Peanut Butter Bars
This is one of those recipes that everyone loves, feeds a ton of people, and is very nostalgic. I don’t make them very often because you can’t buy normal American peanut butter here so I have to use my very limited stash when I do make them. These don’t work well with all-natural peanut butter, I learned the hard way.
PrintPeanut Butter Bars
Soft oatmeal and peanut butter cookie topped with melted peanut butter and a chocolate frosting. The perfect combo!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: about 12 large bars 1x
Ingredients
Cookie Bars-
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
Peanut butter layer-
About 1/2 – ¾ cup peanut butter
Chocolate frosting-
1/3 cup butter
4 tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted)
2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F and spray a 9×13 baking pan light with cooking spray. *see note*
In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, and brown sugar till creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix till smooth. In a small bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients in and mix till thoroughly combined.
Press evenly into the prepared baking dish and cook for about 13 minutes. You don’t want the bars to look totally baked or even starting to brown or they will be too crispy and not a soft cookie bar.
As soon as the bars come out of the oven dollop peanut butter (roughly ½ to ¾ cup) spoonful’s all over the top and let sit for a few minutes for the peanut butter to melt. Spread evenly with a rubber spatula and let sit till completely cooled.
While the bars are cooling make the frosting. Using a handheld mixer, whip the butter for about a minute. Add the sifted cocoa powder and powdered sugar and mix till combined. Pour the heavy cream and vanilla in and mix till well combined.
Once the bars are all the way cooled put them in the fridge for 15 minutes so the peanut butter will harden. It’s easier to spread the frosting on without moving the peanut butter if the peanut butter is more set up.
Spread the frosting over evenly and cut into squares to serve.
Store in an airtight container either in the fridge or on the counter. (My whole family prefer them chilled)
Notes
I prefer a pan with squared corners rather than a smoothed corners dish but both will work fine.
I prefer to serve the bars chilled, but they taste delicious at room temp too.
I’ve tried this recipe a few times with natural peanut butter and the bars come out drier and crumblier. I think you could still make it work with natural peanut butter but add about ¼ cup more of it.
Can be doubled and made in a rimmed baking sheet to feed a lot more people, or halved and made in an 8×8 pan.
Keywords: Peanut Butter Bars
I literally dream about these delicious bars. They are my favorite. It’s hard to find good peanut butter things in Finland and this gives me everything I’ve ever wanted. So good.
LOVE these! In my opinion (my husband disagrees and says they are perfect as is) there’s too much chocolate on top. Ha ha! I like just a hint of chocolate on my peanut butter desserts, so I ended up scraping some off of my pieces. I would’ve halved the frosting probably, or maybe just put less cocoa powder in it? But no complaints from anyone else. Will definitely make them again.
I should add this in the notes that if you don’t want a lot of chocolate frosting on it, to halve it! It’s totally a personal preference thing for sure! I’m glad you loved them!
These are hands down the best peanut butter bars out there. I’m picky about this dessert as it’s one of my favorites and I have nothing but praise for this recipe!