Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars

If you like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, then this recipe is for you!  I'd seen the recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars floating around on different recipe sites and decided to give it a try.  We were not disappointed! 🥜

An 8-oz. block of cream cheese is shown, but you only need 4 oz. (half a block).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars

1 (16 oz.) package Nutter Butter Cookies

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 (3.9 oz.) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 1/2 cups 2% milk

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/3 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter

1 (8 oz.) carton of whipped topping, thawed

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 24 cookies in a large zipper seal bag and crush with a rolling pin leaving a few larger crumbs.  Mix crumbs with melted butter in a large bowl. Press the crumbs/butter mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9 baker. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

In a small bowl, whisk pudding mix and milk until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Place the baker in the refrigerator while working on the next layer.

Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping and mix until well blended. Place small dollops all over the chocolate pudding layer and then gently spread to cover the pudding.

Spread the remaining whipped topping on top. Smooth top with the back of a spoon or an off-set spatula. Chill for 4 hours. Crush remaining Nutter Butter cookies in a large zipper seal bag with a rolling pin leaving a few larger pieces. Sprinkle the crushed cookies, milk chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips over the whipped topping before serving. Store in refrigerator.

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*Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream Bars can be made and served on the same day. They can also be made a day ahead of time, but if making a day early, add the Nutter Butter pieces, milk chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips to the top right before serving.