I love all my recipes, I really do. But some I love just a little extra. And this recipe is one of those. Have you ever wondered what would happen if two of your favorite holiday treats collide?
Well, let me tell you, if those treats are Buckeye Ball Peanut Butter Balls and Magic Cookie Bars, it turns out to be a very, VERY good thing. Did I mention it’s a good thing?
And if that incredible deliciousness isn’t enough, this post also comes with an amazing giveaway from The J.M. Smucker Company and HostACookieParty.com. Sometimes more is more, yay for more today!
This fab Cookie Party Pack is a $150 value and includes… A variety of Smucker products– Crisco, Folgers, Eagle Brand, Jif, Pillsbury and Hungry Jack. A $25 Visa gift card. A Framed chalkboard menu & chalk – great for cookie party decorations (not pictured in the photo above but you can see it in my “finished” photos). You will also receive assorted gift boxes, bags, baker’s twine & ribbons for wrapping up your cookies! Everything you need to host a holiday cookie party!
The folks at The J.M. Smucker Company asked if I would like to make one of the recipes featured on their Host A Cookie Party website, and the answer was easily “Yes!”. The Host A Cookie Party Website is full of great recipes as well as idea and tips for creating your own fabulous cookie parties. You know the tips are good when the come from My Baking Addiction and Cookies & Cups! It just so happened that they had a Magic Cookie Bar recipe on the site. Magic Cookie Bars made with Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk have been a staple in my holiday baking for as long as I can remember. For me it’s not Christmas without a pan of these fabulous treats.
I’ve been sharing magic cookie bar recipes all week. When I saw the Jif Peanut Butter in the Cookie Party Pack, I immediately thought of one of my favorite treats, peanut butter balls, or Buckeye Balls as many call them. When I make peanut butter balls, I use graham cracker crumbs and peanut butter, so simply adding peanut butter to this recipe already had that flavor combo popping up. But I wanted to push it a bit further, and I’m so glad I did as these turned out to be crazy good.
I started with the classic Magic Cookie Bar Recipe that is featured on Host A Cookie Party but made a few very simple changes that had a big flavor impact. To the graham cracker crumbs I added 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of Jif Peanut Butter, and pulsed them all together in the food processor (the same way I make my peanut butter balls).
I also added 1/4 of a cup of Jif Creamy Peanut Butter to the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.
And obviously topping with peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups, in addition to chocolate chips, really ups the peanut butter experience. I froze my peanut butter cups overnight prior to making this recipe, I find that freezing add ins like that helps to prevent them from totally melting while baking.
Peanut Butter Cup Magic Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 TBSP powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 14 oz. can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1/4 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups or chopped up peanut butter cups
- 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
Instructions
- HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
- In a food processor, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and 2 TBSP peanut butter. Pulse to combine well.
- Combine graham cracker crumb mixture and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan.
- Put 1/4 cup peanut butter into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for approx 15 seconds (you just want to soften to a stir-able consistency). Combine peanut butter with sweetened condensed milk and stir well to combine.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk & peanut butter mixture evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, peanut butter cups and coconut. Press down firmly with fork.
- BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds.
- For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into bars.
Notes
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you are a big fan of peanut butter and Buckeye Balls, you will want to check out my Peanut Butter Ball Stuffed Cupcakes – they are crazy, over the top and downright irresistible. They are more than a dessert, these babies are an experience! Also check out my peanut butter cup stuffed brownie cupcakes, peanut butter filled pretzel brownies, peanut butter cup chocolate chocolate chip cookies and my deep dark delicious chocolate ice cream with peanut butter cups in pretzel cones.
Okay, now let’s talk about this amazing GIVEAWAY!
GIVEAWAY IS OVER. THANK YOU. Would you like to win this amazing Cookie Party Pack??? Silly question, of course you would! Thank you so much to Smucker’s for sponsoring this great giveaway! To enter, use the Rafflecopter Widget below. Open to US Residents only. Remember, sometimes it can be a bit slow to load so give it a second. Here it is…
DISCLAIMER: I received compensation in the form of my own Cookie Prize Pack from The J.M. Smucker’s Company, but as always, all opinions expressed are mine and mine alone. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”). This giveaway is a sweepstakes. No purchase necessary, winner will be selected at random and must a resident of the US who is of legal age.
Karen says
I would like to make the Peanut Butter Cup Magic Cookie Bars but we don’t like coconut. Will this recipe work without coconut? Do I need to substitute something else?
Christi says
Karen, I’d just add a bit more of the chocolate chips and nuts if you are using them. Though I will add, I’ve had quite a few “I hate coconut” friends love magic cookie bars, with the coconut (maybe that’s the magic? :))