Description
Indulge in these Peanut Butter Cup Gooey Bars, a delightfully rich and chewy dessert combining a yellow cake mix base with layers of creamy peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups. Perfect for peanut butter and chocolate lovers, these bars are easy to make and guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Layer
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
Peanut Butter Layer
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
Toppings
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang for easy removal, and lightly grease the lined pan to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, melted butter, and egg. Mix thoroughly until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create a uniform base layer.
- Add Peanut Butter Layer: Drop spoonfuls of creamy peanut butter evenly over the dough layer. Use a spatula to gently spread the peanut butter so it covers the entire surface, creating a rich, smooth peanut butter layer.
- Add Sweetened Condensed Milk: Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the peanut butter layer to add sweetness and gooey texture to the bars.
- Top with Chocolate and Reese’s: Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips and the chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups evenly over the top to provide bursts of chocolate and crunchy peanut butter flavors throughout.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Watch for golden edges and ensure the center is fully set to confirm doneness.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang, then cut into 24 squares and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to fully cool the bars before cutting to maintain their gooey texture and avoid crumbling.
- You can substitute creamy peanut butter with natural peanut butter if preferred, but the consistency may slightly differ.
- For extra flair, drizzle melted chocolate over the cooled bars before serving.
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- To make the bars easier to lift from the pan, ensure the parchment paper or foil overhang is left on both sides.
