Nothing goes better for dessert at a casual backyard barbecue than bar cookies to accompany a bowl of good ice cream. But who has time to bake? The answer, of course, is You! It takes less than 10 minutes to put these chewy 10-minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars together and about 10 minutes for them to bake. These bars call for only five common ingredients, and those ingredients are most likely sitting on your pantry shelves, ready to be mixed.

Since these bars are so easy, they are great for kids to make. If the kids are small, make sure there is adult supervision, especially when using the microwave and the oven. (For more great hints on cooking with kids, visit Isabella Cooks and read Isabella’s Safe and Clean Cooking Rules with your children.)

These bars keep well at room temperature, so they can be made several days ahead. If making these bars at the last minute, the cooling can be rushed by placing the pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

32 bars

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups oats, preferably quick cooking, but any oats will do

1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.


2. Place the butter in a microwaveable container and cook on high power about 1 minute or until the butter is melted.


3. Stir in the brown sugar and the oats.


4. Press the mixture into a 9 x 13" baking dish.


5. Bake 10 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and lightly browned.


6. Remove from the oven to a cooling rack.


7. Meanwhile, while the bars are baking, mix the peanut butter and chocolate chips in a microwaveable container.


8. Microwave 1 minute.


9. Remove from the oven and stir until smooth.


10. Spread the mixture over the baked bars.


11. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill before cutting into 32 bars.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 161 Calories from Fat 93
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 57% Protein 7% Carb. 35%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 10 g
Saturated Fat 5 g
Cholesterol 16 mg
Sodium 61 mg
Total Carbohydrate 14 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 3 g

Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 4%