Halloween Peanut Butter Brookie Bars

A big fan of layered bar recipes, Josh Lehenbauer adds Betty Crocker™ Fudge Brownie Mix to the original REESE'S™ Pieces™ Halloween Cookie Bars, turning them into peanut butter and fudge brookie bars.

By adding this layer of fudge brownie beneath the iconic peanut butter candy and cookie layer, Josh ensures each bite is soft, smooth, indulgent and fudgy. And who doesn’t love peanut butter and chocolate together? It’s the ultimate dream team!

Josh loves how the fudge brownie balances out the intensity of the peanut butter flavors. And it really isn’t that much added effort to make the upgrade happen.

After pouring the fudge brownie batter into the bottom of the pan, he works in batches to layer the peanut butter cookie dough over the batter until it’s completely or mostly covered. And he reminds us that it doesn’t have to be perfect! Little imperfections combined with the candy eyeballs will make the baked bars look extra Halloween-y.

A simple and delicious layered Halloween treat that both kids and adults can enjoy? There really isn’t anything more delightful than that.

Give this recipe a try for an after-school treat or add it to your Halloween party spread! Let us know what you think or ask us a question below. And if you are on the hunt for more seasonal treat ideas, check out what our other Makers are baking up this month.

Josh’s Tips

• You can add the candy eyeballs before or immediately after you take them out of the oven. If you add them after, just make sure to do it while the dough is somewhat soft and not yet set. (Be careful — they will be hot!)
• Use a toothpick to check your brookies at the 25 minute mark, then check every five minutes after that. Because the recipe calls for the added brownie layer and everyone’s oven is slightly different, these may take longer to bake than you think.
• The toothpick doesn’t have to come out completely clean for your brownies to be considered “done.” When you pull it out, you want to be sure it’s not wet (a sign of underbaking) or fully dry or clean (a sign of overbaking). A few moist crumbs attached to the toothpick means the brookies are perfect!

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