Easy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are a delicious recipe your whole family will love. This chewy bar is a healthy grab-and-go breakfast idea or after-school snack. They require only 10 minutes of prep time, one bowl, and one pan.
Try my Original Oatmeal Bars for a classic baked oatmeal treat!
What can I say? We're a family who loves oatmeal bars! These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars are no exception! Not too sweet, but oh, so chewy bars that are totally satisfying! I mean who doesn't like a nutritious, easy breakfast, afternoon snack, or post-workout pick-me-up!
Almost as good as oatmeal cookies!
It's hard to find healthy food recipes my kid loves, especially healthy treats that don't come in a package or wrapper and contain icky processed ingredients. That's why I'm a huge fan of Easy Oatmeal Bar Recipes!
Are Oat Bars Healthy?
One of our go-to healthy snack ingredients is oatmeal. Oatmeal contains calcium, potassium, and soluble fiber, so it's good for your heart and health!
Plus, it's so satisfying.
Oatmeal bars contain whole-grain ingredients and have the added benefit of a little protein when you add creamy peanut butter. This keeps the kiddos satisfied at snack time. (Natural peanut butter, of course 🙂 )
If you like bananas, you have to try these Banana Oatmeal Bars!! Addictive! If you want fruit in your bars, try our Raspberry Oatmeal Bars.
Why You'll Love These Oatmeal Bars
- Healthy + Delish
- Easy
- Make-Ahead
- Freezable
- Family-Friendly
Ingredient Notes
These simple ingredients make one great recipe! Grab your 8x8 baking dish, and let's get started.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: I like to use all-natural peanut butter, but whatever brand you use will be fine.
- Eggs: Eggs help give these bars some structure. You'll need two large eggs.
- Honey or Brown Sugar: Either sweetener works well.
- Vanilla: I always use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Baking Soda: You need a leavening agent to give it a good structure.
- Cinnamon: I like to use a hint of ground cinnamon to bring all the flavors together. If you don't have any on hand, it's okay not to use it.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: The oats provide that yummy, chewy texture. Please note not to use quick oats.
- Whole Wheat Flour: You can certainly use all-purpose white flour if you like.
- Dark or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional): I LOVE a good drizzle, and chocolate takes these bars to the next level.
Substitutions
- Coconut sugar for the brown sugar (or honey).
- Agave nectar or pure maple syrup for the brown sugar.
- Regular white flour for whole wheat flour.
- Crunchy peanut butter for the creamy peanut butter if that's all you have on hand.
- Dark chocolate for the semi-sweet chocolate morsels.
- Almond butter for the peanut butter.
Additions
- You can add 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed for additional nutritional value.
- You can add ½ cup of flaked coconut.
- ½ - 1 teaspoon of cinnamon is a nice addition for a little spice.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Making these tasty baked peanut butter bars is pretty darn easy. You likely have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry and can whip them up before the kids are home from school. Perfect!
One large bowl. One pan. One delicious snack!
- Prep: reheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper. (This will keep your bars from sticking and make them easy to remove.)
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add peanut butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and honey in a large mixing bowl. Stir well.
- Add Dry Ingredients & Place in Pan: Add your dry ingredients (oats, baking soda, cinnamon, flour) into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly and then press firmly into a baking pan.
- Bake: Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake your peanut butter oat bars for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool and Top: Finally, let them cool and top them with a drizzle of chocolate if you like! It's the best way. 🙂 Then cut into bars. Melt your chocolate morsels for 30-second intervals in the microwave until soft, then drizzle over the bars.
Tips & Tricks
- Sweetness: These Peanut Butter Bars with Oatmeal are not overly sweet. If you want a sweeter bar, you can add a bit more sugar. We find that adding a little drizzle of chocolate (dark or semi-sweet) gives them precisely what they need to please everyone!
- Oats: This recipe is best with old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant oats.
- Flour: If your family prefers regular flour, substitute whole wheat for regular flour. You can also use a combination of both.
- Texture: For chewier bars, underbake slightly; for crunchier bars, bake a bit longer.
- Make-Ahead: These bars keep for about 5 days, so they can be made at the beginning of the week and enjoyed all week long! You can also freeze your baked and cooled bars for up to 3 months.
TOP TIP
One of our readers suggests doubling the batch. They're that good!
Gluten-Free peanut butter oat bars
You can make this recipe gluten-free by omitting the whole wheat flour and increasing the oats to 2 cups. Just make sure the oats are certified gluten-free.
How to Store
Refrigerator: To store your oatmeal bars made with peanut butter, layer them between waxed paper in an airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
Bring back to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: You can also flash-freeze them and then freeze them in an airtight container for up to three months. Following our tips to prevent freezer burn, you'll be all set!
Recipe FAQs
If your peanut butter is too thick, you can microwave it for about 20-30 seconds to soften it, making it easier to mix with the other ingredients.
Yes, you can add protein powder to the bars. Add about ½ to 1 scoop of your favorite protein powder. You may need to adjust the amount of wet ingredients slightly to ensure the mixture isn't too dry.
You can use other nut or seed butters such as almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter. Ensure that the consistency is similar to peanut butter for the best results.
More Oatmeal Bars
Love this Peanut Butter Oat Bar recipe?
Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. I appreciate it!
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Printable Recipe
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup honey or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8x8 pan with parchment paper spray or with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, eggs, honey, and vanilla. Mix to combine. Stir in baking soda, cinnamon, old-fashioned oats, and whole wheat flour until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Place batter in the prepared pan and press the mixture into the pan's bottom in an even layer. Bake for 15-17 minutes. If you overcook it, it may get dry. Stick a toothpick into the center; it's done when it comes out clean.
- You can stop here or add a little chocolate topping. While bars cool on a wire rack, melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals until completely melted.
- Once your chocolate is melted, drizzle it over the top of the bars. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with enhanced instructions on March 23, 2020 and again on May 29, 2024.
Try These Peanut Butter Recipes
If you're a fan of Peanut Butter, definitely try these:
GF Peanut Butter Cookies
Crockpot Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Saltine Toffee
D.G. says
Too many variables. I'm sure the author has it down pat, but mine are dangerously dry. Recommend writing a hard-fast list of ingredients with no mention of substitutions . The moisture variants are too risky. An expensive mistake for me.
Ritika Gann says
I'm sorry to hear that. Can I ask what substitutions didn't work for you?
Molly says
Just curious, trying to figure out the nutrition on these - did anyone else find these not to be 16 servings per batch? Is it me - that seems super tiny!
Ritika Gann says
Hi Molly! I usually just cut these into 16 pieces, but I've also done only 9 pieces (totally up to your preference). Sometimes I'll use an online calculator like https://recipecard.io/ and enter in the ingredients and number of servings that works for me and my family and it'll give you all the nutritional facts. Hope that helps.
Erin Henry says
so good!
Christina says
These came out soooo good! And they were simple to make! Instead of the chocolate drizzle, we just tipped them with some apricot jam-mommy, daddy alsbd both kiddos gobbled them up. Do they freeze well?
Erin Henry says
What a yummy treat, Christina! We are so glad you and the family enjoyed them. Yes, they freeze well and are great for an easy snack!
Roger says
First time baking oatmeal bars. I am so happy I tried this recipe to start.
I used honey, pinch of brown sugar, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup mixed nut butter (almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia and flax seed), because we were out of P.B.
Absolute show stopper, this one is saved for all time! Low sweetness (mixed nut butter adds a touch of sweetness), not dry, not soggy, just perfect.
Beautifully delicious energy bar morning or night.
Looking forward to trying other recipes on suburbansimplicity.
Thank you!
Erin Henry says
We are thrilled you loved the recipe, Roger! It's one of our favorites and never disappoints. You are right, it's great to eat morning or night. Thanks for the 5-star review!
Kelly Hess says
Fantastic! We took these backpacking this weekend for breakfast. What a great way to start the day and they even stayed together in our packs. We mixed the chocolate chips in the batter for easier transportation. Thanks!
Erin Henry says
Perfect! They are a wonderful snack to take on the road. Glad you enjoyed them while backpacking!
Krissy Allori says
These are so good. I love that they are easy and so very tasty. I'll be making these again for sure.
Erin Henry says
This is definitely a great recipe to make again and again! Perfect for meal prep.
wilhelmina says
These bars are so dang yummy, we ate every single crumb! They are super easy to make also!
Erin Henry says
We love how easy this recipe is to make in one bowl and then one pan! Enjoy!
Laura Reese says
This recipe is amazing! We love this and will be making it again for sure.
Erin Henry says
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Laura!
Christine says
Do you think you could make the oats into oat flour? What about using coconut sugar in place of brown sugar?
Erin Henry says
You can definitely use coconut sugar in place of brown sugar. As far as making the oats into oat flour, I think it would change the consistency of the recipe and make it even denser, but we've never tried it.
Kayla says
Delicious! I made one pan so I could freeze them and take one to work each morning, but ended up eating the whole pan over the course of a couple days, so I had to make another pan.
Erin says
Yum! Kayla! So glad you enjoyed them so much. Thanks for letting me know...I love to hear from readers and recipe makers!
Marcelina says
I've made these a few times now, and I love them! Each serving is so filling, too! I enjoy a bar after a workout or as an afternoon snack. Definitely a great alternative to chocolate chip blondies or cookies if you are wanting a healthier "dessert" option.
Erin says
I like them after a workout too, Marcelina! Definitely healthier than cookies or something sugary. Enjoy in good health!
Deborah says
These are wonderful...made them just like the recipe. I doubled it and uses a 9x13 pan. If I'm going to go all the trouble to bake I never use a 8x8 so there is more to last longer.
Erin says
Such a good idea to double the batch, Deborah! Smart lady! I think I'll add that to the suggestions. Thanks!
Cindy says
just pinned, these look delicious!
Erin says
Thanks, Cindy! The kids love them and they have low sugar, so I call that a win 🙂