Peanut butter and jelly aka PB&J bars: a classic childhood sandwich made into soft, buttery, peanut butter cookie bars with swirls of jam over top. No mixer and only one bowl needed for this easy and delicious lunchbox snack.
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter bars
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 16bars
Author katiebirdbakes.com
Ingredients
6Tablespoons (85g)unsalted butter
1/2cup (130g)peanut butter(you can use natural or shelf-stable peanut butter)
2/3cup (132g)brown sugar
1largeegg
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonsalt
1cup (125g)all-purpose flour
1/3cup (100g)jelly or jam of choice(I used strawberry)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper or grease well. Set aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter together in 30-second intervals in the microwave. Whisk well until fully melted and combined.
Whisk in the brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt until combined.
Add flour and stir with a rubber spatula until a cohesive peanut butter dough is formed.
Press the mixture evenly into the pan to form one layer. Dollop small spoonfuls of the jam on top, then swirl gently with a butter knife. The jam may be a bit hard to swirl and that's ok; it doesn't have to be perfect.
Bake for 22-24 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the bars look slightly puffed. Cool completely before cutting into bars!
Notes
Storage: baked bars keep well when covered in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You could also wrap them individually for lunchboxes!Freezing: baked bars can be frozen, well-wrapped, for up to 3 months. Set out on the counter to thaw for an hour or warm for 30 seconds in the microwave.Different nut or seed butters: substitute an equal amount of almond, cashew, pecan, or hazelnut butter for the peanut butter, or use sunflower seed butter or tahini for a nut-free version.Make gluten-free: sub an equal volume (1 cup) or weight (125 grams) of an all-purpose GF flour mix with xanthan gum.