Description
Peanut Butter Cup Gooey Bars are a decadent, easy-to-make dessert combining a classic yellow cake base with layers of creamy peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups. These bars bake to a golden, gooey perfection, making them a perfect treat for peanut butter and chocolate lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Layer
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
Topping
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Lightly grease the lined pan to ensure the bars do not stick.
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, melted butter, and egg. Mix until well combined, forming a dough. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base layer for your bars.
- Add Peanut Butter Layer: Drop spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter over the dough. Using a spatula, gently spread the peanut butter to cover the entire surface evenly, creating a rich peanut butter layer.
- Add Sweetened Condensed Milk: Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the peanut butter layer. This will add sweetness and help bind the layers together during baking.
- Top with Chocolate and Reese’s: Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups evenly over the top, adding a delicious chocolatey and nutty topping to the bars.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Bake until the edges are golden and the center is set but still gooey, ensuring the perfect chewy texture.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan, then cut into 24 squares for serving.
Notes
- Line the pan with parchment paper to make removing bars easier and to avoid sticking.
- For a crunchier texture, chill the bars in the refrigerator before cutting.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Customize by adding chopped nuts or swapping Reese’s cups with other candy bars.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
