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Super simple, extra delicious, and perfectly sweet Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars. Easy shortbread, made with nutty brown butter and flavorful brown sugar, baked and layered with sweetened peanut butter. Each sweet bar is covered in chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Similar to a classic Millionaire Bar…but with a sweet, creamy peanut filling that makes them even more delectable. A fun addition to your Christmas table or Christmas Cookie Box.
I shared a sneak preview of these over the weekend when I shared my Christmas Cookie Box. I can’t believe how many of you have messaged me since asking for the recipe! Of course, that got me very excited to share these simple but fun chocolate peanut butter bars.
As crazy as it is, this is my first Christmas dessert using peanut butter. I thought about doing peanut cookies, but in end, I landed on these delicious bars that my family is excitedly waiting to try.
It’s no secret that everyone in our family enjoys a chocolate peanut butter treat!
Which honestly is what inspired me to make these. Knowing how much everyone enjoys a peanut butter dessert, I figured these would be amazing handheld treats we could all enjoy and even have fun baking together.
Actually back before we started the site, I used to take holiday cookie cutters, pour chocolate on the bottom, and then do a layer of peanut butter on top. The idea was to create holiday-shaped peanut butter cups, but they never quite worked out that well.
These are similar, but with the addition of buttery brown sugar shortbread that creates an even yummier Christmas treat. Like a Millionaire bar but with sweetened peanut butter.
And if you’re looking for a peanut-free Millionaire Bar, I already have a recipe for those. You can find them here! They’re yummy too, but we like this peanut butter adaption even more.
Here are the details
Start with the shortbread. I kept it simple, but I browned the butter, which is really key to adding delicious flavor to an otherwise flavorless base. Don’t skip! The nutty browned butter pairs so nicely with the flavors of the brown sugar and vanilla.
While the shortbread bakes, make the peanut caramel layer, which really could not be simpler. I didn’t want to make it too sweet because I just didn’t feel it was necessary. So I opted out of using sweetened condensed milk and instead used maple syrup.
Bring the mixture to a very gentle boil, then pour it over the shortbread and spread it in an even layer. At this point, chill the bars to help the peanut butter set up. Then cut the bars into cute little rectangles or squares and cover them entirely in chocolate.
Yummy! Oslo is going to be obsessed with these.
And my mom is really looking forward to trying these as well. She tries to avoid sugar, so I know she will enjoy the fact that these are not too sweet!
These would be a great addition to your holiday dessert tables or cookie boxes, something fun for people to snack on that isn’t a cookie!
Plus, I just love that they look like mini presents!
Tip for Success
Make sure the bars are thoroughly chilled before dipping them into chocolate. This is probably my biggest tip. If the bars are frozen, the chocolate will quickly set up and be easier to work with. Trust me, freeze the bars, then dip them through the melted chocolate.
This tip works well for any chocolate covered dessert!
Looking for other holiday dessert recipes? Here are my favorites:
Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Asher’s 5 Minute Vanilla Bean Hot Cocoa
Salted Caramel and Milk Chocolate Brownies
Salted Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Blondies
Slice n’ Bake Bourbon Caramel Pretzel Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Millionaire Bars
Servings: 24 squares
Calories Per Serving: 298 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) salted butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 24 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Add 1 stick butter to a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Stick in the freezer to chill, 10-15 minutes, but no longer.2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. 3. In a bowl, beat together the remaining stick of butter, the cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour and mix until fully combined. Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake 20-22 minutes, until lightly golden and toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.4. To make the peanut caramel. In a medium pot, mix the peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour over the shortbread. Freeze until firm, 30-60 minutes. 5. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave. Stir eveery 30 seconds until melted. 6. Cut the bars into 24 rectangle bars or 48 square bars. Freeze another 10-30 minutes to make dipping easier, then cover/dip each bar in chocolate. Let the chocolate set slightly, then sprinkle with sea salt. Chill until set. Keep stored in a cool dry place or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
I substituted Avocado Oil for Coconut oil, and they came out super. Next time, I will make sure to try the Coconut Oil, as I’m sure the richness will enhance the flavor. They were a hit at a Town BBQ. Great recipe and easy. Thank you, Tieghan.
Hey Kym,
Happy Friday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it was a winner! Xx
These bars are insanely delicious and decadent. Love them!!! I will be making them again!! I do believe these could become my go to to give as a thank you to someone. One thing…. I feel like step 5 & 6 need to be flipped.
Hi Jina,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, so glad it turned out well! Have a great weekend! xT
Made these with Almond Butter since my nephew had a peanut allergy. HUGE HIT! so good!!!
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Have a great rest of your week! 🙂 xT
Ok so I started looking through your Christmas cookie recipes so I could pick out 2 or 3 recipes to make for gifts but now I want to make ALL of them!! However, I think it’s fair to say millionaire bars are very near the top of my list. There’s just something so magical about the soft caramel, sweet chocolate and nutty bars that is hard to beat! So I’m definitely making these and I still have to narrow down my choices on the rest.
Merry Christmas!
Victoria
https://victoriahaneveer.com
Aw thank you Victoria! Hope you enjoy all the delicious Christmas treats this holiday season! Merry Christmas to you! 🙂 xT
I was eating these as I was making them, without the chocolate! They are, my opinion,
absolutely delicious! Thank you, Tieghan, for sharing your recipes!
Hi Linda,
Wonderful!!🍀 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out:)
These are so delicious and always a huge hit, but i’m unable to get the beautiful clean edges that you have. Mine look like a mess! Any tips? Do you have a video for dipping into chocolate?
Hey there,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! I just use a large bowl, flip the bars around with a fork and then let them sit on a metal rack. I hope this helps! xT
These were so freaking good. My son and I made these for a super bowl party last night, and everyone could not stop raving about them.
Hey Jessi,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
Does the melted coconut oil go with the chocolate or the peanut butter????
The instructions don’t specify if the chocolate gets the 1/4 cup or the 2T amount.
Hi Molly,
You are using 1/4 cup of coconut oil in step 4 and the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in step 5. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
These turned out really well and were delicious- the only problem is they’re too sweet.
Hi Kenzie,
Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! Sorry to hear these were too sweet! xx