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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Is there another option to put on top instead of the chocolate?
I love the consistency of these bars — exactly as promised — soft and chewy mmmmm goodness. I’ll make these again down the road, but likely won’t use the chocolate frosting next time — for me, it almost overpowers the peanut butter flavor, and is a little too sweet. A thin peanut butter frosting would appeal to my tribe a bit more, and maybe a half-cup of chopped peanuts for a little crunch in the cookie batter.
Is 2 1/2 tsp baking soda accurate? Seems like a lot..
Yes, it is.
i love how they taste
Delicious! Now, I have to admit after reading the reviews, I thought about doubling the frosting. I didn’t and gave the recipe a chance. I think the reason there isn’t enough frosting for some people is because this frosting cools quickly and if you aren’t fast enough to spread it out, it melts the peanut butter and is hard to move or spread. Just be warned, the frosting amount is fine, as long as you move quickly and pour it in all 4 corners and then the middle. Thanks for the recipe!
Many countries don’t use cup measurements please can you also display the metric measurements like many cooks do on recipe web-sites to give everyone a choice then I might attempt this recipie ?
Hi Emma,
You will find that new recipe on my site all have the option to convert to metrics. Simply reach out if you find any other recipes you wish to make that don’t have the conversion option :). This one has it now- look for it by the ingredients in the recipe card.
Hey Lauren,
This recipe looks amazing but the link to convert to metric won’t work. Am I doing something wrong? Desparate to try these but dont have cup measures.
Hmm. I’ve check it on my end. Why don’t you try one more time (the conversion button is in the recipe card). If it still doesn’t work, email me directly and i’ll send you the estimates! lauren@tastesbetterfromscratch.com
It’s bars not cookies, the author verified this amount.
Thank you Lauren Allen, these were terrific, wouldn’t change a thing! Reminds me of Elementary school, when they actually cooked in school.
Tasted amazing – only thing was that the chocolate frosting portion of the recipe did not make enough to cover the pan- should be nearly doubled for a good covering. Thank you for this recipe I will hang onto it!
Ok, the recipe needs to be rewritten to fix the errors. I didnt read the comments before I made it so things were off. But I will say even with the baking soda error, the cookie part came out fabulous. The icing isn’t great as some have already said. But I made do with what i had. I will use melted chocolate chips as well in place of the icing. I took some to work today and people loved them. I do too!
It’s bars not cookies, the author verified this amount.
I used a glass 9×13 pyrex dish… I greased the pan with melted butter and then put down parchment paper and greased that with melted butter and dusted with some flour… I followed the peanut butter bar mixture exactly though i did use a bit less of the quick cooking oats… put that in the pan and baked it for 17.5 minutes…. it came out perfect… the chocolate frosting I followed the directions as instructed accept I didnt have milk on hand … so i tried it with heavy whipping cream and added in a table spoon of cold brewed coffee… it came out really good and covered all the bars but a quarter… I had to redo the chocolate frosting so this time what i did was … I used 1 stick of butter, and instead of heavy whipping cream I used hazelnut coffee creamer and added in the cold brewed coffee… Wow amazing!! it covered the whole dish…. these bars taste like a cross between a peanut butter cookie and a no bake at the same time!!!… Thank you for the recipe I will be making these again and again… It is pure heaven in my mouth so darn good and addicting!!! thank you again I wish i could post a pic of them up
This sounds amazing! When I make these, I’ll try your suggestions.
Thanks
Can quick oats be used?
Yes.