Description
These Peanut Butter Cup Gooey Bars combine the rich, creamy flavors of peanut butter and chocolate with a moist cake base for an irresistible, indulgent treat. Perfectly gooey and studded with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups, they are an easy-to-make dessert that will satisfy any 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
Sweetened Condensed Milk Layer
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
Toppings
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Begin 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 with an overhang to make removal easier. Lightly grease the lined pan to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, melted butter, and egg. Stir the ingredients together until you get a well-combined dough. Press this dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan creating the base layer.
- Add Peanut Butter Layer: Spoon creamy peanut butter in dollops over the dough base. Use a spatula to gently spread the peanut butter evenly to cover the surface completely, creating a smooth layer.
- Add Sweetened Condensed Milk: Evenly pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the peanut butter layer, covering it fully to provide a creamy, gooey middle layer.
- Top with Chocolate and Reese’s: Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the condensed milk layer. Then scatter the chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups evenly on top for added texture and flavor bursts.
- Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The edges should turn golden brown and the center should be set but still gooey.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the whole slab out of the pan. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Use parchment paper or foil with an overhang for easy removal of the bars after baking.
- Make sure not to overbake to keep the bars gooey in the center.
- For extra gooeyness, slightly underbake by 2-3 minutes if desired.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- These bars can be served warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
