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Bake Sale Peanut Butter Oat Bars. Think a doughy, buttery peanut butter cookie base made with old-fashioned oats, baked until just set, then layered with creamy peanut butter. On top, a rich chocolate frosting is poured over the bars to sandwich in all that peanut butter goodness. Once the frosting sets, it creates that old-fashioned crackly icing we all know and love. These bars are chocolatey, peanut buttery, and so delicious!
I’m back today with even more bake sale–inspired treats. I’m honestly not even sure if bake sales are still much of a thing, but I love baking up sweets that are perfect for sharing this time of year.
Bake sale or not, these are the bars to bring for game day, family parties, or dinners with friends. It’s that time of year when everyone’s starting to gather again after a summer of fun and easy nights.
Inspired by the peanut butter oat bars our school lunchroom used to serve, these are guaranteed to be a hit with everyone. And if you do end up baking them for the school bake sale, they’ll definitely be the first treat to disappear.
These are the details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- creamy peanut butter – crunchy will work too!
- brown sugar
- vanilla
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- flour
- old-fashioned oats
- baking soda
For the Icing
- powdered sugar
- cocoa powder
- vanilla
- dark or milk chocolate – I love dark
Special Tools
For these peanut butter bars, you need two mixing bowls and an electric mixer.
The Steps
Step 1: Make the cookie dough
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter together with the brown sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat until combined. Mix in the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
Mix, mix, mix until you have a soft dough!
Step 2: Bake
Line a 9×18-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Or, if you prefer thinner bars, use a slightly larger sheet pan.
Bake for about 20 minutes (22 minutes if using a sheet pan), until just set.
Step 3: The peanut butter layer
As soon as the bars come out of the oven, spread the remaining peanut butter evenly over the top. The heat from the bars will melt the peanut butter, making it easy to spread into a smooth layer.
Let the peanut butter stiffen and set. To speed things up, pop the pan in the fridge or freezer until firm.
Step 4: The chocolate icing
Whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and melted milk chocolate until smooth and fudgy. Pour the icing over the bars and spread evenly.
Let the icing set and harden, or dig in right away while it’s still gooey—so delish!
Tip
If you’d like a shiny, glossy finish to your icing, whisk in a couple teaspoons of meringue powder. It helps the frosting set without smudging. Totally optional, but a fun extra!
Whether it’s back-to-school, game day, or just a family night in, these bars are the perfect dessert to bake, share, and enjoy. And if you’ve got kids around, this is an easy recipe they can help with too!
Looking for easy “lunchroom” style back-to-school desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Bake Sale Peanut Butter Oat Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bake Sale Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 322 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish or dish similar in size, with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, 1 cup of peanut butter, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. 3. Press/spread the dough out into the prepared dish. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until just set in the center. Remove from the oven and dollop 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter over the bars, lightly spreading the peanut butter in an even layer. Let cool completely, you can chill in the fridge to speed this up.4. Meanwhile, make the icing. In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of water until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate. If your icing is too thick, thin with 1-2 tablespoons additional water. Spread the icing over the bars. Let set for 1-ish hour…or slice, snack, and enjoy!
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