Peanut butter blondies are a peanut butter lover’s dream come true. This peanut butter blondie recipe has the perfect softness, is not crumbly at all, and has the exact right amount of peanut butter with pieces of peanut butter cups baked right in!
Make sure to try my soft peanut butter cookies too!
The Best Peanut Butter Blondies Recipe EVER!
So I made these last week and have been counting the minutes until I could share them with you guys. Since I documented some of the process over on my Instagram story, I knew many of you were pretty excited about these peanut butter blondies, too. I have to say, I do love peanut butter. Like, a lot. And, of course, I love peanut butter cups. Is that the understatement of the year? This dessert has BOTH, wrapped up in a chewy homemade blondie recipe.
What Makes These Peanut Butter Blondies So Good?
Baking with peanut butter can be tricky. You really want a perfect peanut butter flavor, but a lot of times, too much peanut butter in baked goods means they end up crumbly and a little dry. So, the balance in the ratios has to be perfect. Luckily, I have done the work for you, and today’s peanut butter blondie recipe will be one you print out and save to make again and again. Here’s why:
- These are soft and chewy blondies with an ultra-moist texture and the perfect peanut butter flavor.
- Slightly crisp edges, just like fudgy brownies.
- Oh, and I use chopped peanut butter cups in my peanut butter blondies, so that automatically takes them to the next level! It’s what makes this blondie recipe and my peanut butter cup brownies so special.
Ingredients in This Recipe
These are the ingredients needed to make perfect peanut butter blondies. Refer to the recipe card for the full measurements.
- Butter – Brought to room temperature.
- Peanut Butter – The right peanut butter matters. Make sure to use creamy, shelf-stable peanut butter.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar and brown sugar. Since blondies are a bit like super-thick chocolate chip cookie dough, brown sugar adds moisture and makes them chewy.
- Eggs and Vanilla – Get the eggs to room temperature and use pure vanilla extract.
- Baking Soda and Salt – For leavening. Check the expiration date on the baking soda to ensure it’s fresh.
- Flour – All-purpose works best here. Make sure to measure using the spoon and sweep method to avoid adding too much. Spoon the flour from the bag into the cup, and level it off. Don’t scoop right from the bag!
- Peanut Butter Cups – You can use regular-sized or mini cups, roughly chopped.
How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Blondies
Here’s how to make the best blondies with peanut butter ever, step-by-step.
- Make the blondie dough. In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugars, mixing until fluffy. Next, add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda, and mix for another minute until everything is combined and smooth. Turn the mixer to low to add in the flour, mixing until the blondie batter is just combined.
- Chop up your peanut butter cups. I used full-size Reese’s Cups because I feel like they have a better peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio, but you can absolutely use minis as well. Stir half of those into the blondie dough and then press the dough into a parchment-lined 9×9 baking dish. Press the remaining cups on top.
- Bake. Bake the bars at 350ºF for 20 – 25 minutes. And when you bake them, don’t over-bake them. You want these babies soft and chewy!
Mistakes to Avoid
- Oily peanut butter. Use any peanut butter you like, but I recommend Jif or Skippy brands. Don’t use the organic or “natural” peanut butters in this recipe.
- Different nut butters. Don’t use almond butter or other nut butters in this recipe, like sunflower seed butter, as the texture and flavor won’t be the same. If you have a nut allergy, I would avoid this recipe entirely.
- Over-baking. You might think the blondies need to be set completely in the center before removing them from the oven, but no. If they are fully puffed and set in the middle, I can guarantee that you will end up with dry blondies.
Try These Variations
You can add just about anything to this peanut butter blondie recipe. These are a few ideas:
- Reese’s Pieces or peanut butter chips
- White chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips. They’ll all work!
- Any chopped candy
- Toffee morsels
More Blondies and Brownies Recipes
Peanut Butter Blondies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These peanut butter blondies are a peanut butter lover’s dream. These blondie bars have the perfect softness, are not crumbly at all, and have the exact right amount of peanut butter and peanut butter cups throughout. I am OBSESSED with this sweet dessert!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups (about 12 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars together for 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda and continue mixing for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and mix in the flour until just combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold half of the chopped peanut butter cups.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and press the remaining peanut butter cups into the batter.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Notes
store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days for best freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 248
- Sugar: 20.5 g
- Sodium: 371.6 mg
- Fat: 10.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Protein: 4.9 g
- Cholesterol: 23.6 mg
Hi Shelly,
I was wondering if you have ever made this recipe using chocolate/peanut butter chips? I have 6 ounces of milk and 6 ounces of Reese’s chips and wanted to know if that would be a possible substitution for the PB cups. Thanks.
These were a hit! They are on the sweeter side for me so I sadly just had to cut small pieces and eat at a slow pace 🙂
I want to make these for my daughter and only have an 8×8 and a 10×10 pan… wouldn’t you know it? Which would be better to use for these and how should I adjust the cooking time to accommodate the thickness?
You could do either, but I would be probably do the 8×8 pan. You will need to add 5 – 7 minutes or so to the bake time.
IF I DOUBLE (2X)THIS RECIPE WHAT SIZE PAN DO I BAKE IT IN?
You can bake it in a 9×13 pan, but I would only increase the amount by 50%.
When doubling this recipe, should you use a 9×13?
I would increase the recipe by 50% to bake in a 9×13. Doubling them in a 9×13 would be thick. Not that it wouldn’t work, I am just not sure about the bake time!
do I need a mixer or can I just mix by hand?
Can you freeze these? Pre or Post baking? What do you recommend? Thanks!
You can freeze post baking!