Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars

20 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.Peanut Butter & Jelly bars are one of my favorite alternatives to plain peanut butter cookies and a delicious treat to send with your kids lunches or in my case to your husband’s office! They’re cakey while being fudgy because they have 2 full cups of peanut butter. The strawberry jelly is a contrast to the richness of the bar and the top is topped with chopped peanuts. Pour yourself a giant glass of milk, these bars are going to make your day! I mean, c’mon, look at this amazingness… Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.

If my introduction wasn’t enough of a motivating factor in getting you to make these pb&j bars, then the fact that they are an Ina Garten recipe should push you off the fence and into the kitchen immediately. I’ve been a long time fan of Ina’s recipes and on special occasions when I need something beautiful, down to earth, easy and indulgent I reach for her recipes. With two sticks of butter and two cups of peanut butter these bars are definitely a “sometime” treat (Cookie Monster reference anyone?) but they are so incredibly rich that you won’t need a big piece to feel completely satisfied. I cut these into 32 pieces and still felt like it was the perfect amount with my morning cup of coffee. The plate from my husband’s office came home empty too, so I guess that is another 30 or so thumbs up too! Let’s not waste another moment! Onto the baking!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan with baking spray.
Using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes.Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one. Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined. Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one. Tons and tons of peanut butter! In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the stand mixer just until everything is just combined. Spread 2/3 of the dough into the pan evenly, I used a spatula to do this. Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.
Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Tear off bits of dough and got it over the jam evenly. Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.
Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

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Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.
Yield 20 servings
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder

Ingredients
 

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter , at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs , at room temperature
  • 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) strawberry jam or jelly
  • 2/3 cups peanuts , coarsely chopped (I used honey roasted)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan with baking spray.
  • Using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
  • In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture to the stand mixer just until everything is just combined.
  • Spread 2/3 of the dough into the pan evenly, I used a spatula to do this.
  • Spread the jam evenly over the dough.
  • Tear off bits of dough and got it over the jam evenly.
  • Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Notes

Adapted from one of my favorite TV cooking show hosts, Ina Garten.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Keyword: dessert bars, Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars, peanut butter and jelly bars

Dinner then Dessert TIPS These bars are VERY rich, if you want something more cakey, try reducing the peanut butter to one cup. Want to try different variations? Replace the jelly with Nutella (I know, already rich and I am making them even more rich…but hey sometimes I just go for it!) or change up the flavors of jelly. I topped mine with honey roasted peanuts, you can add other toppings as well. Want even MORE peanut butter? Top with peanut butter chips.

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.
Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Bars taste like a cross between a moist peanut butter cookie and a delicious PB&J sandwich. The top is crispy while the bottom layer stays cakey and fudgy! All the comfort of your favorite cookie and sandwich in one.

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. If you enjoyed the recipe and would like to publish it on your own site, please re-write it in your own words, and link back to my site and recipe page. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. My kids are head over heels for PB! I have everything to make these today for there first after school snack of the year!

  2. OK so I am totally singing Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time in my head right now! You are welcome to my house anytime as I do not bake. I’ll do pretty much anything else in the kitchen but I do not bake! Sounds like your hubby’s co-workers are lucky!

  3. Oh those sure sound delicious! Will have to add those to my recipe list to try. Peanut butter is my favorite treat… in anything!

  4. This looks so yummy. My kids would love these. I will have to try making them on my Baking day.

  5. These look fantastic. I’ve never been a peanut butter and jelly girl, but I would definitely try these.

  6. Your pictures are great! I am pinning this to a new board I’m creating. I’m trying to find healthier foods for my kids and this seems like something they’d eat and it’s not full of crap.

    1. Thanks Aimee! I fully believe I can make all my favorite store bought/restaurant meals without all the extra “stuff” in it. It is one of my favorite things to do in the kitchen!

  7. Umm, YUM!!! What kid or adult wouldn’t want to gobble those up quickly? Thanks for the delicious recipe!

    1. I sent them to my husband’s office and made a batch for a back to school night event. Adults devoured them!

  8. I’m always looking for a homemade treat to take my family in Las Vegas. You’ve just provided the perfect one with the Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam/Jelly Bars. This is going to be fun to make.

  9. Holy. Moly. I need that in me immediately! This is the best use of peanut butter and jelly I’ve seen in forever!

    1. I cut up servings and toss into tupperware in the freezer. Then you can enjoy them every so often in your lunches. 🙂

  10. I LOVE Ina Garten, too! These look so decadent and yummy. I bet my kids would love them. Pinning so I can add it to our back-to-school snack rotation!