Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars

These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars are the perfect healthier replacement for your favorite cookies or brownies and are packed with protein and fiber.

I love peanut butter. A lot.

Peanut butter is a natural and inexpensive way to add nutrition to baked goods. Peanut butter packs a lot of protein and flavor that you just don’t get when you use regular butter and sugar.

Since I am always on the lookout for ways to improve the nutrition of baked goods, I fiddled around with these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars and the results were impressively delicious. I swapped out the refined sugar for honey and used an oat/whole wheat flour combination in place of the white flour. Not only do you not notice these easy and healthy changes, but, in my opinion, they actually improved both the taste and texture of the bars.

The secret to making these bars so outstanding is using chocolate chips. Our family prefers dark chocolate, so we usually opt for the darkest chocolate chips I can find (I find dark chocolate to add more flavor than milk chocolate). Our favorite are the Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips. Mercy, they are dreamy.

My favorite thing about these bars is how much better they are for you than a traditional sugar and white flour dessert. I am also a big fan of how quickly they come together! In fact, I usually just hand my 12-year-old the recipe and walk away. Since she only needs one bowl and about fifteen minutes to prepare these, it’s the perfect opportunity for her to try her hand in the kitchen. Of course, I know to expect I will be cleaning up peanut butter in the kitchen later, but it’s a price I am willing to pay.

Making healthy dessert options at home is so simple and easy with a recipe like this. In fact, you can prepare these delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars in less time than it would take to head to the store to buy cheap plastic tubs of cookies. It’s a no brainer to opt for these the next time you need to bring treats to an event.

How to make oatmeal bars?

Start by mixing together the wet ingredients including the peanut butter, honey, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Make sure it is well combined. You can also make some easy swaps here using different nut butter, maple syrup, and/or coconut oil. Sometimes it's helpful to slightly melt the peanut butter so it's easier to stir.

Then add the dry ingredients into the same bowl. You'll want to add whole rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking), white whole wheat flour (all-purpose will also work), baking soda, and salt. Stir that well to combine all the ingredients. 

Then fold in the chocolate chips. You could also add some dried fruit, nuts, or seeds at this point as well. You will want between 1/2 cup-1 cup of toppings.

Once everything is well combined, add the mixture to a prepared baking dish or one lined with parchment paper for easy clean up.  Bake for 15-18 minutes until it is cooked through and a toothpick comes out clean. Then make sure to let them cool at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Store in the fridge for up to one week, although you will be lucky if they last that long.

Recipe Tips and Ideas

• Make these bars vegan by using maple syrup, vegan butter, and a flax or chia egg. Make sure to use vegan chocolate chips as well.
• Add some crunch by using crunchy peanut butter in place of smooth. You could also fold in some chopped peanuts, almonds, or walnuts.
• Switch up the flavor profile by using cinnamon or caramel chips instead of chocolate chips. These are also amazing with toffee bits.
• Add some added nutrition and flavor with some dried fruit. Consider dried cranberries, blueberries, candied ginger, or golden raisin.