Our old fashioned Peanut Butter Bars recipe has a thick and chewy base topped a quick chocolate glaze. They're perfect for potlucks or parties and can be made ahead or frozen!
I get more attention for these Peanut Butter Bars than any other cookie bar.
I get more attention for these Peanut Butter Bars than any other cookie bar. These chewy peanut butter bars are THE treat to bring to every potluck and way better than the Lunch lady peanut butter bars you may remember as a kid. A family friend (thanks Chris McLaws!) shared this recipe with us decades ago and it's been the most popular cookie bar in our family, since. They have the BEST soft and chewy texture and peanut butter flavor and you can double the recipe to bake in a baker's half sheet pan.
How to make Peanut Butter Bars:
Make Dough: With a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter then mix again. Stir dry ingredients in separate bowl, then combine.
Bake: Press dough into a greased 9×13″ baking pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 17-21 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake! They shouldn't look glossy, but barely set in the center (they will continue to harden as they cool).
Peanut butter and chocolate topping: Cool bars completely then spread a thin layer of peanut butter and melted chocolate glaze on top.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Peanut butter bars will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cookie dough could be made a day ahead of time, stored in the fridge until ready to bake.
To Freeze: Cover homemade peanut butter bars with plastic wrap, then a double layer or aluminum foil and freeze in a freezer safe pan up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temperature before serving.
More “Bar” Recipes:
- Blondies
- Magic Bars (7 Layer Bars)
- S'mores Bars
- Key Lime Pie Bars
- Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Scotcheroos
- Lemon Bars
- Butterfinger Bars
- M&M Cookie Bars
- Snickerdoodle Bars
- Sugar Cookie Bars
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Recipe
Peanut Butter Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Bars:
- 3/4 cup butter (170g), room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (220g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (135g), plus more for spreading over baked bars
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (170g)
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter (57g)
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (150g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter and mix well.¾ cup butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients.2 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- Combine: Add dry ingredients to creamy mixture. Press firmly into a greased 9×13'' pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 17-21 minutes or until no longer glossy, but just barely set in the center. Do not over-bake; they will harden as they cool. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Spread Peanut Butter: Once cool, spread a thin layer of creamy peanut butter over the bars.
- Chocolate Frosting: Add butter to a small skillet over medium heat. Once melted, stir in cocoa. Remove from heat and stir im milk, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, using electric beaters to get out any lumps, if needed. Spread chocolate frosting over the top of the bars.¼ cup butter, 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ Tablespoons milk, 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe in April 2013. Updated February 2018, May 2021 (frosting recipe amended), June 2023 and March 2025
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These were delicious. I hate when people alter the recipes and then rate them…I’m sure the “as is” recipe is as good. Here were my changes: threw in a handful of choc chips to the base. My frosting was: 2 1/2 cups choc chips melted with 3T peanut butter then spread on top. Delicious!!
Incredible!! I made these without printing the recipe out and then….spent untold time looking fir this recipe again, as I must have these again and again! I use fresh ground flour and they are sooo yum!
This recipe was something my mom and I made when I was a child. So when I made it, it brought back memories. Instead of the extra layer of peanut butter and the fancy frosting my mom just melted chocolate chips on top immediately after she took it out of the oven. So easy and so good! I loved reliving the food that mom made.
I made these as the recipe says, and I think they needed at least 1 tsp less Baking Soda. I felt like the had too much, as it was pretty strong.
Otherwise, I thought it was good.
can this recipe be made without rolled oats? If so, what could be the substitute or how much other ingredients should be added? Thanks
If you can’t use oats, you can use triticale. You can get it in the health food store. My sister is allergic to oats, and the triticale works nicely.
I thought bars were dry, I used quick oats so wondering if that would have made them dry. I put extra scoops of peanut butter in the base, only used 1 1/2 tsp baking soda. They could have had more of a peanut butter taste.
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Made these exactly as recipe says and they were perfect! My husband said, “please make these as much as you want!” Haha thanks for the yummy recipe!!
The Best Peanut Butter Oatmeal bar in the world!!!
I was thrilled to find this recipe…. ticked every box for middle of winter blahs pick-me-up. I am a seasoned cook , followed recipe to the T, and was shocked at the awful ” salty” taste they had when completed. I finally figured out it was the amount of baking soda listed in the recipe, which I thought was quite a lot when preparing the dry ingredients. My husband concurred about the baking soda taste. Sadly, I threw the whole pan out, quite an expensive disaster. I was determined to get this recipe right, so I remade them using half the baking soda (i.e 1 1/4 tsp.), and they came out beautifully. I then came here to read the comments, and was interested to see more than a few commented on the “saltiness”….. it’s not the salt, folks, but the baking soda (which IS salty in and of itself!). Give it a try next time you prepare these
Great recipe. I use extra crunchy in the cookie. The mention of keeping in the fridge is laughable, if these aren’t gone in a few hours you need to sort out your priorities.
LOL