August 31, 2018

Caramel Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

by Karly in Bar Desserts, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Treats, Dessert    
32 Comments »

These caramel peanut butter oatmeal bars a perfect after school snack!

Do you want to know a little tidbit about Nebraska? Like, basically, the most interesting thing about the entire state, according to me even though I’ve only lived here for 2 months and really don’t know much of anything about Nebraska?

I knew you’d want to know!

It’s the fact that this is the windiest freaking place ever. My word. I’ve been on a cruise, out in the middle of the ocean, where there is wind and there is nothing to block it and you know what? No. Not as windy as Nebraska. All of our outdoor patio furniture is currently either upside down or halfway across the yard and you guys, our furniture is heavy duty metal stuff. This is ridiculous and I want to go home where the furniture stays put and the house doesn’t shake from the wind and I do not have “wind warnings” every day of the week.

These caramel peanut butter oatmeal bars a perfect after school snack!

Anyway, it’s too windy to leave the house ever, so I’ve been baking like a crazy person. And I mean that part about not leaving the house literally. I can not open the door sometimes because the force of the wind is too strong.

These oatmeal bars are totally healthy because the crust is made of oatmeal. I’m not a doctor or anything, but I’m pretty sure you can trust me. Maybe?

The filling for these bars is a caramel made from sweetened condensed milk which is the tastiest liquid known to man and then it gets a big ol’ helping of peanut butter to round things out. Basically, you want these bars in yo’ face as often as possible. Enjoy. And then enjoy some more, because like I said. Health food!

caramel peanut butter oatmeal bars

Note: I’ve gotten quite a few comments that these bars and dry, crumbly, and falling apart. I’ve also gotten comments saying that these worked perfectly, so I’m not sure what the problem is. Be sure that you’re reading the recipe correctly (1 1/2 cups butter – not 1 1/2 sticks) and that you’re not overbaking. As soon as I have a chance to make this recipe again, I will report back and make changes if necessary. I’m not sure what is going on as the recipe was made as written below, but I do plan to test it again. In the meantime, be careful with this one as it seems to be finicky!

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Caramel Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
 
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: back to school, easy bar recipes, easy dessert recipes, kid-friendly recipes
Calories: 530 kcal

These oatmeal bars are totally healthy because the crust is made of oatmeal. I'm not a doctor or anything, but I'm pretty sure you can trust me. Maybe?

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar divided
  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons butter divided
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 can
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 11 ounces milk chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. To start, make the caramel sauce by melting 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat.
  2. When melted, stir in the sweetened condensed milk and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and darkens to a caramel color, about 20 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
  4. To make the crust, combine the flour, oatmeal, and remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar in a large bowl. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups of butter and stir into the oatmeal mixture.
  5. Press half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the oatmeal crust. Spread the caramel peanut butter mixture over the chocolate chips and crumble the remaining oatmeal crust mixture over the top.
  7. Return to the oven and continue baking for 15 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting.
Nutrition Facts
Caramel Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 530 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 16g100%
Cholesterol 57mg19%
Sodium 274mg12%
Potassium 248mg7%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 34g38%
Protein 9g18%
Vitamin A 640IU13%
Vitamin C 0.7mg1%
Calcium 116mg12%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on bunsinmyoven.com should only be used as a general guideline.

originally posted on March 27, 2014, last updated on August 31, 2018
categories: Bar Desserts, Chocolate & Peanut Butter Treats, Dessert
32 Comments »