Description
These Peanut Butter Blondies are thick, chewy, and loaded with Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips. Made in one bowl with no mixer, they deliver bold peanut butter flavor and a rich, fudgy texture that peanut butter fans will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup Reese’s Pieces
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving extra paper hanging over the sides for easy lifting later. If you prefer, lightly grease the pan instead.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter together. Heat just until the butter softens and starts to melt, then stir until the mixture turns smooth and unified. Do not overheat it; you want it warm and creamy, not boiling.
- Add the brown sugar to the melted peanut butter mixture and whisk until everything looks smooth and thick. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until the batter no longer shows streaks of egg and looks glossy and evenly combined.
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon. Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing can make the bars tough, so keep it light and deliberate.
- Fold in the Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips. Stir just enough to spread them evenly through the batter so each blondie gets plenty of mix-ins.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Spread it into an even layer and smooth the top with a spatula so the bars bake evenly.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top looks set and the center is no longer glossy. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. If you prefer blondies that are less gooey and a little more set, bake them closer to 35 minutes. Start checking early so you do not overbake them.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the blondies cool completely in the pan. Cooling helps them firm up and makes slicing much cleaner.
- Once cool, lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and place them on a cutting board. Slice with a thin, sharp knife into squares or bars. If you greased the pan instead of lining it, cut them carefully in the pan once they are fully cooled.
Notes
- Peanut butter: Smooth peanut butter gives the most even texture. Crunchy peanut butter also works if you want extra texture. I do not recommend natural peanut butter for this recipe because it can separate and affect the final texture.
- Mix-ins: You can use 1 1/2 cups total of your favorite add-ins instead of the Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips. Peanut butter chips, chopped peanut butter cups, or extra chocolate chips all work well.
- Smaller batch: For an 8×8-inch pan, the bars will be thicker and bake in about 25 minutes. Use 1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, 1 cup flour, a pinch of salt, 6 tablespoons Reese’s Pieces, and 6 tablespoons chocolate chips.
- Storage: Keep the blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For freezing, place cooled bars in an airtight container with wax paper between layers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
- Calories: 429kcal
- Sugar: 41g
- Sodium: 142mg
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 60mg