Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars With Chocolate Chips

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/13/22
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars With Chocolate Chips

The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 48 servings

These peanut butter oatmeal bars are incredibly delicious and surprisingly easy to mix and bake. The bars are perfect for a party or gathering, and they will disappear quickly. The crust and topping are made with a combination of butter, brown sugar, and oats, and a mixture of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and peanut butter makes up the incredible filling.

We used semisweet chocolate chips in the bars, but milk chocolate chips would be delicious as well. If you want a little more crunch, use chunky peanut butter. Or add some finely chopped peanuts, pecans, walnuts, or coconut to the topping. See the tips and variations for more.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars With Chocolate Chips ingredients

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 13 x 2-inch baking pan.

    Greased baking pan

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  3. Combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Stir to blend thoroughly and then set aside.

    Combine the sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in a mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  4. Combine brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, soda, salt, and 3/4 cup butter in a large bowl. Mix well.

    Combine brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, soda, salt, and butter in a large bowl

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  5. Pat 1/2 to 2/3 of the oat mixture in the bottom of prepared baking pan. Use enough to cover the bottom of pan (this should be about 13 ounces of the mixture or slightly more than half).

    Oat mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking pan

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  6. Drizzle bottom layer evenly with peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the peanut butter layer and remaining oat crumbs evenly over chocolate chips.

    Oat and peanut butter layers in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

  7. Bake for about 18 to 21 minutes. Watch carefully and take care not to overbake. The edges will be browned, and the top will be lightly browned. Cut evenly into bars.

    Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars With Chocolate Chips in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

Recipe Variations

  • Add about 1/3 cup of finely chopped pecans, peanuts, coconut, or walnuts to the topping crumbs.
  • Use chunky peanut butter for the filling.

Tips

  • Refrigerate the bars or freeze them for longer storage.
  • The recipe makes a big 9 x 13 x 2-inch panful. If you don't need a large amount, freeze half of them. Put bars in a container separated with waxed paper and store them in the freezer for up to six months. 
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
131 Calories
7g Fat
17g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 48
Amount per serving
Calories 131
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 78mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 6%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 91mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)