There are so many varieties of bar cookies that you could probably make a different one everyday and not run out of recipes for months! I love them cause they are so easy to make and fun to tweek to your own taste. They never fail to be chewy, crunchy and full of sweet goodness. These bar cookies have all of my favorite ingredients- peanut butter, chocolate and oats. And M&M's to boot! I used the minature instead of full size regular M&M's, but you can pick your favorite to add.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Squares
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
12 ounces candy coated chocolate, like M&M's
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some paper hanging over the edge of the pan to make it easier to lift bars out after baking.
Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla to form a smooth batter.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and oats. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing until flour is just blended. Batter will be thick.
Spoon half the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth over with a spatula. Sprinkle M&M's over the batter then top with remaining batter.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until top is lightly browned and toothpick or knife comes out clean. If middle is not done yet, cover pan with alum. foil until baked through.
Cool pan completely on a wire rack. Lift bars out of the pan and drizzle with melted chocolate. Cut into squares. Store in sealed container.
"Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are."
-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
9 comments:
Another great recipe for my collection. Thanks!
Yum. Those are my favorite ingredients too but I might switch out the M&Ms for some kind of nut.
You are welcome, Sweet! I hope you enjoy it.
Debi- that sounds good too. Maybe a cashew or peanut?
Either or.
Yum. Yum. Yum.
My thoughts exactly, Anita! Thanks :)
Mmmm...I love bar cookies, too...and this one has some of my favorite things. One of the things I like best about it is that it has two healthy ingredients---the oatmeal and peanut butter. So I can eat these cookies with impunity, saying all the while, "Well, after all, they're GOOD for me!" :-)
Thank you, Mary Ann!
Peanut Butter is one of my favorite things and so is chocolate. I think I will add the nuts, too. I will probably gain weight just thinking about these.
Beth and Southernlady- I couldn't agree with you more! I think the same exact thing, oatmeal and peanut butter are good for you and heaven knows I need more oatmeal in my diet :) I almost don't want to make sweets like these cause I'll eat the dough as I make it then I eat the bars when they are done. But who can live without sweets? That's too boring!
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