Oatmeal Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Chips

by Pam on September 18, 2012

I wanted to make a special treat for the kids today but I didn’t want to go to the store.  I finally found this recipe on Andrea Meyers^[1] site that wasn’t filled with sugar and butter and used whole wheat flour and oatmeal to make these bars tasty and sweet while being a little bit healthier.  They were fun and easy to make and they put a huge smile on both of my kids faces.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together with a mixer until creamy and smooth.  Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla and beat until creamy and well combined.

Combine the oatmeal, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl.  Add the oatmeal mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  The filling will be sticky so wet your hands to pat the dough down into the pan.

Place into the oven to bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

While the cookie base is baking combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until well combined.  Place the mixture into a small ziplock bag and seal.

Remove the cookie base from the oven and pour the chocolate chips on top while it’s still hot so the chocolate chips will melt and ooze all over the cookie base.   Cut a small piece out of the corner of the bag filled with the glaze then drizzle the peanut butter glaze on top of the chocolate chips.  Allow to cool before cutting into bars and serving.  Enjoy.

Print^[2]

Oatmeal Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Chips

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 15-17 min.

Total Time: 25-27 min.

Ingredients:

Cookie Base:

4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 small egg, slightly beaten
2 1/2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
6 oz semisweet mini chocolate chips

GLAZE:

1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1-2 tbsp milk (depending on how thick you want the glaze)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together with a mixer until creamy and smooth. Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla and beat until creamy and well combined.
Combine the oatmeal, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Add the oatmeal mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. The filling will be sticky so wet your hands to pat the dough down into the pan.

Place into the oven to bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

While the cookie base is baking combine the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk together until well combined. Place the mixture into a small ziplock bag and seal.

Remove the cookie base from the oven and pour the chocolate chips on top while it’s still hot so the chocolate chips will melt and ooze all over the cookie base. Cut a small piece out of the corner of the bag filled with the glaze then drizzle the peanut butter glaze on top of the chocolate chips. Allow to cool before cutting into bars and serving. Enjoy.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Andrea Meyers

References

1. ^{^} Andrea Meyers (andreasrecipes.com)
2. ^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)