Sweet and salty, soft and chewy – these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars hit all the right spots! Easy to make and utterly delicious – these Chocolate Chip and Oat Peanut Butter Cookie Bars will be ready in no time! Gluten-Free + Low FODMAP + Vegan Friendly
About These Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
I originally actually made this recipe thinking it was going to replace my original peanut butter oat bars.
It was only after I finished testing, picturing, and eating (probably too many) peanut butter bars, that I realized my original recipe had enough positive comments and reviews that I couldn’t change the recipe.
Fortunately, this recipe is different enough that it really does deserve its own spotlight.
And I mean, it’s not like you can have too many variations on a classic peanut butter cookie, right?!
Key Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Light Brown Sugar
- Dark brown sugar also works here.
- Brown sugar is slightly acidic which means it will react with the baking soda to create carbon dioxide bubbles and allow the bars to puff up in the oven.
- Room Temperature Butter
- Make this recipe dairy-free with vegan butter!
- I haven’t tried this with coconut oil, but I do think it would work.
- Peanut Butter
- Feel free to use crunchy or creamy peanut butter here.
- If you decide to use natural peanut butter (it comes with a layer of oil on top), make sure to drain away as much of the excess oil as possible. Too much excess oil can make the bars feel a bit greasy after baking.
- Sub out the peanut butter with almond butter or another nut butter of your choice.
- One Egg + One Egg Yolk
- I found that two eggs made these bars too cake-like and one egg was too dry. The extra egg yolk adds just enough moisture to make chewy cookie bars.
Dry Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Quick Oats
- Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need these bars to be safe for you or someone you know who’s gluten intolerant.
- Even when they are totally gluten-free, oats can still be a tricky ingredient for some Celiacs.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- Any old gluten-free all-purpose flour should do here! They don’t need to include xanthan gum since the eggs work as our main binder here.
- Chocolate Chips
- Feel free to leave out the chocolate chips if you want.
- You can also get creative and play around by adding different types of chocolate chips or add-ins:
- Use white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dark chocolate chips, or even M&M’s. Chopped nuts are another great alternative!
- Follow the recipe as written until just before baking. Instead of placing the pan in the oven, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and foil and place it in the freeze for about 3-4 hours until frozen solid.
- After the dough has frozen in block form, pull the sides of the baking paper to remove the dough from the pan then wrap it back up in plastic wrap/foil and seal it in a large freezer bag. Label the bag and keep stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready, place the dough back in the pan and bake from frozen. Add an extra 4-5 minutes to the overall bake time.
- Cool the bars completely.
- Spread the bars then bars on a baking sheet you can fit in the freezer. Cover the baking pan and freeze until solid.
- Transfer the cookies to a bag or freezer-safe container. Place a small sheet of baking parchment in between each bar to prevent them from freezing together. Bars will keep up to 6 months in the freezer. You can enjoy frozen cookies straight out of the freezer or allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight.
- GET YOUR COOKBOOK
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Freeze for Later
If you’re unable to finish the bars right away just freeze it! You can freeze both the cookie dough and the baked peanut butter cookie bars easily enough.
Freeze the Dough
Freeze the Bars
Enjoy!
Recipe
Peanut Butter
Cookie Bars with Oats
5.0 Stars (8 Reviews)
Yield: 16 squares Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes
Sweet and salty, soft and chewy - these Peanut Butter Cookie Bars hit all the right spots! Gluten-Free + Low FODMAP + Vegan Friendly
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) softened butter, salted or unsalted
- 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter (or crunchy)
- 1 egg plus one egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (90 g) certified gluten-free quick oats
- 1/4 cup (35 g) gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (only add if using unsalted butter)
- 1/3 cup (57 g) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8x8 inch (20x20cm) square baking tin with parchment paper - leave an inch or two of the paper hanging over the sides of the pan to easily lift out the bars later. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer: combine the sugar and softened butter. Beat together on high for about a minute then add the peanut butter. Beat another minute on high until thick, but smooth.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix into a smooth, creamy mixture until fully combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt (if needed) to the wet ingredients. Mix on a low speed until combined.
- Use a wooden spoon or stiff rubber spatula to stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. The dough should be thick, and soft, but a little gritty from the oats.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. Press into an even layer across the prepared pan. Place in the oven on a middle rack and bake for 16-20 minutes. The top should be golden brown and puffed up. For chewier cookie bars, bake for 16-18 minutes, and for less chewy bars bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Take the bars out of the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Let cool for another 5 minutes, then slice, serve, and enjoy.
- Leave leftovers out at room temperature loosely covered for up to 4 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks.
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Notes
Make it Vegan
- Instead of eggs - add 5 tablespoons dairy-free milk and 3 tablespoons corn starch in addition to the flour.
- Use vegan butter and vegan chocolate chips.
- Add an additional 3-4 minutes to the overall baking time. If the top of the bars is getting too dark in the oven, cover with foil or baking paper.
- Let the bars cool for at least 15-20 minutes before you slice into them.
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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