Breakfast · Desserts

Peanut Butter Oat Bars with Chocolate Chips

These Peanut Butter Oat Bars are a delicious grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Made in just one bowl and loaded with hearty rolled oats, peanuts, peanut butter and chocolate chips, these oatmeal bars are everyone's favorite. They're super…

  • Prep5 minutes
  • Cook50 minutes
  • Total55 minutes
  • Serves16
  • Calories288 kcal
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Peanut Butter Oat Bars with Chocolate Chips

These Peanut Butter Oat Bars are a delicious grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Made in just one bowl and loaded with hearty rolled oats, peanuts, peanut butter and chocolate chips, these oatmeal bars are everyone's favorite. They're super easy to make too.

cut peanut butter oat bar squares.

Hey guys! I've got a oat snack bar recipe that is so delicious and easy make. I'd tuck these baked oatmeal bars into my kids' track bag or softball backpacks to stave off any late day energy slump.

After a while, their friends would ask for any extras of the peanutty and chocolate chip bars. I've made so many batches of oat bars for family, friends and personal chef clients that I can make them in my sleep.

why I love oat bars

After trying dozens of recipes, this baked oat bar one is my favorite. It's got lots of hearty oats, double the peanut with both peanut butter and salted peanuts, and chocolate chips sprinkled throughout.

a stack of oat bars.

The tricky part of the recipe was finding the right binder. More times than not, my attempts at granola bars came out as more of a crumble. The sweetened condensed milk is the ideal binder. It's the key to sturdy and chewy bars that hold their shape and aren't sticky.

To make the oatmeal bars easily portable, I package them in these self sealing cellophane bags. I always make a double batch. Some are tossed in the freezer (they can be frozen for up to 2 months). The rest are stay fresh for a week when stored in an air tight container.

oats, peanuts, peanut butter, condensed milk, chocolate chips.

gather the ingredients

  • rolled oats
  • semi sweet chocolate chips
  • salted peanuts
  • peanut butter
  • sweetened condensed milk
  • cinnamon

recipe details

You'll love that there's just a few simple steps for my baked peanut butter oat bars recipe.

Preheat the oven and coat a 9 x 9 inch silicone baking pan with cooking spray. This is my go to pan for these tasty oat bars. They slide out so easily.

oats and chocolate chips.
adding peanut butter to oats, peanuts and chocolate chips for oat bars.

Grab a large bowl and add rolled oats, chocolate chips, salted peanuts, peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. This is a thick mixture so use a sturdy spatula to mix the ingredients.

Spread the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Make sure its pressed down and evenly fills the pan.

mixing oat bar ingredients.
spreading oat bars in a pan.

Bake the bars until firm to the touch and light brown on the edges. Cool in the pan and then flip out the on to a cutting board. Cut into squares.

Store the bars in an air tight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months.

suggestions and recipe tips

A 9 x 9 inch silicone baking pan is my first choice when making oatmeal bars. There's no need to line the pan with parchment paper as the bars slide right out.

For oat bars uniform in size and thickness, firmly and evenly press down the oat mixture in the baking pan.

To easily cut the bars into squares, place the completely cooled, unmolded and uncut oat bars on a cooling rack. Let sit for about 4 hours at room temperature. This allows the chocolate chips to harden and the bars to firm up.

4 peanut butter oat bars stacked on top of a plate.

variations

Peanut butter chocolate chip oat bars are my all-time favorite flavor combination. But I do change up the ingredients to make more tasty bars. Here's some variations to try.

  • Almond butter, dried cranberries and chocolate chips
  • Cashew butter, salted cashews and butterscotch chips
  • Sunflower butter, pecans and chopped dried apricots
  • Peanut butter, raisins and white chocolate chips

just one more thing

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peanut butter oat bars.

Peanut Butter Oat Bars with Chocolate Chips

These Peanut Butter Oat Bars are a delicious grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Made is just one bowl and loaded with hearty rolled oats, peanuts, peanut butter and chocolate chips, these oatmeal bars are everyone's favorite. They are super easy to make too.

Ingredients

  • 3 ¼ cups rolled oats
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup salted peanuts
  • ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 9 inch silicone baking pan with cooking spray. If using a 9 x 9 inch metal baking pan, coat with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper letting the the side edges overhang by 2 inches. Coat the parchment paper with cooking spray. Set aside.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, add the rolled oats, chocolate chips, peanuts, peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Stir until the ingredients are will combined.

  3. 3

    Spread the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Press down so that the top is smooth and evenly fills the pan.

  4. 4

    Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The bars should be set and light brown on the edges.

  5. 5

    Remove from the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 1 hour.

  6. 6

    If using a silicone pan, flip over onto a cooling rack. If using a metal baking pan, use the parchment paper to lift the bars from the pan and flip over on a cooling rack. You want the bottom side of the bars facing up. If the bottom of the bars is sticky, let air dry for about an hour or so.

  7. 7

    Cut into 16 bars. Store in an airtight container or wrap individually in cellophane bags. Store at room temperature for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Notes

A 9 x 9 inch silicone baking pan is my first choice when making oatmeal bars. There's no need to line the pan with parchment paper as the bars slide right out. For oat bars uniform in size and thickness, firmly and evenly press down the oat mixture in the baking pan. To easily cut the bars into squares, place the completely cooled, uncut and unmolded oat bars on a cooling rack. Let sit for about 4 hours at room temperature. This allows the chocolate chips to harden and the bars to firm up.

Nutrition

  • Serving1 bar
  • Calories288 kcal
  • Carbohydrates35 g
  • Protein9 g
  • Fat14 g
  • Saturated Fat5 g
  • Cholesterol9 mg
  • Sodium35 mg
  • Fiber3 g
  • Sugar22 g