Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars - made June 18, 2021 from Fork in the Kitchen

Here's an easy hack to make a holiday-appropriate baked good: red, white and blue M&Ms incorporated into the dough and sprinkled on top before baking.

The bar cookie itself is easy to mix together and, with both oatmeal and peanut butter, has a hearty flavor and dense chewy texture. In other words, it was perfect to send in a military care package for Soldiers Angels.

Because it doesn't have any frosting and isn't really that "delicate", it's also ideal to take to a summer picnic as you don't have to worry about anything melting under a hot summer sun. Except perhaps the chocolate chips and really, there's nothing wrong with having melt-y chocolate chips in a bar cookie.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 heaping cup creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 heaping cups chocolate chips and/or red, white & blue M&Ms or a combination of both

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8" baking pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray/
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add peanut butter and beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla; beat until just combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chips/M&Ms. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until edges are golden and a toothpick inserted near the center no longer comes out with raw batter. Do not overbake.