Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars make the perfect dessert! These cake mix bars come together easily with yellow cake mix, chocolate chips, and peanut butter to make everyday baking easy and delicious.
If you like peanut butter desserts, try our amazing Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars and Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies!
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Delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars with Yellow Cake Mix
This is one dreamy bar that requires a few simple ingredients you likely have in your pantry. These easy Cake Mix Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars are so scrumptious; you’ll have a hard time sharing and not eating them all yourself!
Do you see that fudgy, irresistible center and crumbly topping?
Who can pass up the combination of PB and chocolate? What could be better? We’re not sure there is a more classic dessert flavor combination than chocolate and peanut butter!
You should also try these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars drizzled with chocolate!! Not to be outdone by Peanut Butter Saltine Toffee (aka Christmas Crack!!)
Ingredients for Cake Mix Bars with Peanut Butter
For the crust and topping you’ll need:
- Box of Yellow Cake Mix – any brand will do.
- Butter – salted or unsalted.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – we like natural peanut butter, but you can use your favorite brand.
- Eggs – large, room-temperature eggs.
For the filling you’ll need:
- Chocolate Morsels – we like semi-sweet chocolate chips, but dark chocolate would also be great.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – to give the recipe a nice rich, fudgy flavor
- Butter – salted or unsalted.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – the better quality, the better your result.
Here are the supplies you’ll need:
- Mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon or spatula
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Small pot
- Knife to cut them when they’re done baking.
A Peanut Butter Dessert for Christmas
One of our favorite times to bake these bars is during the holidays. They make such a wonderful addition to bring to a cookie exchange.
Here are some of our other favorite holiday treats:
Christmas Crack – the irresistible cracker toffee that’s easier than you think to make.
Homemade Almond Roca – a classic recipe you’ll use year after year.
Peppermint Bark – this highly addictive candy is perfect for any holiday celebration.
Easy Christmas Treats – over 50 treat recipes that will get you in the holiday spirit!
Cranberry Bliss Saltine Toffee – the combination of cranberry bliss and toffee is not to be missed.
How to Make Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
Even if you’re a novice in the kitchen, you can easily make these peanut butter bars with cake mix.
To get started, place your oven-rack in the middle position and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. (177 degress C.)
STEP 1 – MIX CRUST AND TOPPING INGREDIENTS
Now, in a large mixing bowl, combine yellow cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and both eggs in a large bowl, mix until combined.
STEP 2 – PRESS CRUST INTO PAN
Reserving 1½ cups of your mixture to crumble on top, press the cake batter into a 9X13 baking pan.
STEP 3 – MAKE CHOCOLATE FILLING
Next, in a small pot over medium to medium-low heat, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter together. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
STEP 4 – ADD CHOCOLATE FILLING AND TOPPING
Now, spread the chocolate mixture over the batter that’s already pressed into the pan, and then crumble the 1½ cups of reserved cake mixture evenly on top.
STEP 5 – BAKE
Finally, bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Take out of the oven and cool completely before cutting into bars.
Tips for Making These Bars
- Make sure not to turn your pot with your chocolate up too high, or you’ll burn the chocolate mixture.
- You can add half peanut butter chips and half semi-sweet for a fun twist.
- Other additions that work well are nuts, toasted coconut, or butterscotch chips.
How To Store Your Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar Recipe
You can store your Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars in an airtight container on the counter for about 5 days.
To Freeze:
PB Chocolate Bars freeze well. Place them in a freezer-safe, airtight container, label and date it, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To thaw, simply take out of the freezer and keep them at room temperature. You can always rebake them at 250 degrees F. if you want them to have a fresh-baked flavor.
Other Chocolate Recipes
If you love baking with chocolate, try some of these recipes.
Dark Chocolate Brownies
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Now, let’s get baking!
If you try our Cake Mix Peanut Butter Bars or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it went in the comments below, we love hearing from you! Better yet, use the hashtag #suburbansimplicity if you make the recipe.
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon or spatula
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Small pot
Ingredients
For Crust and Topping
- 1 15.25 oz box Yellow Cake Mix
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 eggs
For Filling
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, combine yellow cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs; mix until combined.
- Reserving 1 ½ cups of the mixture to crumble on top, press the cake batter into a 9X13 baking pan.
- In a small pot over medium to medium-low heat, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter together. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Spread chocolate mixture over the batter already pressed into the pan, and then crumble the 1½ cups of reserved cake mixture evenly on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Make sure not to turn your pot with your chocolate up too high, or you’ll burn the chocolate mixture.
- You can add half peanut butter chips and half semi-sweet for a fun twist.
- Other additions that work well are nuts, toasted coconut, or butterscotch chips.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on November 21, 2016. It was updated with enhanced instructions and images on December 1, 2020.
Gifting Your Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar Treats
If you’d like to share your peanut butter bars with family and friends, you can use an airtight container or wrap them in cellophane for transport. Tie a cute bow and tag around the top, and you’re all set!
It just cannot be denied; peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven! So grab your baking supplies and bake up some dreamy Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars with yellow cake mix today!
