Combining oats, peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and chocolate chips makes these fabulous peanut butter oat bars an extra-special treat. They’re the perfect sweet treat, and they’re always a hit!
Serve these layered peanut butter chocolate chip oat as a snack or dessert. Serve them on a plate or paper towel, or in a bowl with a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream.
The bars are portable, too. Pack them in a lunch box or backpack, or take them on a road trip as a tasty, convenient treat. Bar cookies also make a fantastic addition to a dessert platter along with other pastries, pies, and cakes.
Preparation Notes
- Lightly spray a baking pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
- Weigh and measure all of the ingredients and have them ready on the countertop.
- Combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl; whisk until the mixture is smooth then set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy, then add the dry mixture and mix on low speed until blended and crumbly.
- Pat about two-thirds of the oat crumb mixture in the prepared pan, then drizzle evenly with the sweetened peanut butter mixture.
- I use an offset spatula dipped in water to gently spread the peanut butter evenly over the top of the oat mixture.
- Top the peanut butter layer with chocolate chips.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the chocolate chip layer.
- Bake the bars as directed.
Why is sweetened condensed milk used in this recipe?
In recipes, sweetened condensed milk can act as a binder, and adds rich, sweet flavor and creamy texture without the extra water found in plain milk. The top and bottom crusts in these oat bars are held together with a combination of peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips. It’s a perfect match, providing amazing layers of flavor and fantastic texture.
Recipe Variations
- Use milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet, or use part white chocolate or butterscotch chips.
- Reduce the chocolate chips to 3/4 cup and mix them with about 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts. Sprinkle the mixture over the peanut butter layer.
How to Store Peanut Butter Oat Bars
- Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 10 to 14 days.
- To freeze, wrap slices in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container. Label the container with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost for an hour or two at room temperature.
Layered Peanut Butter Oat Bars With Chocolate Chips
With multiple layers of cookie dough, peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips, peanut butter chocolate chip oat bars are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chips, Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (180 grams) rolled oats, quick-cooking
- 1 cup (128 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (213 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) butter, softened
- 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the sweetened condensed milk with the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth and well blended. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Mix to blend.
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy. Add the oat mixture and mix until crumbs are formed.
- Pat about 2/3 of the oat mixture in the prepared baking pan. It will be sticky, so you might need to wet your hands a few times.
- Drizzle with the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk mixture. The mixture will be thick, but will slowly drizzle. Try to avoid spreading with the spoon at this point as it will lift the oat mixture. When all of the peanut butter mixture is drizzled evenly over the oat crust, wet a spatula and gently spread it over the crust.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate chips.
- Bake the peanut butter bars until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the bars from the oven and place the pan on a rack. Cool for at least 1 hour before slicing into bars.
