Normally my gluten-free friend Christina shys away from peanut butter desserts. Insanity right? So for years I have avoided putting one of my favorite things into anything gluten-free that I make for her. But this past weekend I couldn’t resist. With buckeye candies on the brain and this recipe on my to-do list, her non-peanut butter ways didn’t stand a chance. And guess what happened? She loved them!
These bars are very decadent, but that totally did not stop us from eating them for breakfast one morning with a big glass of milk. I have a weakness for desserts in the morning it seems. Of course I have a weakness for desserts anytime of the day – not ashamed.
Obviously, you can change this recipe back into gluten-containing as easily as I adapted it to be gluten-free.
GLUTEN-FREE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE BARS
Makes approximately 24 two inch bars
Ingredients:
1 (18.25) package plain gluten-free yellow cake mix (I used one 15 oz box and measured 3.25 oz from a second)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter M&Ms (I used the fall colored ones)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a large bowl using a mixer or spoon. Press this into a 9 X 13″ pan reserving 1-1/2 cup of the mixture to crumble on top.
- In a small pot, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Spread chocolate mixture over the mixture pressed in the pan and then crumble the 1-1/2 cups of reserved cake mixture on top evenly. Sprinkle M&Ms on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Source: Adapted slightly from The Girl Who Ate Everything.
