Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut butter and jelly bars are sweet and crunchy, filled with all the nostalgic flavors of a classic PB&J sandwich. It’s an easy cookie bar that tastes just like my favorite childhood sandwich!

I love making fun and easy dessert bars inspired by some of my favorite foods and treats, like my apple pie bars and strawberry shortcake bars.

Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Do you know why a peanut butter and jelly sandwich always tasted so good? It’s because nine times out of ten, it was made with love (thanks, Mom!). These peanut butter and jelly bars have that same warm and fuzzy energy. Here’s why you’ll love them:

• Classic flavor. Biting into one of these bars brings back all the memories I have as a child stuffing my face with a PB&J fresh from my lunchbox. The peanut butter filling is thick, like frosting, and the jelly is deliciously fruity and sweet, set between a crunchy cookie crust and buttery crumble topping.
• Almost as easy to make. These cookie bars take a bit more time to make than a sandwich, but they’re just as easy to assemble. All it takes is a bit of layering and a short bake in the oven.
• Great for sharing. I love bringing these bars to potlucks so everyone can get in on the nostalgia. Who can resist a sweet, creamy, chewy cookie bar packed with the flavors of a favorite childhood sandwich?

What You’ll Need

You’ll need your usual pantry staples (flour, sugar, etc.) to make the crust and topping, plus a few extras (peanut butter and jelly, obviously) to make these easy PB&J bars. Below are some notes on the important ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with amounts.

• Crust – For the cookie crust, you’ll combine cold cubed butter with an egg, sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt.
• Butter – The butter for the peanut butter layer should be at room temperature.
• Peanut Butter – I like to use creamy peanut butter, but you can use crunchy. Whichever kind you choose, I recommend using old-school, shelf-stable peanut butter. Natural peanut butter tends to make the filling oily.
• Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar. I recommend powdered sugar over regular sugar as it makes the filling smooth instead of grainy.
• Vanilla – Real vanilla extract is a must for the best flavor.
• Jelly – Smucker’s strawberry preserves are my go-to, but you can use your favorite jam or jelly (see below).
• Crumble Topping – I top these bars with an easy oat crumble, which is basically my streusel recipe with oats mixed in. You’ll need basic dry ingredients like flour, salt, brown sugar, old-fashioned oats, as well as cold butter.

Which Jelly Goes Best With Peanut Butter?

Some will tell you that grape jelly is the best for a classic PB&J, but I’ve always been a Smucker’s strawberry jam girl. You can make your peanut butter jelly bars with strawberry, grape, raspberry, or any jelly you like, just make sure it’s a nice one! Jelly is ½ of the flavor in these bars.

How to Make Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

These peanut butter and jelly bars are my cure for a rough day. The first time I made them, biting into one was like unlocking a core memory. Sunny days outside as a kid, munching on a soft and sweet PB&J. No bills, nowhere to be, just bliss. 

Here’s how to recreate that feeling in your own kitchen, in just a few quick steps:

• Prepare the crust. First, you’ll work cold, cubed butter into the dry crust ingredients. Press the cookie dough into the bottom of a greased 9×13” baking dish, and bake at 375ºF for 20-25 minutes.

• Make the peanut butter filling. Next, beat softened butter with the peanut butter, then mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread this over the cooled crust. Place that into the freezer to chill.

• Make the crumble. Meanwhile, mix the dry ingredients for the topping, and cut in the butter until you get a crumbly mixture.
• Assemble. Take out your chilled bars. Spread the jelly overtop. Lastly, sprinkle over the crumb topping.
• Bake. Bake again, this time at 325ºF for 20-25 minutes. Let the bars cool on the counter before moving them to the fridge to chill. I usually leave them in there for 2 hours before slicing.

Recipe Tips

• Chill the bars in the fridge. You want to let these bars cool completely before you slice into them. The filling loosens as it bakes, and sets up again after it cools. I like to leave them in the fridge for at least 2 hours so they aren’t too soft when serving.
• Substitute the peanut butter. It might not be a PB&J, but it will still be tasty! Swap out peanut butter for another nut or seed butter, like almond, cashew, or hazelnut butter. For nut-free bars, try sunflower seed butter or tahini.
• Add some chocolate. Nutella or chocolate spread would be delicious swirled into these bars. I’m trying that next!

How to Store

• Refrigerate. Keep these bars covered airtight. They’ll last in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
• Freeze. If you’d like to freeze your bars, wrap them tightly with a double layer of plastic wrap and store them frozen for up to 3 months. I’ll also sometimes individually wrap the bars and freeze them in a freezer bag. Thaw them in the fridge before eating.

More Peanut Butter Recipes

• Chocolate and Honey Peanut Butter Bars
• Peanut Butter Blondies
• Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Blossoms

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