If you are remotely close to my age (I’m 44, born in 1974), chances are that you’ll remember some of the things like the peanut butter bars that were served in the cafeteria.  Remember having “chef’s choice?” Chef’s Choice was sometimes yummy, sometimes scary, I still don’t know how to describe the jello that was served in middle school!

Every so often, at school, or even at my beloved summer camp in New Hampshire, the folks who worked in the cafeteria would make these amazing peanut butter bars that had oatmeal, peanut butter, more peanut butter and chocolate frosting on top. They were AMAZING.

The Best Ever Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats (NOT quick oats!! They don’t come out the same at all and then they wouldn’t be the best ever)
2 1/2 cups peanut butter, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour

Frosting:

**you can also buy chocolate frosting, but do you really want to do that? Maybe you do. I’ve done it before, and will likely do it again. If I have time, I always go for fresh and homemade.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup milk (Almond or soy milk is ok for this, but I recommend unsweetened, or the frosting is too sweet)
2 teaspoons vanilla
5 tablespoons dry cocoa powder
3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large mixing bowl or in your mixer, cream butter and sugars together for about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes on medium speed

Gradually add in eggs, vanilla and 1 1/2 cups of the peanut butter. Mix together about 1 minute

Add baking soda, flour, oats and salt slowly. Mix well

Spray your bar pan/sheet pan  with Pam or other nonstick spray (or make life super easy and use parchment paper sheets…) and spread the bar mix evenly

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

After baking, immediately remove pan from oven and drop the peanut butter in scoops/spoonfuls all over the bars. As the peanut butter melts, spread it evenly across the bars.

Leave the bars to sit while the bars cool and the peanut butter sets again

While your bars are cooling, prepare your frosting to spread on top – use your mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer.

Mix ingredients gradually and beat for 3 minutes on medium speed

Want more peanut butter yum? No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter & Jelly Granola, PB&J Pancakes