With an oatmeal cookie crust, a creamy peanut butter filling, and melted chocolate on top, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are almost too good to be true! Like a giant peanut butter cup in cookie bar form.
If you love cookie bars as much as I do, then you’ll also want to try these Vegan Sugar Cookie Bars, these Vegan Smores Cookie Bars, and these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!
There’s a bakery here in Portland that I absolutely love called Sweetpea Baking Company. They make these delicious vegan Charlie Brown Bars that layer a thick and creamy peanut butter filling and melted dark chocolate over an oatmeal cookie crust. I never get sick of peanut butter and chocolate together, so obviously I have to order a few bars every time we make the trip.
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars remind me so much of Charlie Brown Bars! They’re just as dreamy, chocolatey, and nutty, AKA everything I could ever want in a perfect cookie bar. Yum!
Why you’ll love these baked peanut butter oatmeal bars
- Chocolate + peanut butter = ♥️ If you’re a fan of Vegan Peanut Butter Cups or my Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, you’ll definitely fall for these baked chocolate peanut butter bars, too.
- Dreamy cookie bars – From the toasted oatmeal crust to the creamy peanut butter center to the smooth, snappy chocolate topping, these are some seriously dreamy dessert bars!
- Really easy – Baking the crust, mixing the filling, and melting the chocolate couldn’t be easier.
How to make chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
To make the oatmeal crust, whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture resembles moist crumbs. Press the crumbs into a prepared baking pan.
Bake the crust until the edges are golden brown. Set it aside to cool.
To make the filling, beat the peanut butter and softened vegan butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and mix to combine.
Spread the peanut butter filling evenly over the crust. Place it in the refrigerator to chill.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips and oil together in the microwave.
To finish assembling the bars, spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with coarse salt, if desired. Return it to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
Slice the peanut butter bars into squares, then serve and enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Any commercial no-stir brand of peanut butter (like Skippy or Jif) works best in the peanut butter filling. I do not recommend using natural peanut butter or any kind with oil separation because it will make the filling runny or super thick instead of creamy and smooth.
Crunchy peanut butter will work in the filling if you’d like the bars to have a little more texture.
It sure does. Just like with the peanut butter, I recommend making the filling with a commercial brand of almond butter that doesn’t have any oil separation, if possible.
Yes! To make gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal bars, replace the AP flour with a quality 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour and use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
I haven’t tried it, but sunflower seed butter should work as a substitute for peanut butter.
Store the sliced bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. They’ll be rock solid coming out of the freezer, so thaw them slightly at room temperature before eating.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
Oatmeal Crust
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted vegan butter
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter not the natural kind with oil separation
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened to room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- coarse salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture resembles moist crumbs.
- Press the crumbs into the prepared pan and press firmly and evenly. Bake for 11-13 minutes until the edges turn slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool while you prepare the filling.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), add the peanut butter and softened vegan butter. Mix until combined, or for about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined, scraping the sides as needed.
- Spread the peanut butter mixture evenly onto the crust and place in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the chocolate topping.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and oil in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
- Spread the chocolate over the peanut butter layer, sprinkle with coarse salt (optional), and return to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut into squares, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: Substitute a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour and make sure to use gluten-free certified rolled oats.
- You may substitute almond or sunflower seed butter, if needed.
Is there a way natural peanut butter can be used?
You can try, but it can be difficult to work with. Sometimes it’s too thick, other times it’s too runny. If needed, you can use it just know the results will vary.