Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars ~ part granola bar, part dessert, these bars have a foot in both worlds!

I’m skeptical of no-bake desserts.  Maybe it was all those jello and cool whip concoctions I grew up with, but I just think a good dessert needs to put in a little time in the oven, even during the summer months.  So while I’m not offering you a no-bake dessert today, what I can offer you is a one bowl, one measuring cup deal that, like my Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake, is meant to be eaten chilled, straight from the fridge.

That’s a pretty good deal.  I’d take it if I were you.

The base of these bars is a chewy oatmeal that’s slightly sticky, almost like a cross between a sweet granola and a Rice Krispie Treat.  The frosting is a perfect hybrid of milk chocolate and creamy peanut butter.

Use a microwave safe bowl to mix up the base of these bars, and then use the same bowl for melting the frosting later. A half-cup measure takes care of the rest.  Don’t bother with a teaspoon for the vanilla, just eyeball it, and there you have it—no-hassle summer baking.

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars    ~~~slightly adapted from Bakingblonde
 oven to 350

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

• Cream the butter, sugars and vanilla in a bowl.  Add in the egg and beat well.

2 cups old fashioned oats

• Add in the oats and mix with a spatula until well blended.

• Spread out evenly in an 8×8 baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until just golden.  Let cool slightly before frosting.

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• Wipe out the oatmeal bowl and add the chocolate chips and peanut butter.  Microwave on  short bursts, stirring until the chocolate just melts and the mix is smooth and creamy.
• Spread over the partially cooled base.
• Refrigerate until completely firm, several hours.  Enjoy straight from the refrigerator.

Enjoy!