Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Bars

As promised in Wednesday’s and Thursday’s posts, here comes a decadent, delectable recipe for Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Bars! One of the tougher aspects of gluten free baking is that I can never be absolutely sure that the treats I bake taste as good as what most people consider ‘the real thing’. I used to be able to bring treats somewhere and have people tell me they were good before they knew I was gluten free, but now pretty much everywhere I’d bring any food, everyone knows, whether family or friends. So when I set out to make something special for my dad’s birthday this year, I used my brother as an honest taste-tester so I could be absolutely sure that what I cooked up was fit for the occasion.

My whole family loves both peanut butter and dark chocolate, and while I am not typically a fan of the chocolate cake (I always choose vanilla or berry or peanut butter, just with dark chocolate chips!) I have made other recipes that go heavy on the chocolate for friends and family who are cuckoo for cocoa, like my Cocoa-Chocolate-Chip Muffins, Decadent Dark Chocolate Cupcakes, and Double Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake. So I decided to experiment a little this time and throw peanut butter into the mix. I wanted to make something somewhat cake-like, but also a little fudgy, and capable of being eaten in bits and pieces since my dad likes to cut off little squares of desserts to enjoy throughout a day. What I came up with were these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Bars, and they passed the taste test with flying colors. Whip them up for the chocolate and peanut butter lover in your life whether they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, or even egg-free – or vegan, or vegetarian – or even if they’re an eater of everything. Because every last one will be able to indulge and enjoy, and they will feel indulged, because each bite is decadent.