Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are a delicious treat featuring your favorite flavors of peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate. These cookie bars are chewy, sweet and savory, the perfect combination. Perfect as an after school snack or family gathering. They are so easy to throw together you will love how these baked peanut butter oatmeal bars become everyone's favorite.
These peanut butter oatmeal bars are easy to make and make a large pan’s worth! Which means that there is plenty to share with everybody.
They’ll make a great addition to the dessert table at a large gathering of family and friends too, although you may want to double the batch in that case.
We all get cravings for something sweet now and then and trying to find a recipe that sounds good can sometimes be a daunting task.
You either don’t have the ingredients or don’t feel like you’re in the mood to eat whatever it is. Thankfully, it’s hard to go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate.
If you’re looking for another tasty treat to make, check out my Lemon Oatmeal Bars which are also a fan favorite along with Peanut Butter Chocolate Dipped Oreos, or try this Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie with chocolate chunks! They’re super simple and taste great too!
What’s In Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars?
- Softened Butter - This allows the butter to cream light and fluffy
- Brown Sugar - for a rich deep flavor
- Peanut Butter - Choose smooth or chunky peanut butter
- Granulated Sugar - adds additional sweetness
- Eggs - to help bind all the ingredients together
- Salt - Adding salt to sweet recipes helps bring out the flavors of the ingredients
- Baking Soda - Adds some lift
- Flour - All Purpose Flour. Make sure to weight or properly measure
- Old Fashioned Oats - Adds texture and a chewy bite
- Milk Chocolate Chips - for the easiest top layer possible
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and oats and then set it aside
- Using a Stand Mixer, like a Bosch Universal Plus Mixer, whip butter and white sugar until fluffy
- Add in the eggs and brown sugar and beat for another 3 minutes
- Add in the peanut butter and then mix until combined
- Mix half of the flour mixture into the other ingredients and mix until combined
- Slowly add in the remaining dry ingredients. The mixture will be thick
- Spray a 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray and spread the mixture evenly in the pan
- Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center and come out clean
- Remove the pan from the oven and then pour milk chocolate chips on top.
- Allow the chips to melt from the heat of bar cookies
- Spread the melted chocolate with a knife evenly over the bars
- Allow to fully cool before cutting
I find that this recipe is easily made in my Bosch Universal Mixer. I've grown up using a Bosch and I wouldn't make cookies any other way.
Kitchen Tips
Line a baking dish with parchment paper. This helps to easily remove cookie bars from pan for easy slicing.
Press cookie dough into pan either using your hands or the back of a silicone scraper
Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars Variation
I'm a huge fan of peanut butter and jelly. But here is a fun variation you might love. Add about ⅓ cup of jelly to the dough before baking.
This dough is thick, so I like to gently mix the jelly after everything is combined so I get a bit of a swirl of jelly though the cookie dough mixture. Then press into the pan and bake as normal.
It's a fun tasty way to elevate these bars into a Peanut Butter and Jelly Bar that's so fun and tasty.
Can you freeze Oatmeal Cookie Bars?
Yes you can freeze these cookie bars, and they hold up well!
I recommend not freezing them until after the pieces have been cut into serving sizes so that it is easier to grab and go when you want a quick treat.
Can I use Quick Oats?
While you can use quick oats, I find that using Old Fashioned Oats really helps to give an added texture and appeal to these cookie bars that makes them the best option to use.
Storage and Freezing
These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars don't last long in my home. I store them covered on the counter. They will last up to a week but are best within 2-3 days of being baked.
To freeze, cut into bars and store in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
How long can you freeze Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars?
If you’re going to freeze your cookie bars, I recommend not keeping them in the freezer for more than 3 months as that is when ice crystals begin to form and things get freezer burnt.
While still edible, they won’t taste as great.
Peanut Butter Oat Bars FAQ's
This recipe is a baked version. You would not be able to make this a no-bake recipe with the current list of ingredients.
This recipe has Oats which are a fiber and whole grain, Peanut Butter which is protein and healthy fats. However, this is a snack or treat recipe and not a health food.
Yes, you can substitute Almond Butter for Peanut Butter. However, it's imperitive to measure the dry ingredients correctly. Add even a small amount of extra flour or dry ingredients will result in very heavy dense bars.
Quick Serving Ideas for Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars
- Slice into smaller bars for a quick dessert at a potluck
- Top with a drizzle of melted peanut butter for even more peanut butter taste
- Serve as a treat in school lunches
More Similar Recipes
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Peanut Butter Oreos
- Peanut Butter Brownies
- Edible Monster Cookie Dough with Peanut Butter and Oatmeal
- No Bake Buckeye Bars
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter - softened
- 1 cup Brown Sugar - 200g
- ⅔ cup Peanut Butter
- 1 cup Sugar - 200g
- 2 Eggs
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 cups Flour - 240g
- 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 pkg Milk Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- In a bowl, Mix together flour, salt, baking soda, and oats and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter and white sugar until fluffy
- Add eggs and brown sugar and beat another 3 minutes
- Add peanut butter and mix until combined
- Mix half the flour mixture into the other ingredients and mix until combined
- Slowly add remaining dry ingredients, the mixture will be thick.
- Spray 9x13 glass pan with cooking spray and spread mixture evenly in pan
- Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean
- Remove from oven and pour milk chocolate chips on top.
- Allow chips to melt from heat of bar cookies
- Spread melted chocolate with a knife evenly over bars
- Allow to fully cool before cutting
Notes
Nutrition Disclaimer
All nutrition values are approximate and calculated by a plugin and are provided as a courtesy. Adding or subtracting ingredients will change the nutritional value.
Shawna kinsman
I cut both sugars in half and used organic no sugar peanut butter and they were delicious! Thanks for the recipe.