Small Batch Peanut Butter Blondies With Chocolate Chips

These small batch peanut butter blondies are chewy bars packed with nutty peanut butter flavor and just enough chocolate chips folded in for pockets of melty sweetness. Baked in a 6-inch pan in under 40 minutes, they deliver crisp edges and a thick center, without a full pan of leftovers or extra fuss.

Why Peanut Butter Works So Well In Blondies

If you’ve read my post for nutty butterscotch blondies, you know I wasn’t always fully on board with blondies. But these easy, one-bowl blondies converted me.

While my classic small batch blondies rely on brown sugar and butter for their signature flavor and texture, peanut butter makes this version richer, nuttier, and even more cookie-like.

Peanut butter also tones down the sweetness you sometimes get with traditional blondies. And most importantly, you can actually taste the peanut butter — it’s not just a background flavor.

For a little contrast, I fold in dark chocolate chips, which balance the peanut butter nicely. And if you go with a larger chip, you’ll get big, satisfying bites of chocolate throughout each square. For a little more chocolate, a swirl of my chocolate peanut butter frosting turns these into decadent dessert bars.

How To Make Peanut Butter Blondies

Melt the butter right in the mixing bowl to keep this a true one-bowl recipe. There’s no mixer or creaming butter and sugar required.

As you mix the wet ingredients, you’ll notice the peanut butter binds with the sugar and egg into a cohesive, slightly sticky batter.

After adding the dry ingredients to the wet, switch to a spatula to mix. The batter for these peanut butter blondies is much thicker than brownie batter — almost like cookie dough. That’s exactly what you want and part of what gives the blondies their chewy texture.

After you fold in the chocolate chips, press the blondie batter into a lined 6-inch pan, and use the spatula to get it into all the corners.

Once the blondies start baking, check them first at the minimum bake time. Small batch bars can overbake quickly, so look for golden edges and a toothpick with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.

Peanut Butter Blondie Baking Tips

• Pick the right pan size. I use the 6-inch pan for a reason. A larger pan, like a loaf pan, spreads the batter more, which gives you thinner, crisper blondies instead of the thick bars we’re after.
• Skip natural peanut butter that needs stirring. Either creamy or chunky peanut butter will work in these blondies. And I give the same advice for my chewy peanut butter cookies: avoid natural peanut butter with separated oil, which can make the blondies feel greasy.
• Wait to slice the blondies. It’s hard to resist, I know, but let the blondies cool completely before cutting into bars. Warm blondies are fragile and can crumble if cut too soon. When they’re cool, you’ll get tidy squares.

Small Batch Peanut Butter Blondies With Chocolate Chips

Small batch peanut butter blondies baked in a 6-inch pan with crisp edges and chewy centers. Made with creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, and chocolate chips, the thick blondies are ready in under 40 minutes.

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by Erin Cernich

Yield9 Blondies

Prep10 minutes minutes

Cook26 minutes minutes

Total Time36 minutes minutes

Equipment

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  6-Inch Square Cake Pan
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  Fine Mesh Strainer (optional)

Ingredients

• ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ 6 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg, room temperature
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy)
• ▢ ¼ cup chocolate chips, any kind (I use large, dark chocolate chips)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

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  Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a 6-inch square baking pan with a piece of parchment paper long enough to hang over the sides.
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  In a medium mixing bowl, add the melted butter and both sugars. Whisk to combine. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until the egg is well incorporated. Then add the peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
  3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 6 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, room temperature, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
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  Sift or sprinkle the dry ingredients over the wet. Switch to a small spatula to mix until no dry streaks remain. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them into the dough. Expect a thicker dough, like cookie dough.
  3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, any kind, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
I like to sift my dry ingredients through a fine mesh strainer to remove lumps and for better distribution into the batter.
• ▢
  Press the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Do not overbake, or the blondies will not be chewy.
• ▢
  Cool the blondies completely in the pan, set on a wire cooling rack. When ready to serve, lift the blondies out of the pan and cut into desired slices. A 6-inch pan will yield 9 smaller squares.
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  Store the blondies in a covered container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

• Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled and baked in an 8×8-inch pan. Increase the bake time by at least 5 minutes.
• Peanut Butter – Use regular, creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural, organic, or peanut butter that needs to be stirred will likely yield oily blondies.
• Baking Pan – You can also use a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but the blondies won’t be as thick and will take a minute or so less to bake.
• Freezing – Place cut blondies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition Estimates

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 118mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 147IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.