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These Peanut Butter Cookie Gooey Bars combine my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe and gooey chocolate for the most decadent gooey bar EVER!

A stack of three gooey chocolate chip cookie bars on a white plate, with melted chocolate visible and a few chocolate chips scattered around. The background shows more cookie bars slightly out of focus.

These bars start with my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. I’ve used that same recipe for so many things, including s’mores, caramel cookie bars, and stuffed cookies. Then I turned them into peanut butter cookie bars with the gooiest chocolatey filling!

Overhead view of baking ingredients in bowls on a white surface, including flour, milk, egg, butter, baking soda, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, vanilla, salt, sugar, brown sugar, and chocolate chips. Labels identify each ingredient.
  1. Mix up your cookie dough like you would normally – you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer.
  2. This recipe was written for regular shelf-stable (not natural) peanut butter. I like Skippy or Jif.
  3. Instead of making cookies out of the dough, I spread about 2/3 of it into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.
  4. Then pour chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk over the top and spread the remaining dough over that. Once they bake they’re ooey gooey chocolatey peanut butter heaven.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.

Three chocolate chip cookie bars stacked on a white plate, with chocolate chips scattered around. The bars have a gooey center and golden-brown, crumbly tops. More bars are visible on a cooling rack in the background.

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  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • You can freeze these for up to 2-3 months – just layer between wax paper or parchment paper so that they don’t stick together.

Dorothy’s Expert Tips

  • I like to line my pan with foil or parchment paper for easy removal.
  • Use a metal pan for best results and bake in the center rack of the oven.
  • Let these cool completely before trying to cut them – I even prefer chilling them first.
  • You know these are done baking when they’re golden brown on top – if your oven bakes them too quickly on top reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and/or tent the pan with foil.
4.79 from 23 votes

Peanut Butter Cookie Gooey Bars Recipe

By: Dorothy Kern
My favorite peanut butter cookies made into a bar and filled with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 24 bars
A stack of three gooey chocolate chip cookie bars on a white plate, with melted chocolate visible and a few chocolate chips scattered around. The background shows more cookie bars slightly out of focus.
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup (200g) peanut butter, (no-stir, not natural, creamy or chunky)
  • ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) milk
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 cups (340g) chocolate chips, (milk or semi-sweet or dark)

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch metal pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
  • Cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg, vanilla, milk, salt, and baking soda. Mix until combined. Slowly add flour and mix until dough comes together.
  • Press ½-⅔ of the dough in the bottom of the pan. The dough is very sticky so spray your hands with cooking spray first. It’ll look like you don’t have enough dough but spread it into a thin layer.
  • Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the bottom layer. Pour the sweetened condensed milk (SCM) over the chocolate chips. Try to give a ½ inch border around the edges where the SCM does not touch the edge of the pan. This prevents bubbling edges.
  • Spoon tablespoon drops of your remaining dough over the top of the SCM layer. Spray your hands again with cooking spray and gently flatten the dough with your fingers. I sort of spread the dough a bit while I was flattening. It won’t completely cover; you’ll still see the filling.
  • Bake for about 30-36 minutes, until the bars begin to brown on top. Cool completely before slicing. These are gooey when you cut them unless you chill them first. (They taste better gooey!)
  • Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can be frozen in sealable containers or ziploc bags between layers of paper towels for up to 2 months.

Notes

If your oven browns the top too quickly you can lower the oven temp to 325°F and/or tent the pan with foil. It’s best to bake on a middle rack in a metal pan.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 72mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Crazy for Crust. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization is strictly prohibited.

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A glass mixing bowl on a white countertop filled with a thick, brown cookie dough mixture, partially mixed.
A clear glass mixing bowl contains brown cookie dough, an egg, and a bit of white sugar on top, sitting on a white marble countertop.
A clear glass mixing bowl filled with light brown cookie dough sits on a white marble surface.
A rectangular baking pan lined with aluminum foil contains an unbaked, evenly pressed layer of light brown dough on a white surface.
A rectangular baking pan lined with foil contains a dessert topped with a layer of chocolate chips and a white creamy layer underneath, set on a white marble surface.
A rectangular baking pan lined with foil contains an unbaked layered dessert topped with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate chips on a white surface.

Step by Step Photos

  1. Cream butter and peanut butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Add egg, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth. Mix in the flour until cookie dough forms.
  3. Press about 1/2 to 2/3 of the dough in the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Add chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
  5. Top with remaining dough.
  6. Bake until golden – chill before slicing.

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.79 from 23 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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99 Comments

  1. First, these look amazing! Second, I have RBF, too , and I hate it when people tell me to smile more…why?? I’m concentrating on work…you’re not smiling all the freaking time! Why should I??? It’s one of my pet peeves. I just don’t understand it!

    Reply

    1. I know, I’m usually deep in thought and I don’t even notice! If I have to concentrate on smiling how am I going to dream up a new dessert??!! 🙂

      Reply

  2. I have RBF too! And people say things all. the. time. to me. The day before I moved last year, you know when you have LOTS of things on your mind, a stranger at the gas station told me to cheer up life isn’t so bad. Um eff you random guy. Then I had this one coworker not once but TWICE tell me to cheer up when I was, you know, concentrating at work. He literally said I looked like I wanted to bite someone. UGH. The only thing I want to bite are these gooey bars 😉

    Reply

  3. Yes, I too have RBF, plus I’m six feet tall so size-wise intimidating as well. A Scorpio too…not known for their cuddliness! I did laugh…it would make a great SNL skit!

    Reply

  4. These look simply scrumptious! I don’t think it’s possible to have too much chocolate and peanut butter! Or gooey bars for that matter! Delish!

    Reply