.
Soooo tell me I am not alone in shamelessly dunking my apple slices into the peanut butter jar.
It's like... dream snacking. Sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy. Apples and peanut butter are all the good things.
Sometimes I even call apples and peanut butter lunch. Because protein. So basically these are protein bars.
Just kidding.
They will test you though, these bars. Not eating the whole pan is an exercise in self control.
I finally caved last week and had TV service installed. My 7 or 8 year hiatus was finally broken down by a flaky Hulu app and a fancy talking sales rep named Nancy.
I really liked Nancy.
So between Nancy's job skills and Chad doing Yes!-Now-I-Can-Watch-UFC cartwheels around the room, my cable-ban resolve went right out the window.
Now we have to practice a new kind of self control which involves taking in home improvement channels in tiny little doses so that I don't spend my days obsessing over all the things in my house that ARE NOT DONE.
I was going to tell you that it would be easier to not eat a whole pan of these Chewy Apple Peanut Butter Bars, but that would be a lie.
These bars win.
I can't remember where I found this recipe originally, just that a version of it was one of my very first posts back in 2011. Since then I have added things and taken others away, changed up the pan size and increased the bake time. The result in a crazy good cookie bar loaded with fresh apples and peanut butter chips, that is seriously so delicious you will have to give them away for the sake of wearing non-elastic pants.
- ½ cupunsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups chopped apples (See Note)
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9 X 9 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then stir in the vanilla.
- In another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingretients. Then stir in the apples, peanut butter chips, and pecans.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan (the batter will be THICK).
- Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, and then cool completely before cutting into squares.
This post was also part of the Leftovers Club! Every month a group of bloggers gets together to mail each other goodies. We post the recipes here. In theory all these treats should mail well. If you'd like to participate you can learn more HERE.
See all the other treats we stuck in the mail below...
If I want it to be vegan
I've never tried this combination, but will definitely be trying it this weekend. I hold a brunch every Sunday at my house after church, so my "guinea pigs" will get to test these out. Thanks. Will let you know how they went over.
Thank you, Nancy! Hope they turned out well for you!
I used 1cup nutty peanut butter and it worked
Great
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know! Lots of readers check the comments for tips so I'm sure this will come in handy 🙂
Could I use real nutty peanut butter instead of chips
Is how much
You can try! But peanut butter is creamy and Peanut Butter Chips are not, so it will be an experiment for sure an I can't promise that will turn out. Let me know if it woks, though!
been looking for this recipe for yeeeeears!!! got it originally about 20 years ago. lost it through the years. thanks!!
Hi Sally! So glad you're excited! This is one of my favorite recipes ever! It has been changed from the original version because I actually do not remember where I found it originally. The original version also did not include peanut butter chips so I hope this is actually the recipe you need, but I promise you'll love it either way 🙂
So the last month I have been on this apples-n-peanut-butter kick. Without fail, I slice an apple and dip the pieces in peanut butter every day at 3pm at my desk. These lovely bars look way more fun than my granny smiths and spoonfuls of skippy! Great combo!
Thanks Kelly! Also I wil be joining you at your desk. 3 pm sharp.
These bars are so delicious, peanut butter and apple look lovely together 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you!
This is one gooood looking treat! Love the addition of apples!
Thanks so much Lisa!
Apple and peanut butter and the best combo-- this looks great!
Heather, girlfriend you know how to blend flavors. Great pic, my camera is dead and I have not learned to use my Son's yet?? Beautiful!
WOW! These bars are calling my name. If it has peanut butter, I'm a goner. Lucky partner!
These seriously look amazing!
You are most definitely not alone in your apple-dipping ways. One of my absolute favorite snacks is an apple with peanut butter. I would loooove these bars!
apples are just meant to be dunked in peanut butter 🙂 it just goes together
It DOES!!! Thanks Heather!