These Valentine’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars can be packed full of your favorite Valentine’s candies. They are perfectly moist and flavorful!
Quick Tips
- Use a rimmed quarter sheet pan to make these cookie bars (9″x13″)
- Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper so that the bars can be easily removed from the pan
- Add your desired Valentine’s candies after you have pressed the dough down into the pan (but before you bake!). Press the candies into the dough
- Before baking, sprinkle granulated sugar and colored sugar sprinkles (if desired) on to your cookie bars to add more festive color
Equipment
- Rimmed quarter cookie sheet (9″x13″) or 9″x13″ baking pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Parchment paper (optional)
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar – dark brown sugar is OK too
- Peanut butter – creamy (not natural) peanut butter recommended. I prefer Jif creamy peanut butter
- Unsalted butter – salted butter is OK too, just reduce added salt to 1/4 teaspoon
- Egg
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
Love these Valentine’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars? Try these other Valentine’s desserts!
- Strawberry Brownie Trifle
- Two Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- Chocolate Truffle Cake Roll
- Chocolate Truffle-Filled Cookies
How to make Valentine’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use convection bake if you have it (this helps the cookie bars bake more evenly). Then lightly grease a half sheet pan or line it with parchment paper then set it aside.
Add softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and cream using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Add the egg, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined, then scrape down the bowl.
Add the flour and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
Spread the dough throughout the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press it down evenly, if desired. The dough should cover the entire pan.
Place the m&m’s and chocolate hearts throughout the dough, lightly pressing them down.
Sprinkle additional granulated sugar and sprinkles throughout the dough as well, if desired.
Finally, bake the cookie bars for 18-22 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown.
Remove them from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting and removing them from the pan.
Try these other peanut butter desserts!
- Peanut Butter Pie Cookies
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Bars
Valentine’s Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Equipment
- rimmed quarter sheet pan (9"x13" pan)
- large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- silicone spatula
- Parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
For the peanut butter cookie dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (6 ounces)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For topping the cookie bars
- ½ cup Valentine's m&m's
- ½ cup Valentine's Peanut butter m&m's
- 15-20 chocolate hearts
- 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional, for topping)
- 1-2 tablespoons Valentine's sprinkles (optional, for topping)
Instructions
To make the peanut butter cookie bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use convection bake if you have it.
- Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan or line it with parchment paper then set it aside.
- Add softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and cream using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add the egg, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add the flour and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
- Spread the dough throughout the pan. Use another piece of parchment paper to press it down evenly, if desired. The dough should cover the entire pan.
- Place the m&m's and chocolate hearts throughout the dough, lightly pressing them down.
- Sprinkle additional granulated sugar and sprinkles throughout the dough as well, if desired.
- Bake the cookie bars for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown.
- Remove them from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature before cutting and removing them from the pan.
