Peanut Butter Blondies
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These peanut butter blondies are soft and chewy with a delicious peanut butter flavor and tons of Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips. A quick, easy, one-bowl, no mixer recipe.
**This post was updated September 5, 2024 with new photos and recipe tips**
These peanut butter blondies have all the flavor of your favorite peanut butter cookies in fudgy, chewy, blondie form. They’re like a brownie in texture, but ALL peanut butter in flavor – thanks to peanut butter in the batter and the fact that they’re filled with Reese’s Pieces. They’re perfect if you love your cookies extra thick, super chewy and verging on gooey.
Warning – these are for true peanut butter lovers only.
Peanut Butter Blondie Recipe
I originally posted this peanut butter blondie recipe waaaaaay back in 2015 (about a week after I first “launched” my blog). But I knew I could improve the recipe to:
- be chewier
- have a better balance of peanut butter flavor without being too rich
- and make a bigger batch
So it was time to get recipe testing.
Here’s the ingredients we ended up with:
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar (or you could use 1 cup dark brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup Reese’s Pieces
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
**Note: This recipe doesn’t use any baking powder or baking soda. That’s because I wanted these blondies to be chewy and dense – like a brownie in texture. Baking powder and baking soda make baked goods rise, leading to a cake-ier texture.
The recipe is incredibly simple and made in one bowl without an electric mixer. You’ll whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. You’ll gently fold in the flour and salt until you no longer see streaks or lumps of flour. Lastly, stir in all the Reese’s Pieces and chocolate chips.
You could use entirely Reese’s Pieces, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, chopped peanut butter cups or whatever your favorite mix-ins are.
Then to keep our peanut butter blondies gooey and chewy without getting dry, be careful not to overbake. In my oven 30 minutes is tops. It tends to be that metal pans create blondies with cruncher edges and bake a little faster than baking blondies in a glass or ceramic pan.
Looking for peanut butter blondies with peanut butter frosting? Use my peanut butter buttercream recipe to frost the cooled blondies. Warning – these will be very rich and extra peanut buttery.
These peanut butter blondies taste like thick, extra soft peanut butter cookies that have a delicious brownie-like texture. And since it makes an extra large batch – there’s enough for seconds.
For more easy peanut butter recipes, try these other favorites:
Peanut Butter Blondies
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan* see Notes for alternatives
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter (170 grams)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (about 270 grams)
- 2 cups light brown sugar (420 grams)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup Reese's Pieces (about 140 grams)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (about 120 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
- Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment leaving an overhang over the sides or lightly grease.
- In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt together the butter and peanut butter. When almost melted, stir together until smooth.
- Whisk the brown sugar into the peanut butter mixture. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until you no longer see pieces of egg.
- Gently fold in the flour and salt into the mixture. Stop mixing when you no longer see streaks or lumps of flour.
- Fold in the Reese's Pieces and chocolate chips.
- Spoon/pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread the top smooth
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top looks set an inserted toothpick comes out clean or with a few damp crumbs. Bake time is partially a personal preference – if you prefer bars that aren't as gooey, I recommend baking for 35 minutes.
- Cool the bars in the pan. When ready to slice, lift the bars out of the pan with the overhang of the parchment paper (if you lined the pan). Place on a cutting board and slice with a thin, sharp knife. If you greased the pan, simply slice with a thin, sharp knife. I cooled the blondies for 2 1/2 hours before slicing and the chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces were still melty.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: I recommend using smooth peanut butter. Crunchy works too. I do not recommend using homemade or natural peanut butter in baking because it can lead to inconsistent results due to the peanut butter separating.
- Mix-Ins: Feel free to use 1 1/2 cups total of your favorite mix-ins – such as chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, Reese’s Pieces or chopped peanut butter cups.
- For a Smaller Batch: Use an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) pan. The bake time will be closer to 25 minutes. You’ll need:
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg plus 1 additional egg yolk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
- 6 tablespoons Reese’s Pieces
- 6 tablespoons chocolate chips
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Baked and cooled blondies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. I recommend placing a sheet of wax paper between blondies to avoid them sticking together when freezing thaw in the fridge.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 blondie, assuming the pan yields 15 uniform large blondies. You can likely get 18 or more smaller blondies from this recipe.
Nutrition
Our house smells amazing as these peanut butter Blondies are baking. One comment about the super simple recipe, don’t forget to add the vanilla like I did. It’s not included in the procedure, but it’s listed in the ingredients. As I sat down after putting the Blondies in the oven, I saw the vanilla sitting on the counter. I didn’t include it. Unfortunately I forgot it and hopefully it turns out OK!
I’d like to try these but the recipe doesn’t call for any leveler.. no baking powder/soda? Just wanted to ask about that, thanks!
Yes – that’s correct! I wanted these to be dense and chewy – like a brownie – so they do not have levener.
These look amazing. Started to prep recipe for a family gathering tomorrow. I noticed you didn’t place where you add the vanilla. I’m glad I put it on the counter to start or would have omitted it. Also, hoping I can just spray grease my pan instead of parchment paper. We’ll see.
Can you use coconut sugar ?
These were indeed delicious, but didn’t get the crackly top. Any idea why?
Hi Ann,
I’m so glad you loved how the brownies tasted – but I’m sorry that the tops didn’t look how you had hoped. The crackly top comes from the sugar being fully dissolved in the warm butter. Next time I’d try having the butter a little warmer when you whisk in the sugar, and give it a really good whisk (you could also use an electric mixer just for that part).
These are perfect!
Just a note..you have salt in the ingredients but it is not anywhere in the instructions. I caught it the first time I made these and just added it in, but totally forgot about it the second time around.
Making these right now! Doubled the recipe to make two pans and added chopped caramel/peanut butter/chocolate candy pieces to add extra deliciousness. Thanks for the great recipe!
Oooooooo! That sounds like a delicious substitution!
I am droooling over these pictures! I think I might have to make these tonight. 🙂
Thanks so much Caitlin – I hope you like the recipe!
Made these on the weekend. It will definitely double the recipe next time!!
Sounds to me like they were a hit – So glad you liked them!
Omg peanut butter blondies with chocolate?!!! Genius and I’m completely sold on not using a mixer!!!
Thanks Anne! I’m totally in love with peanut butter & chocolate too and no mixer makes them extra fudgy. Let me know what you think if you make them!