Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

These soft and chewy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars transform the classic sandwich into a delicious dessert, with a peanut butter crust layered with jam, chopped peanuts, and more crust—perfect for bake sales, potlucks, or after-school snacks.

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I’m not gonna lie – when I first thought about peanut butter and jam together in a dessert I wasn’t too excited. I love it for sandwiches, but a dessert? Let’s just say I wasn’t convinced. Well, I was wrong to ever doubt because these peanut butter and jelly bars are amazing. If you love PB&J sandwiches you will love these bars! Top a soft and chewy peanut butter cookie base with your favorite jam and you end up with that classic combination of flavors served up as a sweet treat. There may be no better flavor combo!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Most of the ingredients you need for this peanut butter bar recipe are pantry staples that are already in your house.
• You get delicious fruity flavor but you don’t have the hassle of prepping the fruit yourself. In other words, jam is a perfect shortcut.
• PB&J Bars are baked in a 9×13 pan, so there is plenty to share at a potluck or even a bake sale.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

• Butter – Leave butter out at room temperature to soften for about 30 minutes.
• Sugar – This will sweeten the base for this bar.
• Vanilla – Enhances the flavor of this dessert.
• Eggs – Large eggs can be left out for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature.
• Peanut butter – Use smooth peanut butter so it incorporates better. If you are using natural peanut butter, make sure the oil is well incorporated. Of course, if you need a peanut-free version, try any other nut butter.
• Flour – You will use this for the base and crumbly topping.
• Baking powder – Of course we need a leavening agent here to get that perfect texture for the base.
• Jam – If you want to go classic, use grape jelly but you can use any flavor of jelly you want and this is a fun way to mix it up! Jam and jelly are two different things, but you can use either one for this treat.
• Salted peanuts – Coarsely chopped peanuts are a great option to add to this yummy bar if you love chunky peanut butter.
• Powdered sugar – Dusting this simple dessert with powdered sugar makes it look so fancy!

How To Make Peanut Butter And Jelly Bars

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together.

Spread 2/3 of the dough in a prepared 9×13 baking dish.

Spread the jam over the top of the dough.

Sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the top of the jelly and then drop the rest of the dough by the teaspoon over the top.

Bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Cool the bars in the pan and dust them with powdered sugar before slicing.

Storage

You can store the bars in an airtight container and they’ll keep well at room temperature for three to four days. If they last that long – they never do when I make them!

Freezer: You can also freeze this yummy treat once it has cooled. Freeze in individual portions, wrapped in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or freeze in the pan. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for about an hour.

These are a great sweet treat with a nostalgic flavor combination that takes you back in time to your childhood. Get out the PB&J – you’re going to want to give this fun and easy dessert a try.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 26 votes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Enjoy your favorite peanut butter and jelly sandwich flavors in a soft, chewy dessert bar.

Prep:15 minutes mins

Cook:30 minutes mins

Total:45 minutes mins

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Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish
• Nonstick spray
• Offset spatula
• Hand Mixer
• Mixing Bowl
• Offset spatula helpful for spreading jam
• Sifter for dusting powdered sugar

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup butter room temperature
• ▢ 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 ½ cups jam (your favorite flavor)
• ▢ ⅔ cup salted peanuts coarsely chopped, optional
• ▢ powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit degrees. Grease 13×9 inch baking pan.
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until combined.
• Add flour and baking powder. Mix until well combined.
• Spread ⅔ of the batter mixture onto the bottom of the pan. Spread jam over the batter and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Drop the remaining dough over the jam, in about teaspoon size drops.
• Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-30 minutes until the edges start to brown. Remove from from oven.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1, Calories: 506kcal (25%), Carbohydrates: 63g (21%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fat: 25g (38%), Saturated Fat: 9g (56%), Cholesterol: 42mg (14%), Sodium: 227mg (10%), Potassium: 277mg (8%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 29g (32%), Vitamin A: 319IU (6%), Vitamin C: 2mg (2%), Calcium: 40mg (4%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.

How To Serve Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

This is a great dessert to serve for any meal or get together. If you’re expecting a big crowd, whip up a few different bars to offer a variety like Salted Caramel Apple Butter Bars and colorful Monster Cookie Bars.

More Great Peanut Butter Treats

• Quick and easy 3 ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies are a classic old-fashioned recipe that is easy to make from scratch with pantry staples.
• Oh my goodness, you have got to try this Peanut Butter Fuff recipe! It is the perfect dessert dip filled with peanut butter, cream cheese, pudding mix, Cool Whip and candy.
• Skip the drive in and make a homemade Peanut Butter Milkshake. The salty and sweet combo will hit the spot.
• You don’t have to choose between a peanut butter cup and a peanut butter cookie when you make Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. Make soft, chewy cookies in a muffin tin and add a pb cup in the middle for the best treat!