Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars have a chewy oatmeal cookie base with thick swirls of peanut butter fudge. Easy to make and they freeze well too!
Making cookie bars is so much easier than individual cookies, and this recipe does not disappoint. You’ll love how easy they are to make, and peanut butter lovers will rejoice!
This recipe for oatmeal bars with peanut butter was originally published in October 2016. The photos and recipe notes were updated in July 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Chewy oatmeal cookie bars with a sweet, nutty flavor from the swirls of peanut butter fudge.
Ease: Much like my chocolate revel bars, these can be made in and out of the oven in under an hour!
Flavor Substitution: My butterscotch revel bars have the same chewy texture, but with a butterscotch twist.
Allergies? Swap out the peanut butter for Biscoff and the peanut butter morsels for white chocolate chips.
Top Tip: Allow cookie bars to cool completely before slicing. This lets the fudge layer to set up.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and measurements. Here are a few highlights.
- Light Brown Sugar – The molasses in brown sugar makes for a chewy cookie layer with a hint of sweet caramel flavor. You can use a dark brown sugar too if you prefer.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is the most important flavor element in the cookie layer! Choose a shelf stable peanut butter like Jif or Skippy for best results.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Helps achieve that classic peanut butter cookie flavor. Pure vanilla is always best! Or use my homemade vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour – Gives structure to the cookie layer and topping. Be sure to use my tips and tricks on how to measure flour properly so you don’t end up with dense, dry cookie bars.
- Quick-Cooking Oatmeal – Adds chewy texture and a hint of hearty flavor to these sweet dessert bars. You can also use old fashioned oats, just avoid steel cut oats for this recipe.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – Creates the base of the peanut butter fudge layer.
- Peanut Butter Chips – The final touch to add rich peanut buttery flavor to the creamy fudge layer of the bars.
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
What I love about cookie bars is how easy they are to make. Unlike peanut butter cookies, these bars come together so quickly, with just one bake time (no need to make tray after tray of cookies).
Make the cookie dough: Cream the butter, sugar, and peanut butter together until light and creamy. Then mix in the baking soda, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour and oats last to finish the dough.
Layer in the pan: Press ⅔ of the cookie dough into the bottom of your prepared pan.
Make the peanut butter fudge layer: Heat the sweetened condensed milk and butter in a saucepan until the butter is melted. Then add the peanut butter chips and stir until melted and smooth.
Top it off: Pour the peanut butter fudge mixture over the top of the oatmeal cookie batter and spread it to all the corners of the pan, making a smooth surface. Drop the remaining 1/3 cookie dough evenly in little clumps over the peanut butter fudge layer.
Easy Cookie Recipes
Love cookie bars? My peanut butter cookie bars are a delicious option, and they’re loaded with peanut butter and Reese’s too! Or give my delicious M&M cookie bars a try next for a delicious, chewy treat.
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