Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Get ready to elevate your snack game with these irresistible Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. Combining a chewy oat base, a creamy peanut butter middle and a silky chocolate topping, these three-layer cookie bars are a tasty fusion of flavors and textures.

Sometimes a girl has to put the grim back in Halloween. So, with a deranged attention to detail and plans in the making since August, I went all in on grim reaper costumes for me and my husband. (For the record, he only dresses up under duress because shopping at Party City is cheaper than divorce.) With Visa in hand, I bought dark, flowy robes, creepy eye makeup and chains that would bind for all eternity. And after I blew the budget, I crafted a scythe from a spray painted broomstick, a pizza box and tinfoil.

The only thing missing from our perfect Halloween costumes was the perfect picture. And since posing next to a palm tree in our Florida yard didn’t exactly lend itself to an eerie ambiance, I forced my dearly beloved to drive to the nearest cemetery. Authenticity is everything. Unfortunately, things got a little too real when we stepped out of the car like true harbingers of death only to find ourselves up-close-and-personal with an assembly of mourners around a casket. That’s right, people; I crashed a funeral dressed as the grim reaper.

Feeling as if I’d dug myself a grave even deeper than the one before me, I retreated under the brow-raised eye of the preacher. Someone chuckled at the absurdity. Spoiler alert: it was my husband, a man with a knack for laughing at inappropriate moments. And although the two of us left without reaping any souls, we probably sowed the seeds of a local Halloween legend. Most importantly, we got a quick selfie by a tombstone before anybody could call the police.

If you’re wondering what any of this has to do with making oatmeal cookie bars, I’m not so sure myself. All I can say is that I’m a stress eater and needed to wolf down something comforting after dooming myself to an eternity in hell. I mean, can you imagine a random person showing up at a funeral dressed as the reaper?! The only way to cope with my guilty conscience is to feed it oatmeal cookie bars. Layered with peanut butter. Layered with chocolate. Take it from me, it’s easier to hide your face in shame when your mouth is full of cookie bars.

Before sharing the Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars recipe, here are a few tips to help you out:

Ingredient Tips

This recipe was tested with old fashioned oats. Quick cook oats will work as a substitute but do not use steel cut oats or instant oats.

This recipe uses all-natural peanut butter. Processed peanut butter may be substituted but will alter the consistency.

For best results, use a good quality dark chocolate bar for the topping. Substituting milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips will alter the consistency.

Preparation Tips

Browned butter takes approximately 7 minutes from the time the butter initially melts until completion. If you’ve never browned butter before, it is simple. First, melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Next, stir constantly with a wooden spoon, taking care not get distracted. (There’s a fine line between browned butter and burned butter. Do not cross that line or you will be buying a new saucepan.) The butter will get foamy and release a nutty aroma. After that happens, you will begin seeing browned bits forming on the bottom. Right after, remove the pan from heat, pour butter into a heat-safe bowl and pop in the freezer until cool.

For best results, bake cookie bars in a shiny metal pan. Glass and stoneware pans are not recommended due uneven and prolonged bake times.

How to Store Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

To freeze cookie bars, place in a single layer in an airtight container and store up to 2 months.

I hope you enjoy these chewy Oatmeal Bars! Please leave a rating and review below after you try them out. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you’re looking for more oatmeal cookie recipes check out these Iced Oatmeal Cookies. Dipped in a sweet, vanilla glaze, these chewy cookies blend hearty oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and molasses in each amazing bite.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Heather Wolf

Get ready to elevate your snack game with these irresistible Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. Combining a chewy oat base, a creamy peanut butter middle and a silky chocolate topping, these three-layer cookie bars are a tasty fusion of flavors and textures.

4.93 from 14 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Cool and Chill 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 18 minutes mins

Course Cookies and Bars

Cuisine American

Servings 12 bars

Equipment

• 8×8 metal baking pan

Ingredients

  

Oatmeal Cookie Layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt fine
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 1 tbsp milk

Peanut Butter Layer

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter all-natural
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted

Chocolate Layer

• 6 ounces dark chocolate chopped
• 3 ounces heavy cream

Instructions

 

Oatmeal Cookie Layer

• Brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the butter gets foamy and releases a nutty aroma (approx. 7 minutes).
• Once browned bits begin to form on the bottom, remove pan from the heat, pour butter into a heat-safe bowl and place in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 metal baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat chilled browned butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy — approximately 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
• Beat in egg, vanilla and milk until incorporated.
• Using a spoon, stir dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
• Spoon cookie dough into baking pan then use your fingers to press into an even layer.
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden and the center is set.
• Remove baking pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before adding peanut butter.

Peanut Butter Layer

• In a medium-sized bowl, beat peanut butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and lump free.
• Spoon mixture onto oatmeal cookie layer then smooth with a spatula for even coverage.
• Place baking pan in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes

Chocolate Layer

• Place chopped chocolate a heat-safe bowl. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a steamy simmer over medium heat. Do not allow cream to come to a boil.
• Pour hot cream over chocolate and allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for 5 minutes then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Allow chocolate to cool for 5 minutes then pour over peanut butter and smooth with a spatula.
• Place baking pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
• For pristine slices, wipe the knife clean with hot water after each cut.

Store

• Cover and refrigerate leftover cookie bars up to 5 days. Bring bars to room temperature before enjoying.

Keyword bars, oatmeal, peanut butter