Nutter Butter bars are an amazing cookie for any peanut butter and jelly lover. This easy recipe is the ultimate PB&J cookie bar with a Nutter Butter base, a sweet strawberry preserves layer, and a crumbled topping. These cookies with the jelly in the middle are pretty, yummy, and sure to be a kid's favorite (adults too!)
Peanut butter and jelly bars are a great snack or dessert when you want something sweet and salty. The classic crisp cookie with gooey warm fruit jelly is fantastic. I love transforming favorites into homemade dessert bars. This is a recipe favorite like my Homemade Snickers Bars.
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Ingredients for Nutter Butter Bars
The main ingredient in these Nutter Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars is, of course, the Nutter Butter cookies. These peanut butter sandwich cookies with a peanut butter cream filling are what makes these cookies so delicious but also easy to make.
Then you only need a few other ingredients that are likely already in your pantry and refrigerator. I recommend only using creamy peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy, so the cookie mixture sticks together. Use your favorite brand and kind of jelly...perfection.
- Nutter Butter Cookies
- Salted Butter
- Flour
- Brown Sugar
- Peanut Butter
- Jelly (or jam/preserves)
- Flaky Sea Salt
- optional - chopped peanuts
See the recipe card for amounts & full instructions
How to Make PB&J Cookie Bars
This Nutter Butter and Jelly Cookie Bars recipe is so easy to make. It starts by crushing the cookies which I do by getting them in a Ziploc bag, sealing it, and smashing them with my meat mallet tenderizer. They should be crushed as small as you can get them.
NOTE: the PB filling will make all the crumbs stick together but once you touch them they will just fall apart.
In your mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the cookie base. This includes finely crushed Nutter Butter cookies, peanut butter, flour, brown sugar, and melted butter. Mix it together until it starts to stick together but should still be a bit crumbly.
Bake & Layer the Bar Cookies
Press the cookie base mixture into a 9x9 baking dish that is nonstick or has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make it an even layer that covers the entire bottom and corners.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes in the oven so it will set.
While the base is baking, mix together the crumble topping in the same bowl. When the cookie base is done baking take it out of the oven and let it cool for a couple of minutes.
Next, add the jelly and spread it evenly over the freshly baked Nutter Butter cookie bar base. Then dollop on the crumble topping in small dots across the jelly layer. In the last step, sprinkle on some sea salt flakes and optional chopped peanuts.
Bake the cookies in the oven for 30 minutes. The jelly will be bubbling on the edges and the top will be slightly brown. Let cool on the counter for 20-30 minutes before cutting into 12 bars.
ENJOY! These are like having your favorite PB&J sandwich in dessert form. You may want to have a cold glass of milk ready when you bite into these amazing Nutter Butter bars.
Storing Cookie Bars
You can store any leftover cookie bars in an air-tight container or wrap the top of the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil. The Nutter Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars will keep on your counter for up to 3 days if sealed or covered correctly.
You can also freeze them between layers of parchment paper. Freeze for up to a month in a resealable bag.
Other Amazing Peanut Butter Dessert Recipes
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Nutter Butter Bars
Equipment
- meat mallet tenderizer
- 9x9 baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 C Nutter Butter cookie crumbs about 16 cookies
- 2 TB creamy peanut butter
- 4 TB salted butter melted
- 2 TB all-purpose flour
- ½ TB brown sugar
Jelly Layer
- 1 C preserves/jelly strawberry or your favorite flavor
Crumble Layer
- ½ C Nutter Butter crumbles about 4 cookies
- 1 TB creamy peanut butter
- 1 TB salted butter melted
- 3 TB flour
- ¼ C roasted peanuts coarsely chopped optional
- ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray or use a nonstick pan.
- Crush the Nutter Butter cookies by placing them in a sealed Ziploc bag and hitting them with a meat mallet tenderizer.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the first set of ingredients with the last item being the brown sugar. Mix to combine.
- Press the cookie base layer into the prepared 9x9 dish. Make sure the layer is even and covers the bottom and corners of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the base is baking, in the same mixing bowl, mix together the crumble topping ingredients. For a crunchier topping add the chopped peanuts, but this is optional.
- Once the base is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Next, spread on the preserves/jelly in an even layer. Then drop tablespoon-sized dollops of the crumble topping into spaced-out drops over the preserves/jelly layer. Sprinkle on the sea salt flakes if you are using them.
- Bake an additional 30 minutes in the oven. The jelly should be bubbling on the edges and the top will be slightly brown.
- Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into 12 evenly sized squares. Enjoy!
Notes
- Nutter Butter & Jelly Cookie Bars can be stored in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Grab a cookie bar and try to uncover stories behind some of your FAVORITE COOKIE BRANDS. It is actually pretty fascinating.
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Sandra Whitmore says
I am not familiar with Nutter Butter Cookie but this recipe looks delicious.
Emily says
YUM! I make homemade strawberry and raspberry jelly, that would be super delish!
Angela says
Oh Emily, these cookies would be amazing with your homemade jelly.
Allison Peteet says
These look soooo good. I can't eat peanut butter right out of the jar, but I love it in cookies, candies, and bars. I can't wait to make this.
Gina says
What an easy recipe, and looks great too! I am a sucker for Nutter Butter cookies!
Angela says
If you love Nutter Butter cookies, you will love these.
Ashley Pacheco says
I never would have thought to make a dessert like this, but it looks really good! And who doesn't like Nutter Butters?
Angela says
IKR, Nutter Butters are amazing on their own but wow on this recipe.
Lisa, Casey, Barrett Dog says
What an easy recipe! We are always seeking out new things to make and this goes right up our alley with the love of Nutter Butter!
Sabrina DeWalt says
These look yummy!
Marianne says
We love anything peanut butter, so these would go over really well in our house! Thanks for sharing this yummy little gem!
Jacqueline Debono says
These cookie bars look scrumptious. I'm not sure we have nutter butter cookies here in Italy but I'll look out for them!
Shikha says
Are these nutter butter cookies available in the UK? I am not sure. Can I substitute with something else?
I'd love to try this recipe.
Angela says
Amazon UK sells them!
Jere Cassidy says
Making these for the hubby, he will be so happy to have a peanut butter treat.
Beth says
I went through a Nutter Butter phase and remember them fondly! These look like a step up from the cookies right out of the package, what a fun recipe.
LaRena Fry says
Peanut butter and jelly what could be better? YUM