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!
21 Comments
Angela
May 28, 2015 at 7:16 pmI made these this afternoon and when I tried to eat them, I had a complete mess on my hands. They were not solid at all, they just crumbled,, except for tge top “frosting”. I even patted them in the pan before I baked them. Any ideas why?
Sue
May 28, 2015 at 7:19 pmGosh, this is an older recipe, Angela, but looking at it, I can only suggest that maybe you needed to pat them even more firmly into the pan. They are supposed to have ‘texture’, but they certainly shouldn’t crumble on you!
Cheryl
November 6, 2016 at 4:58 pmI made these today because they looked so appealing. They are firmed up hours later however the texture of the base is very buttery and falling apart. They taste delicious but my guess is that the recipe needs flour to bind properly.
Cynthia
January 19, 2015 at 6:03 amThey look good. Going to make them
Cynthia
January 19, 2015 at 6:01 amI’m going to try these. They are somewhat healthy.
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Anonymous
August 26, 2012 at 10:17 pmshouldn’t you not eat raw eggs? just saying…..
Anonymous
August 27, 2012 at 11:24 pmThe crust is baked…so there is no eating of raw eggs…
Anonymous
August 4, 2012 at 6:18 pmmy friend’s mother used to these for us after school quite frequently, i am going to make them and surprise my childhood friend! they are delicious!
Cathy
July 28, 2012 at 1:32 amThese look incredible! Can’t wait to try the recipe.
Ellen B Cookery
July 27, 2012 at 5:11 pmOh my goodness, DELICIOUS!
SavoringTime in the Kitchen
July 27, 2012 at 11:01 pmOh my goodness, these could be dangerous! They look delicious.
Heather @girlichef.com
July 27, 2012 at 9:36 pmThey sound good to me! I’ve come across some tasty no-bake desserts lately…they’re really piling up in my bookmarks!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
July 27, 2012 at 9:03 pmI’m all about nobake desserts! And choc + PB!
Rarely do I cream things together that’s no bake (unless it’s nobake cookie dough balls, sometimes I will) normally it’s just a spoon and a bowl. These look worth the extra step of creaming!
Ocean Breezes and Country Sneezes
July 27, 2012 at 7:23 pmHow can you go wrong with peanut butter & chocolate! Looks delicious!
Tricia @ saving room for dessert
July 27, 2012 at 7:17 pmAll my favorite things in one stunning photo! I could eat those right out of the fridge, unfortunately I would keep eating them right out of the fridge! Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Kate
July 27, 2012 at 5:58 pmHow great… a short bake to beat the heat, chill and eat!
I only keep bittersweet chips and crunchy peanut butter in our house.
I’ll just have to suffer with those variations 😉
Thanks, Sue.
Sue/the view from great island
July 27, 2012 at 10:45 pmGo for it! I think dark chocolate would be great, not so sure about the prospect of crunchy frosting!
From the Kitchen
July 27, 2012 at 3:57 pmIt is not nice to post recipes like this!! Now, to find the car keys and go pick up the ingredients. There goes the diet!! = )
Best,
Bonnie
Mary
July 27, 2012 at 3:24 pmThese bars look great, Sue. I am definitely going to try these! Although, your chocolate snacking cake just might need to happen first. I’m going to play with that recipe next week.