Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Layer Bars

Today, May 18, is I Love Reeses’s Day, so it seemed like a good time to dig into my recipe archives from my food blogging days for some peanut butter/chocolate treats. Here’s an oldie but a goodie – peanut butter chocolate layer bars! Simple yellow cake mix is tweaked with the addition of creamy peanut butter and butter to create a rich peanut butter cake layer. Then, melted chocolate chips are mixed with sweetened condensed milk for a fudgy chocolate layer. Top the whole thing off with some of the reserved peanut butter mixture for a truly decadent triple-layer bar. And if you want to really go all out, you can always add some chopped Reese’s cups on top! (In fact, I just might do that next time.)

These are a great crowd pleaser if you want to bring something to a get-together this summer. And they’re always a welcome addition to your dessert table for a birthday party or shower! Just switch the cupcake liner you place them in before plating – and they’re on theme! (Pics below of when I made these for a friend’s wedding shower and for my son’s birthday.)

Peanut butter mixture:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 cup peanut butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

Chocolate mixture:

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Add all of the ingredients for the peanut butter mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine well using an electric mixer.
3. Reserve 1-1/2 cups of the peanut butter mixture. Press the rest of the mixture in the bottom of a 13” X 9” baking pan.
4. Add chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons butter to a microwave-safe bowl. Melt by heating 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each increment until chocolate is fully melted.
5. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract to chocolate mixture, stirring to combine.
6. Pour chocolate mixture over the peanut butter layer, spreading evenly.
7. Take remaining peanut butter mixture and break into pieces by hand, gently flattening and “sprinkling” over the chocolate layer. There is no perfect way to do this.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
9. Allow pan to cool before cutting into squares.
10. Serve in cupcake liners for easier handling and a nice presentation.