Chubby Hubby Bars taste like the famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor but are baked in the form of cookie bars. This quick and easy recipe combines chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels to create a sweet and salty delicious dessert.

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Homemade Chubby Hubby Bars

This Chubby Hubby Bars recipe was inspired by my love for the infamous ice cream flavor, but made even easier and faster because it’s baked like a big chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter and pretzels and eliminates the malt powder. These bars have a crunchy, chewy base that’s covered with a chocolate glaze.

Chubby Hubby Bars are not complete without a top layer of pretzels. They are the perfect contrast in flavor and texture to balance the sweet soft cookie with its salty crunch. 

To make your hubby even more chubby, bake him my other delicious dessert bars: Sugar Cookie Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Magic Cookie Bars, Cookie Dough Bars, and so many more!

Why We Love This Chubby Hubby Bars Recipe

  • Quick and easy to make.
  • Uses basic ingredients to create a revised copycat recipe.
  • Tastes like my favorite ice cream flavor baked inside a cookie bar.
  • Indulgent combination of creamy and sweet with a hint of saltiness.
  • A Father’s Day favorite and delicious any day dessert.
  • Perfect sweet treat for potlucks, parties, backyard BBQs, and cookie platters.

Other Dessert Bars

chubby hubby bars bitten

Ingredients

  • Salted butter: You can switch this out for unsalted butter if you want more control over the amount of salt in the recipe. You will probably want to add a bit of salt if you do so. 
  • Brown sugar: If you don’t have any dark or light brown sugar, just use granulated white sugar. 
  • White sugar: Switch this out for all brown sugar if necessary.
  • Eggs
  • Creamy peanut butter: You can switch this out for chunky peanut butter too, though it might make the dough a little harder to mix. 
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Pretzels
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Sweetened and condensed milk (optional) – for the chocolate ganache topping layer

Substitutions and Additions

  • Change The Chocolate: Switch the semi-sweet chocolate chips for milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips. You can also use white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.
  • Pick Your Pretzel: You can use snap pretzel, mini twist pretzels, or pretzel sticks for this recipe as long as you make sure they are coarsely chopped.
chubby hubby bars squares
  • 9×13 inch baking pan
  • Cooking spray
  • Large mixing bowls
  • Hand or stand mixer
  • Measuring cups
  • Medium saucepan or skillet
  • Mixing tools
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How to Make Chubby Hubby Bars

Chubby Hubby Bars have all of the flavors of my favorite ice cream baked into delicious cookie bars. This quick and easy homemade recipe creates an addicting combination of sweet and salty in every blissful bite!

  1. Make the cookie layer by beating the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together with a mixer until creamy. Add in the eggs and peanut butter and beat until combined.
  2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and beat until combined. Fold in the pretzels and chocolate chips. 
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. 
    Pro-Tip: While these bars are pretty easy to cut and get out of the dish, to make it even easier you can line the dish with parchment paper instead of cooking spray. That way, you can lift the entire dessert out of the dish all at once.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes or until the middle starts to brown and set. Cool the baked bars for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Prepare the chocolate layer when there are 5-10 minutes left of cooling time by melting the remaining chocolate chips and the sweetened and condensed milk in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning.
    Pro Tip: The chocolate chips should melt and combine completely with the sweetened and condensed milk, and the mixture will thicken slightly once it has cooled, which only happens with those few extra minutes of stirring. 
  6. Pour the melted chocolate glaze over the cooled cookie in the baking pan.
    Pro Tip: Be sure the chocolate layer covers the entire pan. When spreading the chocolate glaze over the top, you can tip the baking dish back and forth and use gravity to cover the whole dessert evenly.
  7. Add an even layer of pretzels on top of the chocolate layer.
  8. Chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate layer sets, about 20-30 minutes. Cut into bars and serve cold. Enjoy!

Recipe From Our Recipe Developer

  • When spreading the chocolate glaze over the top, you can tip the baking dish back and forth and use gravity to cover the whole dessert evenly.
  • While these bars are pretty easy to cut and get out of the dish, to make it even easier you can line the dish with parchment paper instead of cooking spray. That way, you can lift the entire dessert out of the dish all at once.

Storage Tips

  • To Store: Store these bars in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for 2 days if kept at room temperature or put them in the refrigerator for up to 6 days
  • To Freeze: Freeze your bars in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. 
top view chubby hubby bars

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Chubby Hubby Bars taste like?

Chubby Hubby Bars combine the sweetness of chocolate, saltiness of pretzels, and earthiness of peanut butter that bake into a chocolate chip cookie bar.

Can I use Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of peanut butter?

Yes, you can absolutely make these bars with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I would recommend using 1 (8oz) bag of Reese’s Mini cups (or 2 cups coarsely chopped full sized Reese’s) to replace the peanut butter.

Can I add a layer of caramel to my bars?

Yes, these bars will taste delicious with a layer of caramel under the chocolate layer. melt 1 (14 oz) bag of caramels, unwrapped, and 2 Tbsp water in a microwave-safe bowl stirring every minute until melted.
Top the cooled cookie with the caramel, chill in fridge for 15 minutes to set caramel, and then add the final chocolate layer.

chubby hubby bars stacked

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4.75 from 8 votes
chubby hubby bars featured image

Chubby Hubby Bars

Serves — 18
Inspired by the famous Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby Ice Cream flavor, these cookie bars are dangerously delicious.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients
  

Cookie layer:

  • cup (2 ½ sticks) salted butter softened
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups pretzels chopped
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Topping layer (optional):

  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 14 ounce (½ can) sweetened and condensed milk (about ½ cup)
  • 24 pretzels

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter.
  • To make the cookie layer, beat the salted butter, brown sugar, and granulated white sugar together in a large bowl with a stand or hand mixer until creamy.
  • Add in the eggs and peanut butter. Beat until combined.
  • In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder.
  • Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.
  • Fold in the pretzels and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread it out evenly.
  • Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the middle starts to brown and set.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes.
  • When there are 5-10 minutes left of cooling time, prepare the optional chocolate layer.
  • Melt the rest of the chocolate chips and the sweetened and condensed milk in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to keep from burning. The chocolate chips should melt and combine completely with the sweetened and condensed milk, and the mixture will thicken slightly once it has cooled, which only happens with those few extra minutes of stirring.
  • Once melted, pour the chocolate glaze over the completely cooled cookie in the baking pan. Be sure the chocolate layer covers the entire pan.
  • Lay pretzels down evenly on top of the chocolate layer.
  • Let chill in the refrigerator until the chocolate layer sets, about 20-30 minutes.
  • Cut into bars and serve cold.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:
  • To Store: Store these bars in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for 2 days if kept at room temperature or put them in the refrigerator for up to 6 days
  • To Freeze: Freeze your bars in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months. 
Tips:
  • When spreading the chocolate glaze over the top, you can tip the baking dish back and forth and use gravity to cover the whole dessert evenly.
  • While these bars are pretty easy to cut and get out of the dish, to make it even easier you can line the dish with parchment paper instead of cooking spray. That way, you can lift the entire dessert out of the dish all at once.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 299mg | Potassium: 332mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 489IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 3mg

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4.75 from 8 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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  1. 3 stars
    Sorry but I didn’t like this recipe. I followed it to the t but I found it bland. Looked delicious but I was disappointed.