These crazy delicious Butterfinger Bars are a scrumptious oatmeal bar cookie, infused with peanut butter and covered in a rich chocolate glaze. Better make extra: they don't last long!
These chocolate-topped peanut butter oatmeal bars are a top favorite at our house, although the last time I made them Mr B told me (as he lifted another one out of the tray), "Please, please don't make these again any time soon. I can't stop eating them."
As you may notice, I used chunky peanut butter for the Butterfinger Bars pictured in this post; however, smooth peanut butter works equally well: it's just a matter of preference.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Quick oats: In this case, we find that using the name brand oats does make a difference. Batches made with bulk quick oats seemed drier. Do not use old-fashioned oats.
- Peanut butter: We've made these bars with both creamy and chunky peanut butter, both with excellent results. If pressed, I'd say we like the chunky version just a smidge better, simply for the texture it adds.
- Brown sugar: We recommend using light brown sugar.
- Sugar: Plain granulated white sugar.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. Do not use margarine.
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla: Extract or vanilla paste.
- Eggs
- Flour
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: Use homemade or canned. (We often use Betty Crocker Chocolate Frosting.)
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
In an electric mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla and eggs and mix well to combine.
Stir in flour and oats. The batter will be very thick.
Spread the mixture on greased cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
After taking the pan out of the oven, allow it to cool on a metal rack for 10 minutes.
Spread the peanut butter over warm cookies on sheet. Allow to cool for another 10-15 minutes.
Warm the frosting in a microwave for 30 seconds, and then stir it with a spoon until it has an even consistency.
Drizzle the warm chocolate frosting on top of the cooled peanut butter layer, and use the back of a spoon to gently spread it evenly.
If you have teenagers in the house, stand back or prepare to be trampled.
Storage
These cookies are best eaten within 3-4 days.
Freezing: These oatmeal peanut butter bar cookies freeze well. For best results, allow the cookies to completely cool before wrapping and freezing. Bar cookies should be stored at 0°F or lower. Bar cookies that are removed from the pan should be stored in an airtight container; separate layers with waxed paper. For the best flavor and texture, eat frosted bar cookies within 2-3 months.
Top Tip
It is much easier to spread the dough with dampened hands than a spatula.
More Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Recipes
If peanut butter is your jam (sorry, not sorry) you need to try our Colonial Cream of Peanut Soup! We’ve updated the historical recipe with 21st Century tastes in mind; it's surprisingly delicious!
Butterfinger Bars
Equipment
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cup flour
- 1½ cup quick oats
Topping:
- ¾ cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 - 1½ cups Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Homemade; or Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge works just fine too.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)
- In an electric mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add ¾ cup peanut butter, baking soda, salt, vanilla and eggs and mix well to combine. Stir in flour and oats.
- Spread mixture on greased cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool until slightly warm; 5-8 minutes. Spread ¾ cup peanut butter over warm cookies on sheet. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Warm the frosting in a microwave for 30 seconds. Stir with a spoon until it has an even consistency.
- Drizzle warm chocolate frosting on top and use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
Notes
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Long-time friend and author Kelly Nelson is bright, energetic beyond words, and one of the most positive people you will ever meet. Kelly was kind enough to share this Butterfinger Bar recipe with us.
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Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says
"Prepare to be trampled" - I consider myself warned! 🙂
Renée ♥ says
Glad you caught that! As always, thank you for your ongoing blogger support, Catherine.
mae says
Those look way too good... and I have some too-liquidy organic peanut butter that needs to be used up. Well, perhaps I can resist.
Jenni says
i don't know if there is a better combo out there than peanut butter and chocolate. These look amazing. I can see how they'd be a crowd pleaser!
Monica Louie says
Oh my! These look like they'll be my new favorite dessert! I love, love, LOVE peanut butter and chocolate together!! Can't wait to try these!
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says
my favorite candy bar!!!!! Making 2 batches (a secret, undercover batch just for me!)
Adi Edlen says
Hahah I love the part about being trampled by teenagers - also, pregnant women I bet!
Pech says
I was only partway through reading the post and was already trying to rationalize if I should make it for a friend's birthday this weekend and if I cut them into squares then they won't know that 1/4 of the pan didn't make it to the party. Then I realized maybe I should find out what desserts he likes, rather than scheming for an excuse for these. These really do look like a dessert drug!
Danielle says
haha! Ah yes, the bizarre places I sometimes find myself in the name of a good food photo. These look perfect for a movie night, awards show party or just my typical Tuesday night (lol). Thanks for sharing, cheers!
Julie Esplin says
The story of how she got the recipe is equally as interesting. I believe she went into the cafiteria near the end of school her 6th grade year and asked for the recipe from the lunch ladies. This was of course back when they made things for school lunch from sctatch. Peanut butter bars were our favorite, so excited when we saw them on the menue, and it was just tastebud torture going all summer without them. Not to mention the terrible prospect of graduating elementary school and never having one again! - Kelly's sister (Thanks Big Sis)
Renée ♥ says
Thanks so much for sharing this, Julie! I wish I had had the forsight to ask our lunch ladies for their recipe for school pizza. (Sounds crazy, I know, but our school pizza was wonderful, and had a very distinct flavor profile that I cannot replicate. It was probably the government cheese.)
Kelly Nelson says
Thanks, Renee! Love the blog post. 🙂
Renée ♥ says
I so appreciate you sharing your recipe with us! Thanks again!!
kelsey says
yum! these look epic!
Create/Enjoy says
Wow, those do sound like an incredible treat! I actually think I would like the more cookie-like texture it looks like they have better than the candy, stuck-in-your-teeth kind of the original. There are several alternative, grain-free recipes like this that might be similar http://detoxinista.com/2012/10/healthier-homemade-butterfingers/, but some of them like this http://brittanyangell.com/homemade-butterfingers-veganglutendairysoycornrefined-sugar-free/ start to look too similar to the original ones!! I guess I'm biased, though, since I've been through 2 21-day sugar detoxes and my taste for serious "candy" has really declined (thank goodness). Totally impressed by your skills at making this kind of complicated recipe, though!
Renée ♥ says
This is really more of a peanut butter bar cookie than anything candy-like. Congrats on getting through your detox: it takes some serious dedication to completely eradicate it from your diet. I don't actually eat a lot of sugar myself, but this definitely hits the spot when I'm looking for a treat. It's a great crowd-pleaser, too. As for it being complicated, no - it really isn't hard at all. You can start them up and have them ready to serve in under an hour.