Irresistibly Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies: The Ultimate Decadent Treat

Welcome to the world of pure indulgence with these **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies**! Imagine a sweet treat that’s rich, profoundly chewy, perfectly sweet, and balanced with just a touch of sea salt – that’s exactly what these blondies deliver. If your heart sings for the classic combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips, then this recipe isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a must-try experience that will captivate your taste buds and leave you craving more. These bars are more than just a dessert; they are a delightful journey for anyone who appreciates a truly satisfying, homemade baked good.

Sliced Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars on baking paper.

Why You’ll Fall in Love with These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Are you searching for the perfect chocolate chip blondie recipe? Look no further, but with a delicious twist! We’ve elevated the classic blondie by infusing it with creamy peanut butter, creating an indulgent snack that you absolutely need in your life. This recipe for **Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies** is a true game-changer, combining two of the most beloved flavors into one irresistible bar. The result is a profoundly rich, delightfully chewy, and utterly satisfying treat that will become a staple in your baking repertoire.

The magic of chocolate and peanut butter together is simply undeniable. It’s a flavor pairing that consistently ranks as one of the most cherished combinations in the dessert world. If you’re not yet convinced of this divine duo, I highly recommend exploring my other recipes like Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls or my Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins. They’re sure to turn you into a believer!

Beyond their incredible taste, these **Chewy Blondies** are remarkably easy and quick to prepare, making them the ideal solution for any sudden sweet cravings. They are perfect for last-minute desserts, impromptu gatherings, or simply for stocking your cookie jar. What’s more, these blondie bars can be made ahead of time and will remain wonderfully moist and delicious for several days, making them excellent for meal prep or gifting. Essentially, these baked blondies offer a similar delightful experience to my No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, but with a warm, comforting, and perfectly chewy texture that only baking can achieve.

Whether you’re hosting a party, packing school lunches, or simply enjoying a quiet afternoon tea, these peanut butter and chocolate chip blondies are guaranteed to be a hit. Their delightful aroma fills your kitchen as they bake, promising a treat that’s comforting and deeply satisfying. This recipe is designed to be straightforward, ensuring even novice bakers can achieve spectacular results with minimal effort. Get ready to bake a batch that everyone will adore!

12 sliced Blondies squares shot from above.

What Exactly is a Blondie?

A blondie is a type of sweet bar or slice that shares many characteristics with its darker cousin, the brownie. However, instead of being flavored with cocoa or chocolate as the primary ingredient, blondies derive their signature taste and ‘blonde’ color from vanilla, brown sugar, and butter. It’s a delightful baked dessert bar that typically features a chewy or dense, cake-like texture, often studded with various additions.

Traditionally, a classic blondie recipe calls for foundational ingredients such as all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, and a generous amount of vanilla extract. Yet, the true beauty of blondies lies in their versatility. They serve as an excellent canvas for countless additions, which can dramatically enhance their flavor and texture. Common additions include chocolate chips (as in this recipe!), various nuts like walnuts or pecans, shredded coconut, or even different types of nut butters, like the peanut butter we’re using here.

The origin of blondies isn’t as clear-cut as some other desserts, but they emerged as a popular alternative to brownies, offering a similar satisfying chewiness but with a distinct, butterscotch-like flavor profile. They are celebrated for their simplicity and the ability to be customized, making them a favorite for home bakers looking for a versatile and crowd-pleasing dessert bar.

Blondie vs. Brownie: Understanding the Key Differences

While often grouped together due to their similar bar form and chewy texture, blondies and brownies have a fundamental difference that sets them apart: their primary flavoring agent. Both are delicious, dense bar cookies made from a base of flour, butter, and eggs, but their core flavor profiles are distinctly different:

Brownies: These delectable bars are rich and dark, owing their signature deep color and intense flavor to **chocolate** (in solid form, like melted chocolate or cocoa powder). They are the “brown” in their name, a direct reflection of their chocolate content.
Blondies: In contrast, blondies are light-colored, deriving their “blond” hue and primary flavor from **vanilla** (whether it’s pure extract, essence, or paste) and often brown sugar. Instead of chocolate, their base relies on the caramelized notes of brown sugar and the aromatic depth of vanilla to create a unique, butterscotch-like taste.

So, the simplest way to remember the distinction is by their names: **Brown**ies get their color and taste from chocolate, while **Blond**ies are lighter in color and flavor, centered around vanilla and brown sugar. While both offer a satisfyingly chewy or gooey texture, the flavor experience is entirely different – one for the chocolate purist, the other for those who adore vanilla and butterscotch notes.

Key Ingredients for Decadent Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

These particular blondies stand out because they are generously enriched with **Peanut Butter**. This isn’t just a simple addition for flavor; the peanut butter plays a crucial role in the texture, contributing to the incredibly rich and wonderfully chewy consistency that defines these bars. When combined with the deep, intense flavor of **Dark Chocolate Chips**, these blondies transform into a truly perfect treat for anyone who cherishes the classic pairing of chocolate and peanut butter.

Below is a detailed list of the essential ingredients required to create these delightful Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies. For precise quantities, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card further down this page.

Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter gives you control over the overall saltiness of the blondies. It provides the foundational richness and moisture essential for a perfect texture.
Smooth Peanut Butter: Opt for a good quality smooth peanut butter, ideally without added salt or sugar. This allows you to control the sweetness and seasoning, ensuring a balanced flavor. The creamy texture of smooth peanut butter blends seamlessly into the batter, contributing to the blondies’ signature chewiness.
Vanilla Extract: A crucial flavor enhancer for any blondie recipe, vanilla extract brings warmth and depth, complementing the brown sugar and peanut butter beautifully. You can also use vanilla essence or a vanilla bean paste for an even richer aroma.
Large Eggs: It’s best to use eggs at room temperature. Eggs act as a binder, provide structure, and contribute to the rich, moist texture of the blondies. Whisking them properly with sugar is key to achieving that desirable light, airy, and chewy interior.
Brown Sugar: This is a star ingredient for blondies! Brown sugar not only provides sweetness but also adds a delicious, subtle molasses flavor and is essential for achieving that characteristic soft, chewy, and moist texture. It helps create the delightful caramel-like notes.
Plain / All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our blondies. All-purpose flour provides the right consistency without making the bars too dense or too cakey.
Baking Powder: Just a touch of baking powder helps give these blondies a slight lift, preventing them from becoming too flat and ensuring a tender crumb.
Sea Salt: This is arguably one of the most important ingredients for enhancing the overall flavor. A pinch of sea salt in the batter beautifully offsets the sweetness and truly makes the chocolate and peanut butter flavors “pop.” I highly recommend adding some directly into the blondie batter and, for an extra gourmet touch, sprinkling a little more over the top before baking.
Mini Dark Chocolate Drops or Chips: While you can use any chocolate chips you prefer, I strongly recommend mini dark chocolate chips or drops. The intense flavor of dark chocolate provides a fantastic contrast to the sweet, nutty peanut butter, creating a more sophisticated and balanced flavor profile. Mini chips ensure chocolate in every bite without overpowering the other flavors.

Remember, the quality of your ingredients significantly impacts the final taste and texture. Choosing good quality peanut butter and chocolate will make these blondies truly unforgettable.

Stack of the chocolate chip bars with a bite off

How to Bake Perfect Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

Creating these incredibly delicious chocolate chip blondies is a straightforward process, quite similar to making traditional blondies or brownies, but with the delightful additions of peanut butter and chocolate chips. Follow these simple steps for a truly rewarding baking experience:

Prepare the Melted Mixture: In a small heat-proof bowl, gently melt together the unsalted butter, smooth peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth and liquid. This ensures everything is well combined and evenly distributed. Crucially, set this mixture aside and allow it to cool down significantly before incorporating it into your other ingredients. Adding hot liquid to eggs can scramble them, which we definitely want to avoid!
Aerate Eggs and Sugar: In the bowl of your stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), combine the large eggs and brown sugar. Whisk these together on medium-high speed for a good 5 minutes. This step is vital for achieving the chewy texture of blondies. You want to incorporate a lot of air into the mixture, making it pale in color and at least doubled in volume. This creates a light, fluffy base that will yield wonderfully chewy blondies.
Combine Wet Ingredients: Gently add the cooled melted butter/peanut butter/vanilla mixture to the aerated egg and sugar. Whisk just until they are fully incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat at this stage, as you risk deflating the airy egg mixture, which could lead to denser blondies. A few quick pulses or gentle folds should be enough.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Switch your mixer attachment to a paddle or, if mixing by hand, use a stiff spatula. Gradually add in the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, a little baking powder for a subtle lift, and a pinch of sea salt. Mix on low speed until the flour streaks have just disappeared. Overmixing the flour can develop too much gluten, resulting in tough blondies.
Fold in Chocolate Chips: Finally, gently fold in the mini dark chocolate chips. Be careful not to overmix, as this can cause the chips to sink to the bottom of the pan. If desired, sprinkle a little extra sea salt over the batter at this point for an enhanced flavor contrast.
Bake to Perfection: Transfer the prepared blondie dough into your rectangular baking pan, which should be lined with parchment paper for easy removal. Spread the dough evenly with an offset spatula if necessary. Bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated oven, or until the edges are golden brown and the center looks just set. Remember, it is always better to slightly under-bake blondies than to over-bake them; an under-baked blondie will be deliciously gooey, while an over-baked one can become dry and crumbly.
Cool Completely: The final, and perhaps most critical, step is patience! Just like brownies, these blondies need to cool down completely in the pan before you attempt to remove them and slice. If you try to cut them while warm, they will likely fall apart due to their soft, gooey nature. Allowing them to cool allows them to set properly, giving you clean, perfectly chewy squares.

By following these steps, you’ll achieve a batch of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies that are incredibly rich, perfectly chewy, and full of flavor. Enjoy every single bite!

Close up on a peanut butter blondie slice

Frequently Asked Questions About Blondies

How do you know when blondies are done baking?

Determining when your blondies are perfectly baked is mostly about visual cues. You’ll know they are ready when their edges begin to turn a light golden-brown and the top appears set and slightly crinkly. The center might still look a little soft or gooey, and that’s exactly what you want! It’s much better to slightly under-bake blondies to achieve that wonderfully moist and chewy texture. Over-baking will lead to dry, cakey blondies, which diminishes their characteristic gooey richness. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

How long can you keep Blondies fresh?

These delicious blondies will stay wonderfully fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container. This helps maintain their moisture and prevents them from drying out. If you wish to extend their shelf life, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. Just be aware that refrigeration can sometimes alter the texture slightly, making them a bit firmer, though still delicious.

Do blondies need to be refrigerated?

No, blondies generally do not need to be refrigerated. They will keep perfectly well at room temperature for a few days in an airtight container. However, if you live in a very warm climate or simply want to extend their freshness for a longer period (beyond 3 days), refrigerating them is a good option. Do note that storing them in the fridge can cause them to dry out a bit quicker than at room temperature, and they might become firmer. For best texture, let them come to room temperature before serving if they’ve been refrigerated.

Can you freeze blondies?

Absolutely, blondies freeze beautifully! To freeze them, first ensure they have cooled down completely after baking. Then, slice them into individual squares. For best results, wrap each blondie square tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, or place them in a freezer-safe bag separated by pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy one, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours. They’ll be just as delicious as when they were freshly baked!

Choc Chip Blondies sliced on baking paper.

Explore More Delicious Bar & Small Cake Recipes:

If you’ve fallen in love with these peanut butter chocolate chip blondies, you’re in for a treat! The world of easy-to-make bar cookies and small cakes is vast and delightful. Here are some more irresistible recipes that are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth, sharing with friends, or bringing to your next gathering:

Raspberry Brownies: A fruity twist on a classic, these brownies are rich and tangy.
Peanut Butter Energy Balls: A no-bake, healthier option for a quick boost.
Chocolate Chip Scones: Perfect for breakfast or an elegant afternoon tea.
No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies: Quick and easy, just like our blondies!
Orange Brownies: A vibrant, zesty take on traditional brownies.
Chocolate Caramel Slices: Layers of pure decadence that are sure to impress.
Mini Brownie Bites: Small, perfectly portioned chocolatey treats.
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins: A wholesome and delicious way to use ripe bananas.
Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookies: A gluten-friendly option for peanut butter lovers.

Each of these recipes offers a unique flavor and texture experience, ensuring there’s always something new and delicious to bake on your culinary journey!

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Recipe Card: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Blondies

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Blondies

5 from 3 votes

This Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Blondie Recipe makes the best afternoon tea sweet treat. Rich and decadent, these blondies are a must try if you love chocolate chips and peanut butter!

Servings:
12 Squares

Author:
Sylvie

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
20 minutes

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Ingredients

120 gr Unsalted Butter, melted
120 gr Smooth Peanut Butter
1 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 large Eggs, at room temperature
80 gr Brown Sugar
175 gr Plain / All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Pinch Sea Salt, + to sprinkle over the blondies (optional)
90 gr Mini Dark Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a rectangular 20x30cm (8x12inch) baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
In a small, heat-proof bowl, melt the Unsalted Butter, Smooth Peanut Butter, and Vanilla Extract together. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth and liquid. Set it aside to cool down to room temperature. This step is important to prevent cooking the eggs later.
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), place the large Eggs and Brown Sugar. Whisk on medium/high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and has at least doubled in size. This incorporates air, which is key for a chewy texture.
Pour the cooled melted butter/peanut butter/vanilla mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk gently just until incorporated. Be careful not to overbeat, as this can deflate the air you’ve built up in the eggs.
Switch your mixer attachment to a paddle, or use a stiff spatula if mixing by hand. Add the Plain / All Purpose Flour, Baking Powder, and a pinch of Sea Salt. Mix on low speed until just combined and no streaks of dry flour remain (see note 1).
Gently fold in the Mini Dark Chocolate Chips. If you desire, drizzle with a little more Sea Salt over the top of the batter for an extra flavor boost.
Pour the blondie batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread it evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to ensure an even thickness.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center appears just set, but still slightly gooey when lightly touched. Remember, under-baking slightly will result in the most desirable chewy texture.
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside to cool down completely on a wire rack. This is a crucial step! Do not attempt to remove or slice them until they are fully cool, or they may fall apart. Once cool, lift the blondie slab out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang and slice into individual squares.

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Notes

You can also mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients by hand with a stiff spatula if you don’t have a paddle attachment or prefer not to use a mixer.
For an extra layer of flavor and texture, consider adding a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the blondies immediately after they come out of the oven.
Ensure your baking pan is the correct size; using a pan that is too large or too small will affect the baking time and the thickness of your blondies.

Nutrition (per serving)