Soft and chewy Almond Flour Peanut Butter Bars with gooey chocolate chips are here for peanut butter lovers! Simple to prepare and seeping with rich peanut butter flavor, these bars are a crowd-pleasing treat!
Here for the peanut butter enthusiast, these gluten free almond flour peanut butter bars check all the boxes! They are easy to prepare, filled to the brim with peanut butter goodness, and have the best gooey texture!
One of my favorite parts about the recipe is how customizable it is. You can use your favorite kind of granulated sweetener, swap out the peanut butter for a different nut butter, or add chopped nuts, dried fruit, etc.
Inspired by my Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies recipe, the bar version is just as tasty, and it includes a bonus chocolate chip feature! They are perfect for entertaining guests for any occasion.
Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for these soft and chewy peanut butter cookie bars!
Peanut Butter Bar Ingredients:
Unsalted Butter: That rich and creamy all-star ingredient that makes cookies taste so dreamy. We need butter for flavor and texture.
Peanut Butter: Unsweetened natural peanut butter brings rich peanut flavor to these tasty dessert bars. I use creamy peanut butter, but crunchy peanut butter works great if you like a little crunch.
Granulated Sweetener of Choice: Pick your favorite granulated sweetener. I use allulose for a low carb sugar free peanut butter bar. Regular cane sugar, maple sugar, coconut sugar, or any kind of sugar-free sweetener are all great options.
Large Eggs: Eggs add to the chewy texture and bring a fluffy yet fudgy essence.
Almond Flour: Taking the place of regular four, we use almond flour as a gluten free alternative. Almond flour brings healthy fats, plant based protein, and fiber to the bars in addition to a marvelous chewy texture.
Stick with a finely ground almond flour instead of almond meal for the best results.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening agents. They ensure the peanut butter bar dough rises and holds together after baking and create that amazing crispy edge we all love so dearly.
Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla adds warm flavor.
Sea Salt: Here to enhance flavors!
Chocolate Chips: Optional but so lovely! Use sugar-free chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or semi-sweet chocolate chips. Peanut butter chips too for extra peanutty goodness.
Recipe Customizations:
- Add ⅔ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Mix in 1 to 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, hemp seeds, or flax seeds for added nutrition.
- Swap out the chocolate chips for dried fruit such as raisins or dried cranberries.
- Use any kind of nut butter you love. Almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, and tahini all work. Just be sure you enjoy the flavor of whatever you use.
- Replace the butter with softened coconut oil for a dairy-free option.
- Use two flax eggs in place of regular eggs for vegan chocolate peanut butter bars.
- Create a melted chocolate layer by spreading my homemade chocolate ganache on top of the bars after cooling.
Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s whip up these easy peanut butter bars.
How to Make Peanut Butter Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 9” square baking pan with parchment paper.
Transfer the softened butter, peanut butter, and granulated sugar to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. If you don’t own a stand mixer, use a large mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer.
Cream the butter and sugar together on medium high speed until combined and fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined. Again, scrape the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula.
In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms. Add in the chocolate chips and mix to combine.
Transfer the peanut butter mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer. If desired, top with extra chocolate chips.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the bars are golden brown around the edges.
For gooey bars, bake for 20 minutes, or until the center is set up but not fully firm. For firmer bars that hold together well, bake for 25-28 minutes.
Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack until they reach room temperature.
Pull on the parchment paper to release the bars from the baking dish and transfer to a cutting board. Use a knife to cut 12 to 16 equal sized squares.
Serve and enjoy! For an even more decadent dessert, enjoy the peanut butter bars with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Wrap the cake pan with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer bars to a zip lock bag or airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a large freezer bag for up to 3 months.
And that’s it! The next time you’re itching for the combination of peanut butter and chocolate whip up these chewy peanut butter bars!
I like making them low-carb and sugar-free for a mindful treat that you’d never guess has less sugar.
This delicious recipe is magical for sharing with friends and family no matter the time of year!
If you’re leaning toward a no-bake version to avoid turning on the oven, make my No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars.
Do you love baking homemade cookies and cookie bars? Also try these amazing dessert recipes.
More Cookies and Bars:
- Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts
- No-Bake Breakfast Cookies
- Almond Flour Lemon Cookies
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Drop a comment below letting me know what you think!
Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup unsweetened peanut butter
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar*
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp sea salt**
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9” x 9” square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the softened butter, peanut butter, and granulated sugar to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium high speed until combined and fluffy.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined. Again, scrape the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer. Mix on medium speed until a smooth dough forms. Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined pan and spread it into an even layer. If desired, top with extra chocolate chips.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the bars are golden brown around the edges. For gooey bars, bake for 20 minutes, or until the center is set up but not fully firm. For firmer bars, bake for 25-28 minutes.
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Slice the bars into squares and enjoy! Note: the longer you wait to slice the bars, the cleaner they will slice. Allow them to cool to room temperature before slicing if you want perfect slices.
