Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars with Buttery Chocolate Frosting

Posted: February 8, 2014 | Author: Becky Johnson | Filed under: Desserts, Uncategorized | Tags: Bars, buttery, Chewy, chocolate, oatmeal, peanut butter |2 Comments

“What WERE those things?” my friend Ingrid asked. “They were aaaamzing.”

What those “things” were is my new favorite super easy “cookie” recipe that is impossible to resist. These chewy, peanutty bars with soft butter chocolate frosting have everything going for them:

First, you probably have the ingredients for them on hand right now.

Secondly, they have fiber and protein to help slow down the absorption of sugar, so you and your kids or guests can enjoy an indulgent treat with less of a sugar rush. (I confess to have eaten a couple of them with an ice cold glass of milk and happily called it breakfast.)

They only take about 5 minutes to mix, just 18 to 20 minutes to bake. Cool to the touch, frost, cut and serve a bunch. This makes them the perfect dessert to bake for last-minute guests, to satisfy a gotta-have-it-now craving for a sweet treat, or make n’ take to a potluck or bake sale.

Making a pan of bar cookies is so much faster and easier than baking cookies… and, I’ve not yet met a cookie I like as well as these peanuty chocolate babies. Be sure to save the link to this recipe because I think you’ll use it again and again.

Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars with Chocolate Frosting

(24 to 30 bars depending on what size you’d like them to be)

1/2 c. butter (or 1/4 c. coconut oil and 1/4 c. butter)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. sugar (I use organic)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour (or 3/4 c. flour plus 1/4 c. hemp seeds or ground flax or wheat germ)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. rolled oats

1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts, course chopped (I actually like them in whole or halved)

Directions:

Beat butter and peanut butter for 30 seconds. Add sugar and brown sugar, beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir together flour (Or flour and seed mixture) baking soda and salt, add to beaten mixture and beat until blended, stir in oats and peanutss. Spread mixture into 9″x13″ pan.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Let it cool, then frost with the following:

Buttery Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup softened butter

2 T. Hershey’s Cocoa

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1 to 4 T. milk

Cream butter with cocoa. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and 1 T. of milk. Mix, adding 1 T of milk at a time until the frosting is smooth and creamy and easily spreadable. Pour over bars, spread evenly to edges. Cut bars in squares and serve.