Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Packed with chocolate, oats, and peanut butter chips, these cookie bars bake up with golden edges and a warm, gooey center that tastes like they just came out of the oven.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars Recipe

The edges crisp like a traditional cookie, while the center stays luxuriously gooey when warm and becomes chewy once completely cooled. Melted butter and a generous amount of chocolate ensure each bite is rich and satisfying.

The balance of chocolate, peanut butter and oats makes these bars an ideal treat for holiday baking, potlucks, or an everyday sweet fix. They were a favorite holiday tradition shared by a friend, and they quickly earned a spot in ours.

Ingredients Needed

• Butter – unsalted, melted (3/4 cup)
• Creamy Peanut Butter – 1/2 cup
• Eggs – 2
• Light Brown Sugar – 1 1/2 cups
• Vanilla Extract – 1 tablespoon
• All-Purpose Flour – 1 1/2 cups
• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats – 1 cup
• Baking Soda – 1 teaspoon
• Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – 1 1/4 cups
• Peanut Butter Chips – 3/4 cup

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with nonstick spray.

Melt the butter and stir in the peanut butter, light brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Using a full tablespoon of vanilla deepens the flavor and complements the peanut butter.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir in the rolled oats. Fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined—avoid overmixing.

Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips, folding them into the batter so they’re evenly distributed.

Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 20–25 minutes. In our convection oven 22 minutes produced golden edges and a set center with a gooey interior. Adjust timing slightly for conventional ovens.

Allow the bars to rest in the pan until the center is set. Serve warm for a melty, gooey experience (napkins recommended) or let them cool completely for a chewier texture.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Using real butter and melting it helps create the slightly underbaked, gooey texture.
• Swap chocolate chips for chocolate chunks for larger pockets of melted chocolate.
• Use a bench scraper or offset spatula to slice neat bars once cooled.
• Cut smaller bars and freeze extras for later—these thaw and taste great for celebrations or quick treats.

More Easy Dessert Bars

• Oatmeal Fruit Bars
• Applesauce Bars
• Cowgirl Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Cherry Bars