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Peanut butter bars are an easy, simple dessert. But when they’re topped with strawberry jam and slices of fresh strawberries, they become an easy, elegant looking, delicious dessert!
I don’t know about you but every time I hear the words peanut butter and jelly, I hear my 2 sons sing that irritatingly cute song by the same title. “peanut butter..jelly” There are two songs that they sing all of the time because they think they are cute (well..they are ???? and last night was no exception. I told them I was making fresh strawberry jelly peanut butter bars for dessert and they serenaded me as I cut up strawberries.
This peanut butter bars recipe is pretty easy to make, and I mean that. If you can use a mixer and you are patient when the bars are cooling, you will have no problems.
Let the butter come to room temperature, that really helps. The bar (base) is similar to a peanut butter cookie. I have used chunky peanut butter, but I don’t like it quite as well. I also mix in 2 TB of milled flax seed to boost the nutrition as well as use reduced sugar (or homemade if I have it) jam or preserves. I really think if you go full sugar it will be a little too sweet but that is just my opinion.
I have made this 7 times and my biggest suggestions would be to spray a little Pam on the foil that lines your pan and let the bars COMPLETELY cool in the dish before you try to take them out. I like to zest a little lime over the top when it is finished, but I didn’t have one on hand today ????
I hope you like these peanut butter bars as much as we did.
Total Servings 12
Strawberry jam and a layer of fresh strawberries are layered onto a thick, chewy peanut butter cookie crust. These peanut butter and jelly bars are a dessert to love!
8 minPrep (inc. refrigeration & rest time)
25 minCook Time
33 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 3/4 C unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 C peanut butter
- 1 C packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/4 C all purpose flour
- 1/2 C strawberry jam
- 4 C sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13x9x2 baking pan with aluminum foil.
- Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter.
- Beat in sugars, baking powder and salt until combined.
- Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined.
- Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer then use a spatula to combine the rest. Batter will be thick. Spread batter in pan and smooth out.
- Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Cool completely in pan before inverting onto a serving dish.
- Spread a layer of jam evenly over the top, then add a layer of sliced strawberries.
- If desired, add a little lime zest.
This recipe can also be seen on the Gooseberry Patch.com BLOG
