I’m taking some time off the next few weeks to spend with my family and our new baby girl. In the meantime, I’ve asked a few of my amazingly talented blogger friends to fill in with guest posts. Joanne of Eats Well With Others has been a dear friend of mine ever since I met her in real life at the Big Summer Potluck last year. She’s just as much of a gem as you’d think she is by reading her blog, and the food she makes is just as delicious as you’d expect by looking at it — or in my case, drooling. So much drooling. Ahem. Anywho, welcome Joanne and these peanut butter and jelly bars that I’m pretty sure — nope, definitely sure — I want to stuff my face with every minute of every day.
Will you allow me to predict the future for a second?
I don’t really foresee Steph being a PB&J kind of mom.
No, she’ll be sending little Avery off to school someday with cilantro-lime tofu sandwiches on cracked wheat bread in her lunch box. Complete with a side of rutabaga fries.
Quite honestly, that sounds like what I wish I had for lunch every day, so no judgment from me.
But a life with nary a PB&J in it is a sad life indeed, which is why I am sharing these peanut butter and jelly bars today!
Personally, I prefer them to PB&J in sandwich form because peanut butter shortbread cookie crust + fudgy peanut butter jelly insides + MORE peanut butter shortbread topping + salted peanuts for some extra crunch.
That beats out Wonder bread any day.
Less of a blondie and more of a bar cookie, these are the perfect mix of sweet, salty, and stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth good.
As it should be.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 18 ounces creamy peanut butter, use any brand or variety.
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 18 ounces raspberry jam
- ⅔ cup salted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch cake pan. Line it with parchment paper, then grease it again.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all ingredients are combined.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Spread 2/3 of the dough into the prepared cake pan, making sure it covers the entire surface evenly. Spread the jam evenly over the dough. Drop small globs of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Sprinkle with the peanuts. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool and cut into squares.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
That prediction of what little Avery will have for lunch totally cracked me up, as in, I actually LOL’d! These peanut butter jelly bars look so yummy and a bar that my husband would totally fall in love it, definitely going to make these 🙂
These look amazing, my boys would love these!
I think Avery is going to be one of the most well-fed children in the history of ever! In fact, I’m a little jealous…and I’m seriously craving a slice or two of these bars. Yum!
So good! As per usual, Joanne! xo
These bars are perfect!! I want 5 right now!
These look amazing Stephanie! Love peanut butter so much!
Tandy — Thank you so much!
Shashi — Me too! Can never have too much peanut buttery flavor. 🙂
Anna — Right?? Joanne = genius.
Tina — Oh, I can so relate; thankfully even one bite of these bars could erase so many bad memories of ham sandwiches on white bread and fruit snacks. 😉 Thanks!