Cookie Butter Bars with Peanut Butter & Jelly

These irresistible dessert bars start with a rich chocolate pretzel crust, layered with sweet raspberry jam, a luscious cookie butter filling, and a silky chocolate ganache, making them the ultimate treat for any sweet tooth!

So, this recipe is one of those “I need something sweet, and I don’t care if I have to eat peanut butter out of the jar” recipes. Full disclosure: That’s how this recipe came to be. I was starving and wanted something sweet but also fast—peanut butter! 

Peanut butter is my go-to dessert, sweet, protein, and just-get-it-in-my-mouth-as-fast-as-possible food. I was working on some recipes in my kitchen, but I didn’t have time to make myself something real to eat, so the spoon and jar of peanut butter came out. We all eat peanut butter from the jar with a spoon, right?

Cookie Butter Bars with Peanut Butter & Jelly Ingredients

If you’re like me, you already have this stuff on hand. If not, your local grocery store carries it all.

• Dairy: butter, heavy cream
• Peanut butter
• Cookie Butter
• Sugars
• Cocoa Powder
• Egg
• Chocolates
• Crushed Pretzels
• Raspberry Preserves: (with or without seeds – your choice)

Make the Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

This is super easy to make; honestly, it’s so worth it in the end!

Step 1: Make the Bar Cookie Crust

1. Add the butter to a double boiler. Once it’s melted, whisk in the cocoa and sugar until smooth.
2. Temper the egg by adding a little bit of the chocolate mixture to the egg, whisking constantly. Once whisked in, add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until the mixture is thick and shiny. This will take ~3-4 minutes; do not stop whisking.
3. Remove the bowl from the double boiler and add the pretzels, stirring quickly to incorporate them. Pour the mixture into the lined pan, spreading it out evenly and pressing down.
4. Spread the raspberry preserves evenly on top and place the pan in the freezer to set for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Make the Bar Cookie Filling

1. Whip together the softened butter with the cookie butter and peanut butter until thoroughly combined and creamy.
2. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Remove the crust from the freezer and gently spread the ‘butter’ filling on the preserves. Drop small dollops on and spread them out slowly. *Wet your fingertips and gently dab the filling into place to spread it out more easily. Place the pan into the freezer while you make the ganache

Step 3: Make the Chocolate Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large glass bowl; set aside. Heat the cream in a pot over medium-low heat until it starts to boil around the edges. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk or stir to smooth out and incorporate.

Step 4: Finish & Chill the Cookie Bars

1. Remove the pan from the freezer, pour the ganache over the crazy filling, and smooth out. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.

Cookie Butter Bars & Jelly Bars – Recipe

Print Recipe

Save Recipe Recipe Saved

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

These irresistible dessert bars start with a rich chocolate pretzel crust, layered with sweet raspberry jam, a luscious cookie butter filling, and a silky chocolate ganache, making them the ultimate treat for any sweet tooth!

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minuts
• Yield: 16
• Category: comfort food, Dessert, peanut butter and jelly, snacks, sweet tooth, sweets
• Method: Stovetop

Ingredients

Crust

• 8 tablespoon butter, unsalted
• 1/3 cup dutch-processed cocoa
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels (measure after you crush them) – do not make them into a powder; just make them into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten

Filling

• 2/3 cup cookie butter or peanut butter (or go 1/3 cup each To go CRAZY!)
• 8 tablespoons butter, unsalted and softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Raspberry

• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Ganache

• 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the Crust

1. Line an 8×8 pan with foil, leaving a 1” overhang. Butter the foil and set aside.
2. Add the 8 tablespoons of butter to a double boiler. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the cocoa and sugar until smooth. Temper the egg by adding a little chocolate mixture to the egg, whisking constantly. Once whisked in, add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and whisk until thick and shiny. This will take ~3-4 minutes; do not stop whisking.
3. Remove the bowl from the double boiler and add the pretzels, working quickly to stir in. Pour the mixture into the lined pan, spreading it out evenly and pressing down.
4. Spread out the raspberry preserves on top and place the pan into the freezer to set for 20 minutes.

Make the Filling

1. While the crust is cooling, whip together the 8 tablespoons of butter with the cookie butter/peanut butter/broth mixture until creamy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Remove the crust from the freezer and gently spread the ‘butter’ filling on the preserves. Drop small dollops on and slowly spread out. *Wet your fingertips and gently dab the filling into place to spread it out more quickly. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the ganache.

Make the Ganache

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a large glass bowl; set aside. Heat the cream in a pot over medium-low heat until it starts to boil around the edges. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk or stir to smooth out and incorporate.

Finish & Chill The Bars

1. Remove the pan from the freezer, pour the ganache over the filling, and smooth out. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.
2. To serve, lift the bars out of the pan with the foil and cut them with a warm, sharp knife. Cover and store any leftovers in the fridge.

Save For Later!