Peanut Butter Apple Bars
Updated March 26, 2019
One of my all time favorite snacks is apple slices dipped in peanut butter. I usually have an apple with peanut butter every afternoon. I never get tired of this classic snack. I decided to transform my favorite snack into a dessert by making Peanut Butter Apple Bars. I think I may have a new favorite snack now, because these bars are delicious! They may not be as healthy, but definitely worth splurging on once in awhile.
I used Granny Smith apples for this recipe, because I like to bake with tart apples. Feel free to use your favorite apples or whatever you have on hand. The peanut butter bars are loaded with apple chunks, which keep the bars soft and moist. When the bars were done cooling, I drizzled a creamy peanut butter glaze over the top of the bars. Don’t skip this step, because the peanut butter glaze is amazing. I will warn you, it is addicting. I couldn’t stay out of the glaze, I licked the bowl clean:)
If you like apples and peanut butter together, you will fall in love with these bars. Apples are in season right now, so put them to good use by making these Peanut Butter Apple Bars. They make a great fall sweet snack or dessert.
Peanut Butter Apple Bars
Ingredients
- For the bars:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup diced apples peel removed (I used Granny Smith apples)
- For the peanut butter glaze:
- 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch pan and set aside.
- 2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat, and stir in the peanut butter, until creamy and combined. Set mixture aside to cool.
- 3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- 4. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the peanut butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared dry ingredients, and stir until batter is smooth. Fold in the diced apples.
- 5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading the batter evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the edges are slightly browned. Remove bars from oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
- 6. While the bars are cooling, make the peanut butter glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, milk, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars. Cut into squares and serve.
Have you tried this recipe?
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If you like these Peanut Butter Apple Bars, you might also like:
- Apple Pie Bars from Recipe Girl
- Apple Cinnamon Cookie Bars from Two Peas and Their Pod
- Peanut Butter Bars from Cooking on the Side
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies from Two Peas and Their Pod
These look amazing!! I made PB Apple Bars last week but I used caramel in the bars rather than going with frosting. I think your glaze looks..divine. I’d like to drink that in a shotglass 🙂
one of my all-time favorite snacks too – what a great idea!
Mmmm love these!
My favorite snack too! Love the idea of having it in bar form!! Going on the to make list
i have never heard of these before but you can bet i’ll be making them now! apples and peanut butter – heavenly combination!
I am also a huge fan of apples and peanut butter (although really, anything with pb!). These sound delicious.
These look perfect Maria, love a good bar recipe! Have a fabulous day!!
They look so yummy! I love PB & apple too 🙂 Give a squeeze hug to that baby for me!
My family loves apples and peanut butter for a snack. So, I cannot wait to try these bars!
Okay seriously, these look amazing!! Can’t believe I’ve never baked with peanut butter and apples before – just eaten them separately as a snack. That needs to change.
Whew, those bars look like gooey deliciousness! And I would never skip on a peanut butter glaze. These look fantastic, bookmarked!
These look delish, I’m loving that glaze!
These are mesmerizing! I love apples and PB as a snack. These sound like a perfect alternative!
We were snacking on PB and apples YESTERDAY! I know my little people will love this!
Tart apples are the best for eating & baking! I think I’d like to drizzle that glaze on everything!
PB and apples are a favorite combo in my home! I”m gonna have to make this for the boys!
This sounds like a great mix of flavors in a cookie bar! Love the glaze on top, and this is so perfect for fall.
Looks awesome Maria. I love that you’re baking with a new baby in the house. You are a rock star!
Peanut butter and apple, just as good as peanut butter and chocolate, but healthier and will less guilt!
These look amazing! I’m not sure how much of that glaze would make it onto the peanut butter bars… my boys might eat it right out of the bowl.
At first the mention of apples and peanut butter baked together did not appeal to me. But then you mentioned dipping slices of apple into peanut butter and it all came together in my mind. Totally want these now.
Brilliant! I can’t wait to try these. They look like a good cycling snack too – sugar & protein.
Thees look awesome!
Words escape me. This is my favorite snack transformed into dessert. Well.done.
really good — tried them this afternoon to take to our bridge club tonight — I know they will love them
I just tasted one from the fresh batch… divine! *i didn’t have any brown sugar, so substituted with mostly white sugar and a couple tablespoons of honey, it worked quite well* THANK YOU!
You are very welcome!
Yum! I think I’m going to make these tonight! I’ll whip up a batch of Peanut Butter and make this delish dish! Very excited for this one! Thanks! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Wow these look amazing! I think these will be my dessert for this week.
Trading in a healthy snack every once in a while is never a bad thing…especially when the replacement is as delicious as this! I love the PB+apple combo…makes me feel like a happy five year old again!
Peanut butter glaze…best part of the recipe!
These look so yummy, Maria! They seem like an ultimate comfort food snack with a healthy twist. I, like you, love apples and peanut butter together, and yet I’ve never married them into a dessert! I hope you, Josh, and baby pea are all doing well. xo
I LOVE LOVE LOVE apples and peanut butter! These bars are such a great idea and I especially love the glaze on the bars. YUM! 🙂
What a great combination! Love peanut butter and apples 🙂
I usually eat an apple and peanut butter for a snack everyday too! It’s like the perfect healthy snack! Maybe I should whip up some of that peanut butter glaze and dip my apples in it tomorrow!
How are you managing to bake with a new baby? Especially with something amazing looking as these bars! Yum!!
I did a lot of baking/cooking before the baby. So I am cheating a little bit:)
What a great flavor combo 🙂 love it…wishing I had a plateful right in front of me.
great combination… will definitely try
Ok, I feel like you’re a subconscious mind reader. Every time I visit your blog it is a recipe that looks exactly like something I want to make/eat that I didn’t even know I wanted until I saw your pictures 🙂 You are taking over my pinterest baking board – thanks for the constant inspiration!
Glad you are enjoying our recipes! Thank you!
These look sooo good. Not quite as healthy as apple dipped in peanut butter but so much better! I bet a banana version would be gorgeous too. Discovered your blog recently and am loving your recipes – great site 🙂
Thanks for coming up with this recipe! I too love apples and peanut butter. I’m really looking forward to giving them a try.
hands down, the best part of this is the glaze. thanks for reminding me how much i enjoy an apple slice slathered with peanut butter!
The bars look great, but the glaze sounds amazing! I could probably just eat that with a spoon.
Hope you guys are doing well with the new little pea! 🙂
Oh wow–a baked good made from my favorite afternoon snack! Too perfect to be allowed. 🙂
Hope little pea is doing well!
I love PB & apple too! These bars sound wonderful!
I always love the old fashioned pb on apple slices, so I am sure that this would be taking it up about 10 notches in deliciousness!
I, too, am a big fan of apples and peanut butter, and this is such a cute and creative way to use that great flavor combination! Super yummy looking bars, Maria. Thanks for sharing!
What a nice twist on a classic snack!
This does look amazing! A totally Autumn-sounding recipe too.
Peanut butter on apples is one of my favorite snacks too!
Apples and peanut butter are a favorite snack of mine too! These bars are definitely a must-try in my kitchen!
Guess I need to try that combo. Because these are looking really, really good to me right now! I think they could be a hit around here.
Apple slices dipped in PB is one of my favorite snacks too!
We adore apple slices with peanut butter, too. I can only imagine how good these little treats must taste.
I love the apple and peanut butter inspiration. That’s one of my favorite go-to snacks!
apple with peanut butter? Yes please. Great recipe
I want to knock on your door for Halloween and be presented with all of your wonderful confections! What should I dress up as? ; )
Peanut Butter and apples…yum. What a great combo and not one you see in baked goods often enough. The drizzle on top looks like a great way to top these off!
Yum! What a great snack!
These were SO GOOD! Everyone loved this recipe – thank you!
Yay! I am glad everyone enjoyed the peanut butter apple bars!
These are in the oven right now and the batter was delicious (I have a thing about eating batter…oops)! Cannot wait to glaze them! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
The kids love apples and peanut butter. I think that this will turn into one of our favorites. THANKS!
I am in LOVE with your peanut butter apple bars. I love them so much I had to make them for my second post on my new food blog! Thanks for sharing such delicious recipes 🙂
I made these last night. Oh my, they were so good. The only thing is 30 minutes would have been way to long. I checked after 15 and they were done. I don’t know if it has to do with my oven. Anyway, followed the recipe exact and these things are so good. My husband at 3 before I could even blink. I will be making these again. Thanks for such a good reicpe.
WOW!!!! I made this about 35 minutes ago, just finished putting the glaze on it and of course I had to try it while it was warm, and WOW! This is definitely a great way to use apple. I just told my husband and my son that they are poison and to save them I would eat it all myself! Thank you for this recipe!
Glad you liked the bars!
When do you add apples in? In the pb mixture?!?
Just made these! An incredibly easy and convenient recipe for someone who works long days and doesn’t want to spend two hours baking at 9pm. I’m an American living in Europe, working at an international organization, and we’re having an office potluck on Friday where everyone is supposed to bring something from their country. I figured, what’s more American than apples and peanut butter? They’re on the cooling rack now, so I can’t give taste test results yet, but based on how my entire apartment smells, they’re going to be divine. The only difference I made to the recipe — not by choice — was that I already had about 10 medium eggs, so I added an extra white to make up for them not being large eggs. In retrospect, I should’ve added the yolk instead, but c’est la vie. I’ll try that next time, because there will definitely be a next time.
Has anyone tried using oatmeal in this bar? Would it work
Way way too much sugar! A double batch contains 7 cups of sugar and 4 eggs with only 5 cups of flour. Fed the whole batch to the Bears. Don’t eat or feed them to your kids, you’ll all get sugar diabetes and tooth decay. Not healthy at all. Sorry, but true. Thanks for the try, but it needs adjusting.
Very tasty! My batter was quite crumbly going into the baking pan – had to “pat” versus “spread” it. A little dry after baking though not overdone. Seems like they need a bit more of something like the peanut butter or butter, or some oil. Frosted while warm and worked out beautifully. Ate warm, too!