Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Brownie Bars
Dense chocolate brownie base topped with creamy peanut butter custard layer and milk chocolate chips, finished with a drizzled chocolate peanut butter glaze. This commercial-scale recipe yields a large sheet pan of layered bars balancing rich cocoa flavor with peanut butter sweetness.
Ingredients
- 12 oz unsalted butter, melted
- 2 lbs sugar
- 1 ½ oz vanilla extract, divided
- 12 large eggs
- 1 lbs all-purpose flour
- 4 ¾ oz HERSHEY'S Cocoa NaturalDutch-process cocoa1:1cocoa
slightly darker color and deeper flavor
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 42 ⅝ fl oz sweetened condensed milkevaporated milk mixed with sugar1:1 evap milk + 2 tbsp sugar per candairy
thinner layer, less sweetness
Full guide → - 16 fl oz REESE'S Peanut Butter Saucenatural peanut butter thinned with milkvariespeanut
less refined sweetness, grainier texture
- 1 lbs HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips, divided
- 1 lbs REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, divided
- ½ oz shortening, do not use butter margarine spread or oil
Instructions
- 1
Heat convection oven to 300°F (standard oven 350°F). Spray one 18x26-inch sheet pan lightly with vegetable cooking spray.
- 2
Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla in mixer bowl with paddle until creamy.
- 3
Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated.
- 4
Blend flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl.
- 5
Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix until well blended.
- 6
Spread into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes.
- 7
While baking, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter sauce, remaining eggs, and remaining vanilla.
- 8
Pour mixture evenly over hot brownie layer.
- 9
Reserve portion of milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Sprinkle remaining chips over peanut butter layer.
- 10
Return to oven and bake 20 to 40 minutes until peanut butter layer is set and edges begin to brown.
- 11
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
- 12
Combine reserved chips and shortening in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium 30 seconds, stir. Continue microwaving in 15-second intervals until melted and smooth.
- 13
Drizzle glaze over cooled bars. When firm, cut into 2-inch bars.
Tips
Use convection oven if available for more even browning; standard oven temperature is 50°F higher.
Do not substitute butter, margarine, spread, or oil for shortening in glaze to maintain proper consistency and set.
Bake until peanut butter layer is set but slightly underbaked for fudgy texture; overbaking dries the bars.
Good to Know
Loosely covered at room temperature.
Prepare and bake completely; store covered up to 3 days. Glaze day-of for best appearance.
Cut into 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.
Common Mistakes
Substituting butter for shortening in glaze will prevent proper setting and create greasy bars.
Overbaking the peanut butter layer results in dry, curdled custard layer.
Pouring peanut butter mixture over warm (not hot) brownie will incorporate rather than set as distinct layer.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
thinner layer, less sweetness
Full guide →General Alternatives
slightly darker color and deeper flavor
less refined sweetness, grainier texture