Amazing 16 Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

Oh my goodness, if you haven’t met the magic that happens when creamy peanut butter meets a rich, buttery shortbread base, you are in for such a treat. Seriously, what is better than salty and sweet baked into a perfect square? Trust me, I’ve spent years perfecting recipes, and these Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars are my absolute go-to when I need something impressive that takes almost no effort.

The first time I tested these, I think I ate half the pan before it even cooled down—that’s how good they are! This recipe is foolproof; I promise. We’re talking about the easiest, richest bars you’re ever going to bake, hands down. They literally come together in minutes!

Why You Will Love These Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

Why do I keep making batch after batch of these things? Because honestly, they hit every single craving note in one bite! I’m going to give you all the reasons why this recipe is about to become your new obsession. You ready?

• They are ridiculously simple! Seriously, you can have these mixed and in the oven in under 15 minutes of active time. No fancy equipment needed here.
• That texture contrast is everything. You get the slightly crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread base, which is perfectly followed by that thick, totally smooth peanut butter filling. Wow!
• The flavor is pure nostalgia—salty, sweet, and that wonderful roasted peanut taste that just makes you happy. They taste way richer than they are!
• You don’t even need an electric mixer for the crust! A sturdy wooden spoon or your own two hands will work perfectly for combining those simple ingredients.
• These bars hold up beautifully. They travel well to potlucks and last for days in an airtight container. Perfect for that late-night snack craving!

Honestly, if you’re looking for an easy bake that always gets rave reviews, these Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars are it. The recipe speaks for itself!

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

Okay, the beauty of this recipe is that it uses stuff I pretty much always have rolling around in my pantry! We aren’t dealing with weird extracts or specialized flours here. It’s all about high-quality basics that create that amazing texture. Since we’re making a shortbread base that doubles as the topping, we keep the ingredient list super tight.

If you need a quick primer on making your own simple syrup for drinks later, you can check out my easy simple syrup guide, but for these bars, we keep things dry and buttery!

For the Shortbread Base and Topping

This part is what gives us that gorgeous, sandy, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. The butter absolutely has to be soft—not melted! If it’s too warm, the whole structure relies on guesswork later on.

• One whole cup of good, unsalted butter that is perfectly softened.
• Half a cup of standard granulated sugar to sweeten the base just enough.
• Two full cups of all-purpose flour.
• Just a half teaspoon of salt. Don’t skip this! It balances all that richness.

For the Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

This is where the main event comes in. We’re keeping the peanut butter part simple too, which means the peanut flavor really shines through bright and clear.

• We need one full cup of creamy peanut butter. I prefer creamy here because it blends smoothly, but I’ll share a workaround for crunch later!
• Half a cup of powdered sugar. This gives the filling its structure and sweetness without making it grainy on you.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

Putting these bars together is a real joy because everything happens in phases, which is just easier to manage than stirring a million things at once. First things first, crank that oven up to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) right away, and make sure you get that 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Leave lots of overhang! That’s your handle later on, trust me. Parchment paper is a lifesaver for sticky bakes like this, kind of like how a good lining makes homemade croutons stay crisp when you bake them! See my crouton guide if you want to talk about crust structure!

Now, for the crucial part: building the base. In a large bowl, you want to beat that softened butter and granulated sugar until they look creamy and light. Slowly introduce your flour and salt. Stop mixing as soon as it just comes together into a dough. Don’t overwork it, or you’ll lose that lovely shortbread texture! I always take about two-thirds of that dough and press it *firmly* and *evenly* into the bottom of that prepared pan. That’s my expert tip—if the base isn’t flat, the whole bar looks wobbly later on! Slide that into the oven for 15 minutes.

Preparing the Crust for Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

While that 15 minutes is ticking away, whisk together your peanut butter and powdered sugar in a separate bowl until it’s smooth as silk. You want it totally combined before the crust comes out. This makes spreading so much easier later! It’s important that the crust is still warm when we add the filling, so try to time this mixing step perfectly.

Once the crust is done baking (it should just be set, not really browned), take it out. Quickly spread that lovely peanut butter mixture evenly across the warm base. Then grab that remaining one-third of the shortbread dough—the part you held back—and just crumble it right over the peanut butter. It doesn’t need to be neat; the crumbles are part of the charm!

Creating the Peanut Butter Layer and Topping

Pop the whole pan back into the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes. You are looking for that topping to be just lightly golden brown when it’s done. If you see too much dark color, pull it out because the peanut butter layer underneath could burn faster than you think! The smell when these come out is just heavenly—like a thousand peanut butter cups decided to become a cookie bar.

Cooling and Cutting Your Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

This is the hardest part, but you absolutely have to let them cool completely! If you rush this, you will slice through them, and you’ll just end up with a gooey, unmanageable mess instead of clean squares. Let them chill out in the pan on a wire rack until they are totally room temperature. If you can manage it, popping them in the fridge for an hour makes cutting them into beautiful squares so much easier!

Once they are completely cooled, just use those parchment paper overhangs like little handles to lift the whole thing out. Then slice them up neatly. Enjoy that perfectly balanced PB and buttery goodness!

Tips for Making the Best Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

You’ve got the recipe, but I want to make sure these Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars turn out like my batch—the one that disappeared instantly! A few little tricks I learned over the years really take these from good to show-stopping. Don’t worry about sounding like a professional baker; these are just common-sense tips that make a huge difference.

First, let’s talk about that chilling time I mentioned earlier—it’s non-negotiable if you want those clean, perfect-looking squares people always ask me about. We all know how frustrating it is to cut a bar, and the filling squishes out the sides! Since these bars are so rich, chilling them in the fridge for at least an hour makes slicing incredibly neat. It just firms everything up beautifully, making the cutting process so satisfying!

Next, if you are a texture person like my husband, you absolutely have the option to switch up the filling! While I generally stick to creamy peanut butter because it spreads like a dream over that warm crust, you can easily swap it for crunchy peanut butter if you prefer texture in that middle layer. It gives you a whole different sort of bite—just make sure it’s well-mixed with the powdered sugar so you don’t end up with hard chunks.

Also, pay close attention to the oven preheat. Because the first layer of that shortbread crust only bakes for 15 minutes, if your oven isn’t quite hot enough yet, that base will just end up greasy instead of set. Always give your oven a good 15 to 20 minutes to fully come up to temperature before you slide that pan in!

And one last thing about ingredients: if you are finding your dough is struggling to hold together when you press it in the pan, your butter might have been slightly too cold. It needs to be soft enough to press easily, but not oily. If you need a little refresher on temperature in baking, I learned a lot about precision when I was reading up on mistakes people make with brewing iced tea—it’s all about timing and temperature with baked goods, too!

Storage and Reheating Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

This is the part I love: these Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars are terrific the next day! Because they are so rich and dense, they don’t really need any reheating. I swear they get even better overnight once all those flavors hang out together.

You simply need to store the leftovers in a completely airtight container. I keep mine right on the counter at room temperature, and they stay perfectly fresh for about four or five days. Seriously, they usually don’t last that long around here, but they should hold up fine!

If you happen to keep them in the fridge, they will firm up substantially, which isn’t bad if you like that super-hard, almost candy-like texture. Just let them sit on the counter for about 15 minutes before you serve them if they’ve been chilled. Speaking of chilling, these bars are delicious alongside a leftover bit of that amazing Cobb Salad I made last week, believe it or not—the saltiness plays well!

Serving Suggestions for Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

These bars are rich, right? They’ve got that heavy dose of butter and salty peanut butter, so you need something awesome to cut through that richness or something warm to snuggle up next to them. I have a few favorite ways I love to serve these up!

Forget fancy desserts when you have these! They shine all on their own, but a great beverage pairing just elevates the whole experience. My top suggestion, especially if you’re having these as an afternoon treat, is a big, strong cup of coffee. The slight bitterness and warmth of quality brew just balances the sweetness perfectly.

If you are making a big batch for the kids or for a casual gathering, you can never go wrong with a tall, cold glass of milk. There’s simply no better partner for buttery shortbread than cold whole milk—it’s a classic combination for a reason. I still sneak a glass whenever I pull a fresh batch out of the cooling rack!

For something a little more adult, especially if you’re serving these after dinner, try pairing them with a bold stout or maybe even a nice simple black iced coffee. If you want to check out how I tackle my own coffee game, I have a whole guide on making the ultimate cold brew coffee that pairs unbelievably well with these bars!

Seriously, you slice them up, put them on a platter, and watch them disappear. They’re perfect as is, maybe with a strong cup of something warm!

Estimated Nutrition for Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

Now, let’s talk fuel! I always like to keep this part brief because, let’s be honest, when you’re eating something this delicious, you aren’t measuring every single macro, right? But for those of you who like to keep track, I pulled the numbers straight from the recipe breakdown. Remember, these are just estimates based on the standard ingredients, so factor in that homemade love!

This data reflects the breakdown for just one of those wonderful squares, assuming you cut the batch into the standard 16 bars we usually get.

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: Around 220 (A reasonable trade-off for the amount of happiness you get!)
• Total Fat: Roughly 14g (That’s where most of that buttery richness comes from!)
• Saturated Fat: About 6g
• Carbohydrates: 22g
• Sugar: 12g (Nice balance of sugar in the shortbread and the filling!)
• Protein: 4g
• Sodium: 85mg

Enjoying these wonderful Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars is what really matters. If you worry too much about the exact numbers, you might miss out on the sheer joy of that salty-sweet crust. Bake these up, have one (or two!), and don’t feel bad about it!

Common Questions About Making Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars

It’s totally normal to have questions when you are trying a new recipe, especially when you want that melt-in-your-mouth texture that we’re aiming for with these Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars. Let’s tackle the things that pop up most often in my inbox when people try this for the first time. Don’t sweat the small stuff; baking is just chemistry with snacks!

If you’re deep into hosting and want a great accompanying drink once these bars are done, check out my guide on the best cocktail recipes. Sometimes a salty-sweet bar needs a little something sharp on the side!

Can I use crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy in this Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars recipe?

You absolutely can! Like I mentioned when we talked about tips—I prefer the creamy kind because it spreads so beautifully over that warm crust, giving you a super smooth filling layer. But if you love texture, go straight for the crunchy peanut butter. Just give it a good whisk with the powdered sugar before you spread it on. You’ll get little pockets of peanut pieces throughout your bars, which is honestly fantastic!

Why are my Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars crumbly?

Ah, the dreaded crumbly shortbread! Usually, this happens for one of two reasons, and it both comes back to that base layer. First, you might have over-mixed your flour in with the butter and sugar. Remember, you want to mix until it *just* comes together—if you keep going, you develop too much gluten, and it gets tough, or it just falls apart once baked. Second, check your butter temperature. If the butter was too cold and stiff, it won’t properly coat the flour, causing it to just crumble away instead of forming that nice, coherent dough. Make sure that butter is truly soft before you start creaming!

How thick should the peanut butter layer be on these bars?

This comes down to preference, but I aim for a nice, even coating that completely hides the shortbread base beneath it. Since we use one full cup of peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar, it’s a generous layer! The key is spreading it evenly while the crust is still warm—that slight warmth helps the filling settle in nicely. Don’t pile it too high, though, because you need that last bit of shortbread dough to crumble nicely on top and give you that final balance of buttery crust to peanut butter filling. Aim for a quarter-inch thickness across the whole pan for perfect results!

Share Your Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars Creations

Okay, now that you’ve baked up a storm of these amazing Peanut Butter Shortbread Bars, I really want to know what you think! Seriously, nothing makes me happier than hearing that you enjoyed a recipe I’ve shared. Did they turn out perfectly buttery? Did your family fight over the last square?

Please, please, please come back and drop a rating down below. Even just a quick comment telling me how they went is fantastic. It truly helps me know which recipes to feature more often!

And if you’re taking pictures—and I hope you are, because these look gorgeous on a platter—feel free to tag me on social media or shoot me a message through the contact page! I absolutely love seeing what you create in *your* kitchens. Happy baking, everyone!

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