Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Bars

1. Lightly grease the sides and bottom of a 9×13″ baking pan. Line the sides and bottom with enough parchment paper so that it hangs off the sides a little (to grab later and help remove bars). Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream your butter and sugars on medium high until light and fluffy in color, about 3-4 minutes.

3. Stop, scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl, and then beat in your eggs, one at a time. Make sure to stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl after each addition. Add in your vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda and sea salt. Add dry mix to the butter mix and stir on low speed until just combined. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.

5. Finally, add in the peanut butter and chocolate chips and mix again until just combined.

6. Remove dough from bowl and place into the prepared baking dish. With very lightly damp hands, press out dough so that it covers entire bottom. Make sure to really get it into the sides and corners, as well as spread out into a nice even layer.

7. Place pan into oven, on the center rack, and bake for about 25-27 minutes, turning pan around halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Bars are done when the center has puffed and the entire surface is a nice light amber brown color. Remove dish from oven.

8. Let bars completely cool in the pan before trying to remove them. Once cool, simply use the little overhang of parchment to pull the entire thing out of pan. You can also chill the entire pan in the fridge, once cool to the touch, until totally cold for super easy cutting and slicing.

9. Once you’re ready to slice, peel back parchment paper and with a large, sharp knife cut bars into as many or few servings as you’d like! I got 18 bars (6 across, 3 down) with one pan. Can easily be cut smaller if need be.

Serve bars room temperature for best flavor! You can also make dough ahead of time, press into pan and wrap in plastic wrap to freeze for a later date. Allow it to sit in fridge overnight before baking. Baking time will increase. You can also bake ahead of time, wrap in plastic, and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow the bars to come to room temperature before serving.

Super easy to transport to your friend’s house or anywhere for upcoming BBQ’s or picnics!

Servings will vary depending on how many squares you cut the bars into!