Peanut Butter Cookie and Cream Cheese “Candy” Bars

Wait until you try these gooey, creamy, fabulous peanut butter cookie bars stuffed with sweet cream cheese and chocolate candy. A quick and simple recipe with a mighty tasty outcome!

Cream cheese peanut butter cookie bars next to a coffee mug and a fork.

Raise your hand if you’ve got Halloween candy leftover? Well, we do! I had to do something with it, so…..I baked. Shocker right? 🙂

Wait until you try these gooey (if you are impatient like me to wait for them to cool) peanut buttery, cream cheesy fabulous cookie bars. Another quick and simple recipe to put together with a mighty tasty outcome, go unwrap those chocolate bars and bake a sweet treat for your friends and neighbors!

Assorted wrapped Halloween candy in a glass dish.

Look familiar? I am seeing this stuff in every room in the house!

The ingredients for cream cheese peanut butter cookie bars.

Line up….nice and easy, just how I like it 🙂

Close up of peanut butter cookie dough in a glass bowl.

First things first, mix up your peanut butter cookie dough.

Cream cheese mixture in a white mixing bowl with a spoon.

Next is your cream cheese layer which is just softened cream cheese and a little sugar mixed until smooth.

Side by side images of the peanut butter cookie dough and cream cheese layers in a baking pan.

Press 1/2 of that cookie dough into the bottom of an 8×8 inch baking dish then top with the cream cheese mixture.

Mini wrapped Halloween candy bars on a cutting board.

Time for the candy layer!

Unwrapped chocolate candy on a cutting board.

Gotta love Halloween 🙂

Chopped chocolate candy bars on a cutting board.

Give a few good chops and….

Candy spread over the cream cheese and cookie layers in a baking pan.

…top over your cream cheese layer.

Peanut butter cookie dough layered in a baking pan.

Top with remaining cookie dough and time to bake! 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes.

Close up of baked peanut butter cookie bars with a cream cheese layer.

Mmmm 🙂

Cream cheese peanut butter cookie bars next to a coffee mug and a fork.

Let cool completely ( I did not, do not follow my bad example)  However, I kind of like them gooey like this anyway 🙂  Grab a tall glass of milk and enjoy….then give some away to your favorite neighbors and friends!

A cream cheese peanut butter cookie bar next to a fork.
Peanut Butter cookie bars on squares of parchment paper

Peanut Butter Cookie and Cream Cheese “Candy” Bars

Wait until you try these gooey, creamy, fabulous peanut butter cookie bars. Another quick and simple recipe to put together with a mighty tasty outcome!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 9 large bars
Calories: 445kcal
Author: Jenny
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3-4 Tablespoons hot water (enough to dampen the dough)
  • 8 oz softened cream cheese
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 25 pieces favorite leftover Halloween chocolates!

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In stand mixer, beat peanut butter and sugars until well combined. 
  • Add egg and vanilla to combine.
  • In mixing bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to combine. 
  • Slowly add to wet ingredients then pour in hot water. 
  • Press half of dough into an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.
  • In another bowl mix the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth then layer over peanut butter dough. 
  • Cut up chocolates and layer over cream cheese then top with remaining peanut butter cookie dough.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cookie turns golden brown.
  • Remove and let cool completely then cut into squares.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords: cookie bars, peanut butter cookie bars, quick and easy dessert

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Happy Baking, see you soon!

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56 Responses
  1. dawn

    Thanks for the great idea, Im using easter left over candy! Its baking right now, hope its good, sure was easy!

  2. caroline

    I made these with chunky pb! Amazing! I think I need to make them again. I gave away too many

  3. Crissy

    I made these tonight using Payday,Hershey and M&Ms. and they are delicious. Since I was making them for my kids I used sugar cookie dough and omitted the cream cheese. I can’t wait to make them for myself just as the recipe reads.

  4. Jen @ How To: Simplify

    Peanut butter and cream cream cheese…in a bar?! Yes please! I’ll take 5 of them…all for myself!

  5. angel van

    OMG this looks awesome! but i wonder if i could cheat and use either premade cookie dough or just a packet mix instead of all that. i might try the cheat and see how that comes out….

  6. VickiT

    This just looks SOOOOOOOOOOO yummy and sosso bad at the dame time.lol Eh, who cares about calories, I WILL be making this. It has all my favorites, peanut butter, chocolate, and cream cheese. There is no way this can fail with those ingredients. YUM!

  7. merium

    Hmm, I bet these could be made with nut-free butter in our peanut-allergic home! They look great!

  8. Jacqueline

    No, we had about 300 trick or treaters, so nothing is left but I sure know where to go get some. These look positively sinful, so of course I want one for breakfast.

  9. Deborah

    Oh my goodness – these look absolutely sinful! Now I’m wishing we had some Halloween candy around the house – although these look good enough to go out and buy the candy for them!

  10. Mrs. L

    Okay, I’m now upset that we gave our extra candy away. We should have kept it and made these!

  11. Eliana

    I see these in my very near future as I need to get rid of a ton of Halloween candy I still have at home. They look awesome.

  12. Carol

    This sounds so good. Makes me wish we had leftover Halloween candy to use up. Guess I’ll have to buy some & make it for the grands at Thanksgiving.
    Carol

  13. Sues

    You make the best desserts ever and I am insanely jealous of your kids. These look absolutely incredible!!

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