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Peanut Butter Fudge Bars (+Video)

ByBrandie @ The Country Cook
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These easy Peanut Butter Fudge Bars start with a boxed cake mix with added peanut butter and an amazing homemade fudge filling! A 70’s favorite!

GRANDMA’S CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BAR RECIPE

I thought I would share another recipe from Grandma Betty’s handwritten cookbook. You might remember I shared another recipe of hers for Blueberry Chill Bars. They’ve all been winners so far! This particular recipe is from the 70’s and apparently was a favorite of my Grandpa’s. It is not only easy to make but they really are absolutely delicious!

Fudge-filled peanut bars, slice on a white plate with a jar of milk in the background.

HANDWRITTEN RECIPES

The recipe is not written in her handwriting and it was on a slip of paper tucked into her cookbook. So I think this recipe must’ve been from a friend. And those are always the best kind of recipes, right?

Grandma Betty's recipe book.

TIPS FOR MAKING PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BARS:

  • The original recipe (that you can see above) called for a package of coconut pecan or almond frosting mix. Back in the 70’s, Betty Crocker used to make dry frosting mixes that you added other ingredients to in order to create a spreadable frosting. They no longer make those. Instead they make already prepared frosting in tubs and that wouldn’t work with this recipe. So I created my own version of a dry coconut pecan frosting mix to use in this recipe based on my research on what was in those packets. Unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe to make the dry almond frosting mix.
  • Don’t like coconut? Just leave it out.
  • Don’t like pecans? Just leave them out.
  • You can substitute crunchy peanut butter for the creamy if you prefer.
  • Try using a vanilla or butter pecan cake mix instead of the yellow.
  • Don’t forget to check out Grandma’s Peanut Butter Bars recipe.
Fudge-Filled Peanut Butter Bars recipe from The Country Cook, slice shown on a white plate with a bite removed.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • yellow cake mix
  • peanut butter
  • salted butter
  • eggs
  • semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • sweetened condensed milk
  • sweetened flaked coconut (optional)
  • light brown sugar
  • all-purpose flour
  • chopped pecans
yellow cake mix, peanut butter, salted butter, eggs, semi-sweet chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, salted butter, sweetened flaked coconut, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, chopped pecans.

HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE BARS:

Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, peanut butter, butter and eggs until the dough starts to hold together. Mixture will be very thick.

peanut butter, butter and eggs mixed together in a bowl with a rubber spatula.

Press 2/3 of dough into the bottom of prepared baking dish (setting aside the remainder for topping).

dough spread out into a 9x13-inch white baking dish.

Prepare filling: In a medium sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and butter. Melt over low heat until smooth.

sweetened condensed milk, butter and chocolate chips in a saucepan.

Then stir in coconut, brown sugar, flour and chopped pecans. Mix until combined well.

coconut, flour, brown sugar and chopped pecans added to saucepan.

Remove from heat. Spread filling over dough in baking dish.

coconut chocolate frosting spread on top of cake mix in baking dish.

Crumble the rest of the dough evenly over the filling. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.

the remaining cake mix pinched into crumbles and spread on top of chocolate filling in baking dish.

Allow to cool. Then slice into bars and serve.

Fudge-filled Peanut Butter Bars in a baking dish, slices cut out and shown with a spatula.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

thumbnail, Fudge-filled Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars (+Video)

These easy Peanut Butter Fudge Bars start with a boxed cake mix with added peanut butter and an amazing homemade fudge filling! A 70's favorite!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Peanut Butter Bars, Peanut Butter Fudge Bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 601kcal
Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Ingredients

For the crust and topping:

  • 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

For the filling:

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar tightly packed
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350f degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, peanut butter, butter and eggs until the dough starts to hold together. Mixture will be very thick.
  • Press 2/3 of dough into the bottom of prepared baking dish (setting aside the remainder for topping)
  • Prepare filling: In a medium sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, milk and butter. Melt over low heat until smooth.
  • Then stir in coconut, brown sugar, flour and chopped pecans. Mix until combined well.
  • Remove from heat. Spread filling over dough in baking dish.
  • Crumble the rest of the dough evenly over the filling. Bake for about 20-25 minutes
  • Allow to cool then slice into bars and serve.

Video

Notes

    • The original recipe (that you can see above) called for a package of coconut pecan or almond frosting mix. Back in the 70’s, Betty Crocker used to make dry frosting mixes that you added other ingredients to in order to create a spreadable frosting. They no longer make those. Instead they make already prepared frosting in tubs and that wouldn’t work with this recipe. So I created my own version of a dry coconut pecan frosting mix to use in this recipe based on my research on what was in those packets. 
    • Don’t like coconut? Just leave it out.
    • Don’t like pecans? Just leave them out.
    • You can substitute crunchy peanut butter for the creamy if you prefer.
    • Try using a vanilla or butter pecan cake mix instead of the yellow.

Nutrition

Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 541mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 2.8mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: November 2017
Updated & republished: July 2020

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18 Comments

  2. 5 stars
    Hi Brandie, I love you and your Yummy recipes, subscribe to your emails and have been following you for a long time. I’m an avid cook & baker and have been for over 64 years, can you say Old? LOL Since I’m not a huge coconut fan I left it out and added finely chopped dry roasted peanuts to the fudge filling instead and they turned out awesome. Thanks for all the recipes you share with us and even more for the Love. <3 .

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I have a recipe that is almost the same. It is from a cookbook called “Cooking With Quality”, which I got in the 1990’s. Quality Market was a supermarket chain in NY and PA. It no longer exists. I’ve made this many times. It’s called “Peanut Butter Fudge Bars”, and it looks exactly like your wonderful photo. Slight differences: For the dough, it requires 1/2 cup MELTED butter or margarine. For the filling, it requires 1 tablespoon of butter, same chocolate chips, same sweetened condensed milk. Melt over low heat in saucepan, stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in a tub of coconut-pecan frosting (the kind commonly used with German chocolate cake).. Assemble same as your recipe shows, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. These are wonderfully addictive!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    Oh WOW! I was just digging through an old recipe box today – loved seeing your aunt’s recipe in her handwriting. That’s so special! I’ve made something very similar to these bars (no cake mix – from scratch) and will try making these soon. Luscious. For some reason, when I was a kid my bus driver began calling me Mush…and it stuck, for years. LOVED your hilarious story! You funny funny girl. =)

    Reply

  8. Your fudge filled pb bars sound yummy. If I leave out the coconut do I need to adjust any of the other ingredients? Thanks!

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    Love your recipes! I’ve made many and never been disappointed. And here is another one I’ll be trying. Thank you.
    Marnee

    Reply

  10. HAHA!!! I loved that story. My name is Melanie and I have been called Mel for as long as I can remember. I watched a soap opera when I was ALOT younger and they had a girl named Melanie on there and she went by “Lanie” and I was so jealous. I wanted that to be my nickname…but now that I’m 40 I think that ship has sailed lol.

    Reply

    1. Hey, when you’re 12 years old, a nickname is a big deal! LOL. My family has always called me ‘Bran’, so of course, to be a rebel, I had to rebrand myself in 6th grade. So really, all you needed was an orchestra teacher who called you Lanie all the time. Ha!

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    It’s crazy just this morning my husband mentioned these bars that my mom always baked and how he loved them. I told him she took that recipe to heaven with her! And lo and behold here it is! I may surprise him!

    Reply