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These Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars turn a classic lunchtime snack into a delicious, gooey cookie bar! Easy gooey bars start with a cake mix and are full of peanut butter and jam flavor – you’re going to love them.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars
These cookie bars use a cake mix as base, and the outer layers are primarily peanut butter, while the middle layer brings in the sweet jelly. You can use jam or jelly all depending on whatever you prefer!
I Love gooey bars so much because they are so versatile and can be done in so many different ways. Just like this fun recipe. When my daughter was little she loved them, therefore they are perfect for anyone!
Ingredients Needed
- Yellow cake mix: You really can use any flavor or brand, but I love using yellow cake mix.
- Vegetable oil: Helps moisten the dough and keep it soft.
- Peanut butter: Make sure to use a no-stir (not natural) peanut butter
- Jam or Jelly: Use your favorite flavor.
How to make PB&J Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- With a hand mixer or electric mixer, beat eggs, cake mix, oil, and peanut butter until mixture is crumbly. Press about 1/2 of the mixture into prepared pan.
- Spread jam over the crust. Scoop bits of remaining batter and flatten between your hands and place on top the jam. It won’t fully coat.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, until top just starts to get golden brown. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Expert Tips
- I would recommend using seedless jam or jelly to avoid an extra texture that is not wanted in these bars.
- You can add peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips into this recipe if you would like too!
- You know they’re done when they become golden brown around the edges and are no longer glossy.
FAQs
You know they’re done when they become golden brown around the edges and are no longer glossy.
Yes you can in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Ingredients
- 1 (approximately 15 ounces) box yellow cake mix
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup jam or jelly (I used seedless strawberry jam)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- With a hand mixer or electric mixer, beat eggs, cake mix, oil, and peanut butter until mixture is crumbly. Press about 1/2 of the mixture into prepared pan.
- Spread jam over the crust. Scoop bits of remaining batter and flatten between your hands and place on top the jam. It won't fully coat.
- Bake for 25-28 minutes, until top just starts to get golden brown. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months.
- Don’t use natural peanut butter (only a no-stir brand).
- Seedless jam/jelly is best.
Recipe Nutrition
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Last Updated on August 13, 2023
Oh I love gooey bars, cannot wait to try these out! Love the pics too!
Thank you!
I am totally going to make these for my kiddos for an after school snack!! They look darn good! 😉
Thanks Jocelyn!
Dorothy, all summer I’ve been admiring how you both blogged consistently (with a LOT of new recipes, all created by YOU!) and made lots of time for Jordan. You posted plenty of Instagram pictures of the two of you at Costco, Disneyland, getting her a loom, going to the fair, at “Monsters University”… You balanced both blogging and “momming” REALLY well, and you definitely deserve a “break” once school starts!!
P.S. Maybe once the start-of-school craziness dies down, we could meet up one day!
HA! Balance. That’s funny. 😉 But thank you! And yes, we should totally meet up sometime!! Lunch in the middle. 🙂
Balance doesn’t always mean that everything is perfectly even — the scales can tilt one way or another for a little bit! 😉 YAY sounds great!! I’m excited! 🙂
these sound yummy. I love the addition of white chocolate chips.
Peanut butter and jelly is a classic. Turn it into gooey bars and I”m all over it! Theses look amazing. I love how you only need a few ingredients to make these. Peanut butter chips rule!!
I still love a good PB&J and find myself nibbling on my kids when I make it for them. My kids and I would go nuts for these bars! Great little afternoon snack.
Thanks Jennifer!
You’re gooey bars have been the jam (ha!) recently! I love this pb and J version! So funny that you had never tried jelly. I used to hate pb and grew up eating jelly sandwiches, haha. Guess I’ve always been a sugar fiend. But then one day – I liked pb. 🙂
I can see a jam sandwich. Sugar rocks!
What a great idea for bars! These look delicious, I love that you added the peanut butter and jelly flavors to them! They look wonderful!
I know you are excited for back to school! I remember my mom couldn’t wait until we were in school. Of course she liked spending time with us but all day, every day got old real fast. Especially with me and my brother. LOL
These look really good, Dorothy! Oooey and gooey are always delicious! Pinned and sharing on FB and Twitter tomorrow. Thanks for sharing at Marvelous Mondays!
Our schools don’t start until September and that means I go back to work too 🙁 It’ll be a nice break from the kids fighting, arguing and saying “Mom, I’m bored!” 🙂
Ugh, the I’m bored. It’s the worst!
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