Peanut Butter Passion Bars are a buttery oat bar with a sweet peanut butter caramel filling topped with chocolate chips and more oat crumble! These are a great, sweet after-school treat, or even perfect for a cookie platter!
I will say it right now, I am SO far behind with my life. Like in a major way. Next week is Thanksgiving and I am super confused on how yesterday was August and now it’s November. HOW IS GOING SO FAST!?
I have been insanely busy lately…of course with work stuff, but also my real life stuff too! You would think as kids get older they would require less of your time, but that doesn’t seem to be the case…at least in my house! Quick glance at my phone tells me that there are no days off pretty much all fall.
Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, I am one of those people (as so many of you are as well) who seems to make more work for myself than necessary. If there is a lull in the schedule, I quickly fill that spot up. Part of it is FOMO, while the other part is just my personality. I don’t really have a “relax” button. I need to work on that.
So what I am getting at, is I don’t have any great Thanksgiving recipes for you this year. Of course I have TONS of pie recipes, and pumpkin recipes…but I had big plans to get you lots of interesting side dishes for the big day. Womp womp.
Instead, let’s just skip right on over to holiday cookie platter planning, k? Cookie baking season is my favorite time of the year. I freaking love it. I’m getting my holiday decorations out tomorrow (yes before Thanksgiving) because I am just ready to pump the holiday tunes and dust my kitchen in powdered sugar.
ANNNND let me just tell you…starting on the 27th I am going to be doing a whole 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Series that I am super pumped about! But let’s start a little early, shall we? With these Peanut Butter Passion Bars! This is a recipe that I found in my mom’s recipe box, except they were just called Passion Bars. I am thinking it must have been one of those recipes that made it’s way around kitchens in America in the 80s.
But you know, the 80s gave us some good food, so I won’t complain.
There is tons of love in this one…you’ve got oats, butter, sweetened condensed milk, PEANUT BUTTER…
AND you don’t need a mixer for these either. So yay for less mess!
Press half that crumble mixer into a 9×13, and then mix together peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk to make a glorious quick caramel!
You can use either creamy or crunchy peanut butter.
Pour that over top of the base, and then sprinkle some chocolate chips on!
Press the remaining crumble mixture on top and pop it in the oven!
Cut the bars when they are cooled and behold…
Cookie Butter can be subbed for the peanut butter…or any type of nut butter.
Raisins would be great in place of chocolate chips with a teaspoon of cinnamon.
SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!
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Peanut Butter Passion Bars
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
Description
These are buttery oat bars, filled with a peanut butter caramel and sprinkled with chocolate chips!
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup butter, cubed at room temperature
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (I used chunky)
- 1 (14- ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add in the butter and combine evenly until crumbly. I start using a pastry cutter and then switch over to my hands to get it combined well.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the oat mixture for the topping and press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In a medium bowl mix together the peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture on top of the oat layer and spread evenly.
- Distribute the chocolate chips evenly on top of the peanut butter layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top of the chocolate chips and press lightly.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the top is set.
- Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Notes
You can use either creamy or crunch peanut butter
I find it impossible to spread the peanut butter & condensed milk mixture onto the bottom layer without first freezing the bottom layer in my 9 x 13 inch pan a bit first. 20 minutes or so makes All the difference in the WORLD!!! If I hadn’t tried this & found it to work like a charm I would NOT Abe making t Here on repeat— despite how yummy & semi-nutritious they are, as desserts go….
I’m always trying out cookie and bar recipes, this one has all the yummy stuff! This will definitely be my new go to, it’s the best thing I’ve tried in a long time! Didn’t change anything, did eat just a tiny pinch of crumble so the top may have been a tad short.
Make this today!
The crowd loved this recipe! Cut into 32 bars, since they are rich. Note, I substituted almond butter for peanut butter, and thought it was a little bland, so stick with peanut butter and you can’t go wrong.
so happy you liked it!!
My favorite coffee shop uses your recipe and I pick one up every time I’m there because they’re soooooooo good
Love hearing that!!