Soft, ultra-chewy, and packed with flavor, these peanut butter blondies will be your new go-to dessert to impress even the biggest peanut butter fanatics. They’re incredibly quick to throw together—a 1-bowl, no-mixer-required, no-dough-chilling recipe. Reese’s Pieces add a wonderful sweet crunch in each bite!
If you’ve poked around my site before, it’s no secret that I adore peanut butter treats. I make peanut butter blossoms year-round (who said they can only be enjoyed as Christmas cookies?), I’ve used these peanut butter cookies as inspiration for 8+ other cookie recipes, and this chocolate peanut butter cake is one of the most decadent beauties to come out of my kitchen.
So it will come as no surprise that my first-ever recipe published on my site in 2011 showcased… peanut butter!
These peanut butter blondies are an ode to the recipe that started it all, a reader and personal favorite that now includes even more Reese’s Pieces. Because who doesn’t love even MORE ways to incorporate peanut butter flavor into every bite?
These Peanut Butter Blondies Are a Forever Favorite:
- Soft & ultra-chewy, and packed with crispy Reese’s Pieces
- Only 1 bowl needed
- No mixer required (just like these soft-baked M&M Cookie Bars)
- Super simple from start to finish. Prepare and bake the blondies in less than an hour. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool!
- A year-round favorite welcome at Halloween parties, summer BBQs, Christmas celebrations, and spring picnics
- Convenient for cutting, stacking, and transporting
One reader, Gina, says: “Sally, I made these yesterday with cut-up Reese’s miniature cups and only sprinkled the top with the Reese’s Pieces and they were OUT OF THIS WORLD! Everyone loved them and they were gone in seconds. ★★★★★”
Let me show you how easy this is.
You need a 9×13-inch pan, mixing bowl, whisk and spatula, a few staple baking ingredients, plus some Reese’s Pieces candy (or M&Ms). Did I already mention how EASY these are?
Ingredients to Use & Why
- Unsalted Butter: Just like with chocolate chip cookies, use melted butter to create the chewiest blondies. Cool the butter for just a few minutes so that it’s not piping hot, but don’t leave it so long that it starts to solidify again.
- Brown Sugar: You’ll reach for brown sugar here for its deep flavor, and also because it creates a softer, chewier, and thicker baked treat. All characteristics that make for the tastiest blondies!
- Peanut Butter: While natural-style peanut butters are great for eating and cooking, they can dry out baked goods. To avoid a crumbly blondie, use a creamy processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif. If you’re looking for a recipe that uses natural peanut butter instead, it does work well in peanut butter banana chocolate chip oatmeal bars, peanut butter trail mix bars, and healthier no-bake chocolate fudge oat bars.
- Eggs: You need 2 whole eggs + 1 extra egg yolk. The extra egg yolk creates a chewier, denser texture. Without it, blondies can taste a little dry and sandy. We use an extra egg yolk in dark chocolate cranberry blondies for the same reason.
- Vanilla Extract: If you have homemade vanilla extract on hand, you can absolutely use it here!
- All-Purpose Flour: To add structure. Be sure to spoon and level your flour so that it isn’t under-measured (overly gooey, greasy blondies) or over-measured (dry, sandy blondies).
- Baking Powder: For a little lift.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer, and to balance the sweet.
- Reese’s Pieces: The star of these blondies. If you love the added texture they provide in these blondies, you’ll also enjoy them in this peanut butter pie. (Have you tried that one yet? It’s an absolute must for any peanut butter lover.) They’re also give the perfect amount of crunch to my Reese’s peanut butter white chocolate bark.
Easy 1-Bowl, No-Mixer, No-Chill Recipe
After the thick batter comes together in your mixing bowl, fold in the Reese’s Pieces, spread into your prepared 9×13-inch baking pan, and sprinkle some extra candies on top for good measure. Pop them in the oven and they’re done in half an hour. (Well, except for the hard part… waiting for them to cool.)
The next time you need an easy-to-make crowd-pleasing dessert, or just have a mega peanut butter craving, reach for this recipe.
From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this very special recipe; it was the first recipe ever published on my website and I’ve gone back to re-photograph and republish it some years later. It began a delicious career and introduced me to so many sweet readers from around the world. Thank you, from the bottom of my peanut butter-loving heart, for making and trusting my recipes. Whether you’ve been following since the beginning or joined along over the years, thank you for being here. Let me know if you give these blondies a try!
More Blondies to Love:
- Salted Butterscotch Blondies
- Milk Chocolate Mocha Blondies
- Brown Butter Apple Blondies
- Candy Bar Blondies
- Cake Batter Blondies
- Biscoff White Chocolate Blondies
Peanut Butter Blondies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 18 large blondies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Enjoy soft-baked and flavor-packed peanut butter blondies made in only 1 bowl. Feel free to replace Reese’s Pieces with M&Ms, chocolate or peanut butter chips, or use a mixture of these add-ins.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 cups (400g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (190g) creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs + 1 extra egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups (about 260g) Reese’s Pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Adjust oven rack to the center rack position. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch metal or glass baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the peanut butter, then add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Whisk it all until completely combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold the batter together using a rubber spatula. Batter is very thick. Finally, fold in the Reese’s Pieces. Spread evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle with a couple extra Reese’s Pieces on top (for looks), if desired.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then test the blondies with a toothpick. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, the blondies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the blondies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. They taste a little dry if you over-bake!
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, lift the bars out of the pan using the paper overhang on the sides and cut into squares.
- Cover leftover bars and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Baked and cooled blondies freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Pan (or Glass Pan) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Spatula
- Peanut Butter: While natural-style peanut butters are great for eating and cooking, they can dry out baked goods. To avoid a crumbly blondie, use a creamy processed peanut butter like Skippy or Jif.
This is my most favorite recipe from Sally! SO packed full of peanut butter goodness! Peanut butter blondies for the win!
This is my most favorite recipe from Sally! SO packed full of peanut butter goodness! Peanut butter blondies for the win!
These are AMAZING and so moist! I made two changes. First, my son has celiac so I made them using the King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour. Second, instead of Reese’s Pieces, I added about a cup each of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Holy moly are these delicious! Thank you!
Oh my goodness! Followed the directions as listed & came out perfect texture & taste delicious! After they cooled, I melted 2 ounces of Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate baking bar & drizzled over the top & these are perfection! Another wonderful treat that went right into the family’s Christmas tins to be shipped! No matter what recipe I try of yours, they never disappoint! Thank you and Happy holidays Sally!!
OMG, so good. Even my son who may be the pickiest person on the planet couldn’t stop eating them. And if you add the Reeses Pieces, they are a beautiful Fall treat.
They’re yummy, but I wish that the consistency were a little firmer. Even after completely cooling they’re a bit soft and greasy. It’s fine for me, but I wanted to share them with a group and think that they are too soft. I cooked them five minutes longer than noted and I followed the instructions to look for a few moist crumbs on a toothpick.
Super easy, good texture. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of Reese’s Pieces and they weren’t quite sweet enough for me – didn’t realize that the Reese’s Pieces would bring much more sweetness. If making the same substitution again I would up the sugar a bit!
You used to have Valentine’s Day peanut butter blondies. What happened to that recipe? It was perfect
Hi Taylor, we recently removed that older recipe from our site. If you email us at sally@sallysbakingaddiction.com, we’d be happy to share a copy with you. Thank you!