Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

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This Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars recipe is so yummy. Your kids will love it and truthfully, everyone who enjoys the good old flavor of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will flip for this dessert.

Peanut butter and jelly bars on a plate

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

I love the idea of putting scrumptious ingredients together in a pan, layer after layer until you have a yummy, sweet treat that travels well. You can take them to parties, picnics, potluck and bake sales.

I find that every time I take bars of any sort to get-togethers like BBQs or reunions, they are gone in a flash. It’s a go-to goodie for sure. If you’ve never made them, this is a good one to start with. It’s super easy and the ingredients are probably things you have in your kitchen right now.

I’m a big fan of dessert “bars.” I always have been, I mean what’s not to love anyway? If you are a fan of bars too, look at these Buckeye Bars and Lemon Chess Bars! Talk about delicious.

Peanut butter and jelly bars on a plate

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Butter- We use unsalted for baking.
  • Sugar- You will want to use granulated sugar.
  • Vanilla- Always best to use pure vanilla extract.
  • Eggs- Use room temperature eggs.
  • Peanut Butter– Use creamy for this recipe.
  • Flour- Use all purpose flour for the best results.
  • Baking powder– This will help it to rise.
  • Jam- You will want to use strawberry jam.

How To Make Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

  • Cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined and then the vanilla.
  • Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
  • Gradually mix in the dry ingredients with the wet until combined.
  • Using about 2/3 of the peanut butter mixture, spread the dough onto the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Spread the strawberry jam on top of the bottom layer.
  • Crumble remaining dough mixture on top of the jam.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 or until the top is lightly golden brown.

Jelly, Jam or Preserves?

This PB&J bars recipe calls for strawberry jam. You could definitely use a different flavor like raspberry jam, but strawberry is so good I suggest you give it a try first. No matter what flavor you choose, make sure it’s jam and not jelly. Preserves is a good alternative for this recipe if you do not have jam.

Jelly is made from fruit juice. Jam, on the other hand, comes from fruit pulp or crushed fruit. If you have an Instant Pot, you should try to make your own strawberry jam.

You’ll only need a pound of strawberries, a cup of honey and some cornstarch. The best part? The Instant Pot makes it in only a few short minutes. At the very least, you can brag to the people who score a piece of these bars that not only are they homemade, but you made the jam from scratch as well!

Salted or Unsalted Butter?

There is usually some confusion when it comes to using salted or unsalted butter. The idea for using one over the other is to better manage the amount of salt in a recipe.

Different dairy brands may use different amounts of salt in their product so if there are other sources of salt in a recipe, it’s easier to control the taste if you eliminate the salted butter and opt for unsalted instead.

If you’re the kind of cook that follows every recipe to the letter in order to get the absolute best result, save that yummy salted butter for your toast and baked potatoes!

How To Store Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

It’s best to store these bars in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for around 3 days and up to a week if stored in the refrigerator.

Peanut butter and jelly bars on a plate

Other Dessert Bar Recipes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars feature
5 from 2 votes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

This Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars recipe is so yummy. Your kids will love it and truthfully, everyone who enjoys the good old flavor of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches will flip for this dessert.
Servings: 24
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cup strawberry Jam

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
  • Using a standing mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined and then add vanilla.
  • Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.
  • Gradually mix in the dry ingredients with the wet until combined.
  • Using about 2/3 of the dough, evenly spread the dough onto the bottom of the baking dish.
  • Spread the strawberry jam on top of the bottom layer.
  • Crumble remaining dough on top of the jam.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 or until the top is lightly golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars and enjoying!

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 24g | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

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