Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies [PB&J Blondie Bars]

Name: Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies [PB&J Blondie Bars]
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 Tablespoons of ground flaxseeds; 5 Tablespoons of water; 2 ripe bananas (peeled); ¾ cup of peanut butter; ¼ cup of vegetable or canola oil; ½ cup of plant-based milk (any variety); 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract; 2 cups of all-purpose flour; ½ cup of brown sugar; 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder; ½ teaspoon of salt; ¾ cup to 1 cup of fruit preserves; Melted peanut butter for drizzling on top (optional)

These vegan peanut butter blondies are chewy and loaded with peanut butter and jelly flavor!

Completed and sliced Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondie Bars on a white surface.

Jump to:

Rich and Chewy Vegan Blondies with Peanut Butter
The Ingredients
How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies?
FAQs
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
How to Store?
More Vegan Desserts to Consider
Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream (Ninja Creami)
Lemon Olive Oil Cake (Vegan)
Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf
Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies [PB&J Blondie Bars]

Rich and Chewy Vegan Blondies with Peanut Butter

If you’re a fan of peanut butter and jelly desserts (who isn’t?!), then you’ll adore these vegan peanut butter and jelly thumbprint cookies and these vegan blondies flavored with peanut butter and fruit preserves. They have gorgeous crisp edges with a dense, gooey peanut butter flavored (or the nut/seed butter of your choice!) interior and a sweet and fruity swirled top.

Even better, I stripped this vegan peanut butter blondie recipe down to bare basics (while still achieving amazing results!). It contains no hard-to-find ingredients, only a couple of bowls, and a whisk/wooden spoon. You don’t even have to mix the dry and wet ingredients separately. Instead, just chuck everything in a bowl, whisk, and voila, it’s ready to pour into your pan, swirl with the topping, and bake!

Even without the dairy and eggs, these brownie blondie bars are still rich and decadent and will impress even non-vegans. Bring them to your next gathering (or whip them up as a mid-week snack!) and watch them disappear in minutes. And if you're looking for more peanut butter recipes, you'll love this easy vegan chocolate peanut butter pie, vegan peanut butter caramel, and peanut butter balls with rice krispies.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondie Bars measured out on a white surface.

For an oil-free version, you may swap out some or all of the oil with unsweetened applesauce. However, I haven’t tried, so I can’t guarantee results. Let me know in the comments if you try.

Optional add-ins & Recipe Variations

Biscoff: Swap out the nut butter for Biscoff (with or without the preserves) for any Biscoff-loving fan.
Jammy dodgers: If you live somewhere where you’re able to purchase mini jammy dodgers (a jam-filled sandwich biscuit), they make for a perfect garnish to gently press into the peanut butter and jam blondies before baking.
Berries: Add a handful of fresh berries (raspberries, chopped strawberries, etc.) gently pushed into the top of the peanut butter blondie batter before baking. Peanut butter and raspberry blondies are delicious! Andn if you love berries, you might also like to try out this simple blueberry banana smoothie or 2-ingredient raspberry syrup recipes.
Coconut: A few tablespoons of unsweetened shredded coconut is a great way to add extra texture and flavor.
Vegan white chocolate: You can add vegan white chocolate chips within the vegan blondies OR drizzle it over the blondies and allow it to set before serving.
Nuts: For extra texture, add a handful of chopped nuts or seeds (peanuts, macadamias, almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
Molasses: Adding just a spoonful of molasses deepens the flavor and makes for super gooey vegan blondies.

How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies?

process of mixing batter for Peanut Butter and Jelly Blondie Bars in a white bowl

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350F/175C and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Then, combine the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl and mix well before setting aside in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Next, use a fork in a large bowl to mash the bananas until smooth.

Step 2: Then, stir in the remaining ingredients (apart from the fruit preserves) and mix until well combined.

To make it easier to remove the peanut butter and jelly blondies from the pan, line it with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang over the sides.

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Step 3: Next, pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap it against your kitchen surface to release any air bubbles. Then, add dollops of the fruit preserves across the top of the batter, using a skewer/knife to create swirls. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

FAQs

Why are my vegan blondies cakey?

Usually, this is down to them being overbaked or if you’ve made an ingredient swap.

Can I make these sugar-free?

Personally, I haven’t tried. However, you could experiment with using a sugar-free brown sugar substitute (to mimic the taste) and use a sugar-free fruit jam/preserve.

How to serve peanut butter and jelly blondies?

You can enjoy peanut butter jelly blondies alone OR with a scoop of vegan vanilla nice cream (or berry, coconut, peanut butter, etc.). Alternatively, enjoy with some vegan coconut whipped cream, topped with berries, or spread this vegan cream cheese frosting or cardamom syrup on top.

I love to warm mine up for just 10-15 seconds in the microwave for a super decadent treat!

Can I omit the fruit preserve/jam/jelly?

Absolutely. If you’d prefer to make these as plain peanut butter blondies, they still taste divine!

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

Don’t overmix the batter: If you overwork the gluten flour, the vegan blondies may sink in the middle. If using gluten-free flour, you don’t have to worry about this.
Adjust the sweetness: You could experiment with reducing the amount slightly. I don’t recommend removing too much, as it also keeps the blondies soft/moist. I haven’t tried the recipe with a sugar-free sweetener, but you would likely need other recipe tweaks for additional moisture.
Adjust the baking time: If you prefer your vegan blondies to be cakier or gooier, adjust the baking time. Keep an eye on them the first time you make the recipe to discover what timing works best for you.
For mini blondie bites: For regular-sized bars, you can cut it into 12 pieces; for individual peanut butter blondie bites (perfect for a dessert bar/ grazing platter), you can cut them into 24 pieces (first slice the bar into 6 pieces, then divide each of those into four).

How to Store?

At room temperature: Cover the peanut butter and jelly blondies loosely on the countertop and store for 2-3 days. However, if you want to store them for longer, a fridge is preferable.
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for 7 days.
In the freezer: First, flash freeze the peanut butter and jam blondies separately on a baking tray, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag/container for up to 3 months.

You can allow a bar to thaw at room temperature for several hours, in the fridge overnight, or using the defrost setting in your microwave.