These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are luscious, easy to make and have walnuts baked right in. The bars have texture while being soft and chewy, gooey delicious.
Table of contents
Why Make This Recipe
These bars are dangerous. They are so luscious and addictively good with a peanut butter center (optional of course). They make a great dessert for the family or friends when entertaining. These bars are very easy to make, practically fool proof and can easily be made gluten free by using all purpose gluten free flour and gluten free oats.
Ingredients Needed
Old Fashioned Oats. This is the base of these bars!
All Purpose Flour. GF all purpose will also work.
Brown Sugar. I use light brown sugar, but dark brown will also work for this. This helps to keep the bars together.
Maple Syrup. This is to sweeten things up a bit and give it a nice depth of maple flavors. It also helps to wet the dough.
Baking Soda. This helps keeps things together and bind.
Salt.
Vanilla Extract. this will add a nice flavor to the bars.
Egg. You will need one egg for this recipe. This helps to bind things together.
Olive Oil or Coconut Oil. Any neutral oil will work. I prefer coconut oil, it's a nice flavor added to the bars. If you aren't a big coconut fan, use canola or olive oil.
Peanut Butter. For the gooey center. Almond Butter will also work. Natural Brands with drippy consistency will work best.
Chocolate Chips. Any type you prefer (dark, milk or semi). I like to use milk chocolate the most.
Walnuts. These add a nice crunch to the bars. These are optional.
How To Make This Recipe
Step one. Preheat oven to 350º Mix oats, egg, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, brown sugar, oil into a stand alone mixer or large bowl and mix. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. The dough will be crumbly.
Step two. In a small bowl mix together peanut butter or almond butter and maple syrup.
Step three. Cut the dough into half. Keep one half to the side in a bowl. Line a bread loaf dish with parchment paper (9x5 or similar). Press one half of the dough down into the dish. Make sure it is even. Bake for about 10 minutes. Pull it out, drizzle the peanut butter/maple mixture over it evenly. Crumble the rest of the dough over the peanut butter, lightly press the dough, not too hard just enough to help it stick. Bake for another 15 - 18 minutes.
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use almond or cashew butter for this recipe.
You do not need to use peanut butter, no, you can skip the peanut butter and the maple syrup to make these more calorie friendly, but they are great with it!
To store these, you can keep them on the counter in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months in a ziplock style bag.
I have used both light brown and dark brown sugar for this recipe and it works wonderfully.
Other Dessert Recipes To Try
- Vegan Almond Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
- Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
- Soft Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
- 1 9x5 bread loaf baking dish *or similar size
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour *see notes
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup crushed walnuts
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Mix oats, egg, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, brown sugar, and oil of choice into a stand alone mixer or large bowl and mix well. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. The dough will be crumbly.
- Cut the dough into half. Keep one half to the side. Line a bread loaf dish with parchment paper (9x5 or similar). Press half of the dough down into the dish. Make sure it is even. Bake for about 10 minutes. Pull it out, drizzle the peanut butter over it evenly. Then drizzle the maple syrup over evenly.*If the nut butter you are using isn't spreadable, you can "dollop" it evenly over the base layer.
- Crumble the rest of the dough over the peanut butter, lightly press the dough, not too hard just enough to help it stick. Bake for another 15 - 18 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Let the bars cool completely before removing from bread loaf tin and slicing into small bars. Enjoy!
Chris P
Just maybe's but use canola oil instead of coconut oil super good!
Diane
Found these on Instagram they were excellent will be making again
Reg
Hi. Can i use almond flour instead of all purpose flour?
Bailey
I haven’t used almond flour for this recipe. All purpose gluten free would be wonderful though, if you can have that!
Aracely
I made these with coconut oil and shredded coconut (I didn't have walnuts). They were so good!! Such an easy recipe for a decadent treat 🙂
Bailey
What a great idea to add coconut! I’ll have to try that next time. Love to know you enjoyed them 💕💕
Erin Sachs
Do you think they would work as cookies?
Bailey
Yes I think so, but you would just need to mix the PB into the dough and keep an eye on the time, they might cook much quicker as a cookie. Let me know how they turn out 🙂
Elyssa
These look yummy! What do you think of doing oat flour (ground up oats) instead of white flour? Has anyone tried this?
Rasha
Hello, would an 8x8 pan work for this recipe?
Bailey
Yes it should work however you will need to keep a close eye it may take longer to cook since they will be thicker!
Grace
Hello, I’m wondering if you have tried this with an egg substitute (either flax egg or applesauce) in order to make vegan. Thanks!
*already planning to use vegan choc. chips.
Grace
Hi! Have you tried using an egg substitute? Something like applesauce or a flax egg in order to make these vegan?!
**I already plan on using vegan chocolate chips.
Bailey
I personally Haven’t tried it without any eggs or an egg replacer but I do think a Chia or flax egg would work well it just may not stick together as well, if that makes sense 😊 just a little more crumbly.
Shay
Love love love!
The instructions are not very clear though
Shay
Great! Must try!
Family favorite
Bailey
Hi! Thanks so much for making them! Thrilled you loved them. Please let me know wasn’t very clear so I can rewrite it to make it more clear for others! Thanks again. Xoxox