Peanut Butter Blondies are the ultimate peanut butter treat for the serious peanut butter lovers in your life! Dense and chewy with a layer of creamy peanut butter frosting on top and Reese's Pieces, these are the perfect bar dessert for when you really need that peanut butter fix!

A slice of peanut butter blondie with peanut butter candies on top .


Table of Contents
  1. What You'll Need
  2. How to Make Peanut Butter Blondies
  3. Tips for success
  4. Variations
  5. Recipe FAQ's
  6. Storage Suggestions
  7. Can I freeze these frosted peanut butter bars?
  8. More Peanut Butter Recipes
  9. Peanut Butter Blondies Recipe

We love chocolate brownies, but sometimes you just get that craving for peanut butter flavor instead! Enter this delicious peanut butter blondies recipe!

Bar desserts are some of our favorites because they are quick and it's an easy recipe to whip up when you want a sweet treat.

Is it weird to talk about something with no chocolate in it in terms of having a fudgy center? Because these rich and chewy peanut butter blondies are definitely fudgy in the middle as long as you make sure not to overbake them.

This peanut butter blondie recipe is one of the best peanut butter desserts I have had in a long time and the girls went absolutely crazy over the frosted ones. I couldn't decide whether I preferred them frosted or unfrosted. It's such a toss-up!

Stacked peanut butter blondies in front of a cup of creamy peanut butter.

What You'll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

  • Peanut butter - creamy peanut butter is our favorite choice but you could use crunchy peanut butter instead if you want little pieces of peanuts throughout your blondies.
  • Salted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Light brown sugar
  • Eggs
  • Salt
  • Vanilla extract
  • Reese's Pieces candy

Peanut Butter Frosting

This is optional, but we love the creamy layer of peanut butter frosting on top of our peanut butter blondies.

  • Peanut butter
  • Salted butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar
  • Heavy cream
A glass 8x8 baking dish with peanut butter blondies topped with peanut butter Reese's Pieces.

How to Make Peanut Butter Blondies

In a large bowl, whisk the peanut butter and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar, egg and extra egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well to combine.

Stir the flour and salt into the peanut butter mixture, then spread the blondie batter into the prepared baking dish, pushing towards the edges of the pan as needed. Sprinkle with Reese's Pieces, if not planning to frost.

Bake for 22-27 minutes until done, then remove from oven and cool completely. Do not overbake if you want gooey peanut butter blondies with a chewy texture.

Prepare the frosting by beating the peanut butter and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, cream and powdered sugar and beat well, then frost the peanut butter blondies in the pan and sprinkle with Reese's Pieces. Cut into 9 squares and serve.

A glass 8x8 baking dish with peanut butter blondies inside and acup of creamy peanut butter to the side.

Tips for success

  • Use a parchment paper sling. Lining your baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil not only makes cleanup easier but you can also remove the bars and slice them into squares more easily for straight cuts.
  • Don't overbake. Bars are susceptible to being dry if you bake them too long. To know when they are done, test with a toothpick or skewer. They should come out with a few crumbs still clinging to the tester rather than being wet from underbaked batter or completely clean which can indicate that they were baked too long. If you bake them a little too long, well, they will still taste delicious (speaking from experience here - it's not like they are a total loss) but they might be closer in texture to a peanut butter cookie rather than a soft, fudgy blondie (basically a brownie with no chocolate but a brownie-like texture), which is kind of what we're going for here.
  • Use melted butter. Using melted butter instead of creaming the butter with the sugar is important here because it results in a denser, more brownie-like texture instead of a fluffier, more cake-like bar.

Variations

  • Add mix-ins - Try mixing in 1 cup of milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate chips, Reese's peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or chopped peanuts for something different.
  • Decorate the top - Chopped Reese's peanut butter cups or Reese's peanut butter chips would be another great option for topping these bars!
  • Disneyland peanut butter blondies - You might have seen a version of these at Disney that skips the frosting and instead just spreads a layer of peanut butter on the blondies while they are still warm from the oven. Then the top is generously sprinkled with even more Reese's Pieces than what you see here until it is practically covered.

Recipe FAQ's

Can I use natural peanut butter?

I really don't recommend baking with natural peanut butter because the results never seem to turn out quite as well. You can certainly use it, but be sure to stir it well first.

Can I make these without frosting?

Absolutely! We have made these where we just sprinkle the Reese's Pieces on top of the bars before baking and they turn out delicious.

How do you make fudgy blondies?

Just like with my favorite thick, fudgy, chewy ultimate brownies, these blondies use an extra egg yolk which helps with a little bit of that extra richness and moisture that is the hallmark of a fudgy, chewy brownie (or blondie in this case). Melted butter also helps achieve a fudgier, chewier texture.

Can I make these with almond butter?

Yes, almond butter or other nut butters (e.g. cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) can be used to make peanut butter blondies.

A peanut butter blondie on a plate with a fork.

Storage Suggestions

We recommend storing these peanut butter bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving if refrigerated.

Can I freeze these frosted peanut butter bars?

Absolutely! They freeze great for up to 1 month. Just slice into squares and freeze in a single layer on parchment paper for 1 hour before transferring to an airtight container for longer freezing.

A close image of a stack of peanut butter blondies.

More Peanut Butter Recipes

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

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Peanut Butter Blondies

5 from 29 votes
Amy Nash
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings
Peanut Butter Blondies are the ultimate peanut butter treat for the serious peanut butter lovers in your life! Dense and chewy with a layer of creamy peanut butter frosting on top and Reese's Pieces, these are the perfect bar dessert for when you really need that peanut butter fix!

Ingredients
  

Peanut Butter Blondies

  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup salted butter, melted
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Frosting

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup salted butter, softened
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ cup Reese's Pieces

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 350°F. Line a square 8x8 baking dish with a parchment paper sling.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the peanut butter and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar, egg and extra egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well to combine.
  • Stir in the flour and salt with a spoon, then spread into the prepared baking dish, pushing towards the edges of the pan as needed. Sprinkle with Reese's Pieces, if not planning to frost.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until done, then remove from oven and cool completely. Do not overbake.
  • Prepare the frosting by beating the peanut butter and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla, cream and powdered sugar and beat well, then frost the peanut butter blondies in the pan and sprinkle with Reese's Pieces. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

  • Mix-ins: Add ¾ to 1 cup chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or white chocolate chips to the batter, if desired.
  • Disneyland peanut butter blondies: You might have seen a version of these at Disney that skips the frosting and instead just spreads a layer of peanut butter on the blondies while they are still warm from the oven. Then the top is generously sprinkled with even more Reese's Pieces than what you see here until it is practically covered.
  • Storage: We recommend storing these peanut butter bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving if refrigerated.
  • Freezing: They freeze great for up to 1 month. Just slice into squares and freeze in a single layer on parchment paper for 1 hour before transferring to an airtight container for longer freezing.
  • Pan size: A 9x9-inch pan can be used but the bars will be slightly thinner and bake a couple minutes faster. Or you can double the recipe and use a 9x13-inch pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 669kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 460mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

This post was originally published in September, 2017. The photos and content were updated in September, 2022.

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About the author

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Reader questions and reviews

  1. 5 stars
    These look delicious! Love the tips. That first shot with the peanut butter topping and the fork has my mouth watering!

  2. 5 stars
    Wow, these look delicious! I need to make these! Everything looked great...until I saw the nutrition facts, lol! But that won't stop me. I would definitely have to send some to my brothers who are still in college. All three of them live in Provo.

    1. Lol - yeah, these definitely aren't doing my hips any favors! Although if you make them without the frosting that cuts down on the calories big time. 🙂

  3. These little delicious squares would go perfect with my latte this afternoon. Shipping baked goods can be a challenge. Last year I shipped cookies in boxes, and used lots of bubble wrap. Everything arrived fine.

  4. I love sending care packages with baked goods! My brother-in-law just started his freshman year at Columbia, so it looks like it's time to send him a taste of home.

  5. These look AMAZING! Love the candies up on top. My kiddo would absolutely LOVE it if I made these - or better yet, if we made them together!

  6. 5 stars
    These look so, so good, Amy! I could definitely eat a few! The care package idea is so cute, I love it! It would be lovely to receive something like these blondies in the post!!

  7. 5 stars
    I'd certainly love to have a nice square of peanut butter blondie with my coffee. The frosting looks delicious. The M & M's remind me of Fall and Halloween.

  8. Peanut butter blondies are YUMMY.......... Its look amazing .These blondies are one of the best peanut butter desserts. Girls went absolutely crazy over the frosted ones.

  9. How would you recommend storing these if they cannot be eaten that day? With the cream in the frosting I'm assuming they would need refrigeration.

  10. These peanut butter and chocolate blondies are a fantastically easy and delicious treat that your kids will love.

  11. 5 stars
    These were ridiculously delicious for my peanut butter living family! Seriously, never seen them finish a whole traybake this fast! 😀

  12. 5 stars
    This recipe definitely speaks to me. Big fan of PB anything, right here. These turned out wonderfully and I look forward to making them again. Everyone loved them!

  13. 5 stars
    Whipped up a batch of these this weekend and they did not disappoint! Easily, my new favorite way to cure my sweet tooth; delicious!

  14. Hi, First of all I want to say thank you for sharing your amazing recipes! Perfection!!! For this recipe is it an 8x8 pan or 9x9 ?
    First time making it and can’t wait to try them!

    1. Thank you so much! I somehow missed sharing that info originally but updated the post to reflect that I used an 8x8-inch pan but a 9x9-inch pan can also be used but the bars will be slightly thinner and bake a couple minutes faster. Or you can double the recipe and use a 9x13-inch pan. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

  15. 5 stars
    I did a sugar free/low carb version of this and popped some zero sugar mini Reese's cups in the middle of the mix. OMG it was heavenly!
    The only thing I did different to substitute/make it sugar free was use coconut flour, zero calorie brown sugar and sugar free peanut butter. 🥜🧡🍫