Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars
Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars are amazing. Peanut butter lovers and chocolate lovers are going to fly to the moon when they taste these spectacular dessert bars! Each luscious Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bar is filled with a lovely crunchy peanut butter batter that starts with a cake mix and crunchy peanut butter. Then the bar is topped with a chocolate fudge-peanut butter frosting. This six-ingredient recipe will knock your socks off!
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Finally, M&Ms and chopped peanuts are sprinkled on top. These two main ingredients provide a double component of crunch and flavor. Chocolate and peanut butter! Oh, yum. And, seriously, chocolate and peanut butter together is a marriage made in heaven. 🙂
I love when a recipe comes together! Especially when it comes from the back of a cake mix box! I was actually baking a cake a couple of years ago and found this recipe on the side panel of the box. I clipped the recipe and taped it into one of my big recipe books to try “down the road.”
Well, “down the road” came a couple of days ago. I wanted to make something to take along on a mission trip our church is taking to a Navaho Reservation in Arizona next week. I thought all the kids (and perhaps a few of the adults 🙂 going on the trip would enjoy a gooey treat. It’s a long 1,100 mile trek from Texas to Arizona. I made up a batch of these tasty goodies and stuck them in the freezer to pull out when we go.
Chocolate and peanut butter permeated the air and I just loved the texture of these bars. I love peanut butter in anything sweet. I love chocolate, and I love M&Ms. What’s not to like in a bar with these three major food groups? 🙂
I’m going as the chief cook and bottle washer on this mission trip. Along with a good friend, we have the privilege of cooking for our group of 20 or so. Plus 10-15 more every day for about eight days, three meals a day. Whew, we will be two busy ladies and on our feet from before sunup to after sundown each day.
So during that stretch of time I will be too busy to post anything on my blog. But I will be sharing many of the recipes I’ve posted here over the past two years with all of our team members and others we will be working with. I will actually enjoy getting to make many of my favorite recipes again. And as many of you know, I really enjoy cooking for company no matter how much work is involved. We actually leave for Arizona on the anniversary of the first post I published two years ago!
If you’re looking for rich, chocolaty, peanut butter decadence then you need to give Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars a try. Every bite is irresistible. It leaves you wanting more, and more, and more! But be prepared for ooey, gooey and sensational along the way as well. 🙂
I originally published this recipe in June 2014. My bars were really gooey and messy because I didn’t refrigerate them before taking pictures. I recently remade this recipe (June 2019) for our church’s Connection Class luncheon. I served them for dessert along with Oatmeal Scotchies. These delectable “brownies” were almost cleaned out. 🙂
Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars are sensational dessert bars.
This side view shows all the rich, creamy dark chocolate frosting loaded on the top.
If you like peanut butter and chocolate, you’ll love these rich, over-the-top dessert bars.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Pour cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Add crunchy peanut butter, egg and water.
Whisk to combine, or beat on a low speed with an electric mixer.
Grease a 9×13″ glass baking dish. Add peanut butter batter to pan and smooth the top.
Bake at 350 about 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Mix a can of dark chocolate fudge frosting with crunchy peanut butter.
Stir to combine.
Spread frosting over top of peanut butter bars.
Sprinkle with M&Ms. Gently press the M&Ms into the frosting so they don’t move around.
Add chopped peanuts. Press the peanuts slightly into the frosting as well.
I cut my pieces small because these are rather rich. Also, I wanted them to go farther so all the folks on the trip could sample one.
Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars are so mouthwatering and delicious.
If you want a rich and decadent dessert, Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars will do it! (Especially if you use dark chocolate fudge frosting.)
Here’s the recipe.
PEANUT BUTTER FUDGY M&M BARS
(Recipe from Pillsbury)
Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars
Equipment
- 1 9x13" glass baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 sharp knife to chop peanuts if they're not pre-chopped
- 1 spatula
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
- 18.25 oz. pkg. Golden Butter recipe cake mix
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 large egg
- 16 oz. can dark chocolate fudge frosting
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup M&Ms
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped (measure after chopping)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Grease or spray a 9x13” glass baking dish.
- In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, water and egg and mix until well combined.
- Spread into bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Smooth the top really well.
- Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown or a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- In a small mixing bowl blend chocolate fudge frosting with ½ cup crunchy peanut butter.
- Spread over top of the cooled bars.
- Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, then M&Ms.
- Gently press the peanuts and M&Ms into the icing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Pillsbury.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 18.25-oz. pkg. Pillsbury Golden Butter recipe cake mix
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 egg
- 16-oz. can chocolate fudge frosting
- ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup M&Ms
- ½ cup chopped peanuts
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Grease or spray a 9×13” glass baking dish.
- In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, 1 cup peanut butter, water and egg and mix until well combined.
- Spread into bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown or a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- In a small mixing bowl blend chocolate fudge frosting with ½ cup peanut butter.
- Spread over top of the cooled bars.
- Sprinkle with M&Ms and chopped peanuts.
Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars are great for holiday baking or tailgating parties. Everyone will be licking their fingers!
Don’t Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars look marvelous?
Your family is sure to enjoy a bite of these tasty treats.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
White Chocolate Toffee Peanut Butter Brownies
Peanut Butter Fudgy M&M Bars
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 sharp knife to chop peanuts if they're not pre-chopped
- 1 spatula
- 1 nut chopper if nuts are not previously chopped
Ingredients
- 18.25 oz. pkg. Golden Butter recipe cake mix
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 large egg
- 16 oz. can dark chocolate fudge frosting
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup M&Ms
- 1/2 cup peanuts chopped (measure after chopping)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°.
- Grease or spray a 9×13” glass baking dish.
- In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, water and egg and mix until well combined.
- Spread into bottom of prepared baking dish.
- Smooth the top really well.
- Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until puffy and golden brown or a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- In a small mixing bowl blend chocolate fudge frosting with ½ cup crunchy peanut butter.
- Spread over top of the cooled bars.
- Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, then M&Ms.
- Gently press the peanuts and M&Ms into the icing.
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