Peanut Butter Bars
These Peanut Butter Bars with oatmeal are a soft and chewy baked cookie dessert topped with an extra layer of peanut butter, and a decadent chocolate frosting. Perfect for parties and potlucks! (Serves a crowd.)
This is one of those nostalgic recipes for me. The lunch ladies made them at my elementary school, but they were called Peanut Butter Fingers. The only difference is that they were cut in half from the squares you see in my photos — so they were long, thin rectangles.
I can see why they were a frequent dessert in the cafeteria, because they make A LOT, which is perfect for a crowd. Plus everyone loved them! I guarantee that adults love these just as much as kids do. It’s hard to beat that peanut butter and chocolate combination, unless you have a food allergy to it, of course.
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Peanut Butter Bars with Oatmeal
These aren’t just peanut butter cookie bars topped with chocolate. These peanut butter bars have old fashioned oats in them which creates this great chewy texture. An extra thin layer of peanut butter is spread over the bars while they are still warm, and then everything is smothered with a rich chocolate frosting.
I love to use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa in my chocolate frosting for the taste and a darker color, but regular unsweetened cocoa is fine too.
It’s so fun to make the frosting pretty with a bakery swirled design and it’s really easy to do! Either way, the frosting is smooth, creamy, and the perfect addition to these peanut butter bars.
Don’t be surprised when these peanut butter bars disappear in a flash at parties and potlucks. They’re easy to make and taste great!
Check out these No Bake Peanut Butter Bars for a great alternative in the summer months, if you don’t feel like turning on the oven.
Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, gently packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (264 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon, & level)
- 2 cups (200 g) old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Frosting:
- 1 cup (264 g) creamy peanut butter, (its own separate layer)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick) very soft
- 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, (I use Hershey's Special Dark)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 Tbsp milk
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 13×18-inch half sheet pan with cooking spray.
- For the bars: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and mix thoroughly. Scrape bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients in the mixer. Mix until incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Press dough into the prepared baking pan. (Tip: Use a lightly floured mini rolling pin to evenly distribute and flatten the dough.)
- Bake at 350˚F for 12-15 minutes until the edges have set and the top doesn't look wet or glossy. Do NOT over-bake. Let rest 3 minutes.
- Peanut butter layer: While bars are still warm, dollop 1 cup of peanut butter over the top. Let peanut butter melt slightly. Then use an offset spatula to gently spread the peanut butter evenly over the top. Let peanut butter dry/set. (Can speed up the process by placing the bars in the refrigerator/freezer.)
- For the frosting: In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk. Mix until smooth. Dollop, then spread the chocolate frosting over the peanut butter layer. Make a bakery swirled design, if desired. Cut and serve bars.
Notes
- TO STORE: Keep the bars covered in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. Some rimmed baking sheets come with a plastic lid that is perfect to store these in the pan. Or you can just cover the pan with plastic wrap once the frosting has set. You can also store the bars in the fridge for up to 7 days and serve them chilled, if you prefer. These bars tend to get dry the longer they are stored.
- TO FREEZE: These bars freeze great for 2-3 months. I recommend slicing and separating the bars, then freezing them individually for an hour to set the frosting. Then you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container and stack them in layers separated by parchment paper.
Nutrition
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