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Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread recipe is a great example of how simple can be so, so good. Soft peanut butter shortbread cookies are topped with melted chocolate and chopped peanuts for a dessert that everybody will love!

Chocolate peanut butter shortbread cookies topped with chopped peanuts.

I love baking shortbread. They’re so quick and easy to make that I find myself baking shortbread quite often when I need a simple sweet treat. For my latest shortbread adventure, I looked to a favorite flavor combination – chocolate and peanut butter.

Chocolate peanut butter shortbread bars sliced on parchment paper.

These shortbread are made with both peanut butter and peanuts for plenty of peanut-y flavor. They’re pretty tasty all on their own if you’re looking for a lightly sweet and simple cookie. But the chocolate-peanut butter topping is just the thing to make these Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread irresistible!

Tips for Success

Before you begin baking, check out these shortbread tips to make the process even easier!

  • Measure accurately. Use a scale to measure my weight if you can. Otherwise, spoon and sweep dry ingredients. This is always important in baking, but it’s especially important when making shortbread. Over-measuring flour is the usual culprit. Too much flour in shortbread, and the dough just won’t hold together. If you need a refresher, be sure to review my tips for measuring flour.
  • The mixed dough will be crumbly. But if you pinch it, you’ll find that it holds together just fine.
  • Don’t over-mix the dough. Mixing too much is a sure way to get tough shortbread.
  • Use your hands! When it’s time to shape the dough, you can use a rolling pin if you like. But I find that it’s easier to use my hands to shape and flatten the dough.
  • Use good quality chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. While the topping here couldn’t be simpler, keep in mind that it will melt better and taste better with good quality ingredients.
Chocolate peanut butter shortbread cookies topped with peanuts.

The topping for this shortbread couldn’t be simpler. Just sprinkle chocolate chips and peanut butter chips over the top of the shortbread when it comes out of the oven. Then spread it over the top until it melts. As it melts and spreads, the two different chips will mix together. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and you’re done!

These shortbread are so, so good. The shortbread themselves are a little crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. And the chocolate-peanut butter topping is the perfect complement. If you’re a fan of easy recipes and chocolate and peanut butter desserts, these are a must-bake!

More Simple Shortbread Recipes

Looking for more easy shortbread recipes? Try these ones!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread

Yield 36
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes

If you love chocolate and peanut butter, do not miss these quick and easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread. A favorite one-bowl dessert!

If you love chocolate and peanut butter, do not miss these quick and easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread. A favorite one-bowl dessert! - Bake or Break

Ingredients

For the shortbread:

  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup (133g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (85g) creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup (37g) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (125g) chopped peanuts

For the topping:

  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (167g) peanut butter chips
  • about 1/2 cup (62g) chopped peanuts

Instructions

To make the shortbread:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter until thoroughly mixed. Add the cornstarch, vanilla, and salt, and mix well.
  3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add the flour mixture, and mix just until combined. Stir in the peanuts. The mixture will be crumbly but should hold together when pinched.
  4. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Use your hands to press the dough together and pat out to a rectangle about 11"x 14".
  5. Transfer the parchment paper and dough all at once to a rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

To make the topping:

  1. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips over the top of the baked shortbread.
  2. Use an offset spatula to spread the chips over the top of the shortbread until they're melted and smooth. Sprinkle the peanuts over the top.
  3. Allow the topping to set before cutting into bars.*

Notes

  • *These can be cut in several different ways. I prefer squares, but don't forget about triangles, rectangles, and more.
  • Recipe adapted from Southern Living.

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    3 Comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread”

  1. yummy!… feel like preparing it right now.seems easy, any way gonna try it soon.

  2. Hi, it looks so good! Thanks for sharing!
    What can I use instead of cornstarch?  Thanks!!

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