Oatmeal bars with a caramel flavored peanut butter topping. A big hit at pot-lucks! Very rich, also!
SOOOOOO good! I had half a can of sweetened condensed milk to use up, and I'm so glad I found this recipe! I did a half-batch and I pretty much followed the recipe... Although I didn't measure the peanut butter, just put a huge spoonful of it in the milk. Oh, and a hint: It's much easier to mix the milk/PB-mix and spread it over the crust if you heat it in the microwave for 15 or 30 seconds. Then in blends really easily and it's pretty simple to smooth over the base. I also pressed down on the top crust a little to make sure it would not fall apart. Wonderful! I lined the 8" pan with foil, sprayed it, and it was simple to remove and cut the bars. Thanks, Sue, I LOVE this recipe!
Read MoreThese were good, but a little too rich for my liking. I used a full bag of chocolate chips..(I'm not sure if that's more than 2 cups), but it was way too much. The chocolate overpowered everything else and made these sickly sweet. I did like the crust. It had a good flavor and I loved the oatmeal in it. Would probably only use half a bag of chocolate chips next time.
Read MoreSOOOOOO good! I had half a can of sweetened condensed milk to use up, and I'm so glad I found this recipe! I did a half-batch and I pretty much followed the recipe... Although I didn't measure the peanut butter, just put a huge spoonful of it in the milk. Oh, and a hint: It's much easier to mix the milk/PB-mix and spread it over the crust if you heat it in the microwave for 15 or 30 seconds. Then in blends really easily and it's pretty simple to smooth over the base. I also pressed down on the top crust a little to make sure it would not fall apart. Wonderful! I lined the 8" pan with foil, sprayed it, and it was simple to remove and cut the bars. Thanks, Sue, I LOVE this recipe!
this recipe is excellent and so easy! they look great too. next time i will try white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. if you slightly heat the condensed milk + peanut butter mixture in the microwave, it helps to ease the spreading over the oatmeal base.
All I can say about these bars is run to your kitchen and make them now, especially if you love PB & Chocolate together :o) I followed the directions to a "T" and these turned out awesome! Everyone who tried them loved them. I did line my pan with foil so the bars lifted out easier to cut. I stored mine in the fridge.
OMG! These are incredible! I didn't have any sweetened condensed milk on hand so I looked up a subsitute and it was fantastic, better even than canned sw. cond. milk. 2 eggs, 2 Tbl flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 cup br. sugar, and 1/2 tsp Baking powder. (Who'd have thought that you could make your own sweetened condensed milk?) Thanks so much for the recipe! It's a keeper!
SOOOO GOOOOOD! I only used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips because I didn't want to make the chocolate overpowering. They came out perfect. I've tried them a few times, and they always come out a little better and softer when I bake them in a glass pan instead of a metal one. I've also used peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips. MMMMMmmm...
Wow. These are really good and not too sweet. My young kids gobbled these up, and I have to say my hubby and I were right there with 'em!! I didn't measure the choc chips, just added to coat the pan. Also added a handful or 2 of white chips. I didn't have all the peanut butter it called for, which didn't matter. The peanut butter and cond. milk aren't hard to mix at all..just a little elbow grease. :) The recipe calls for you to allow them to cool before cutting them, but I had to try them out of the oven and I think they would be awesome warm with vanilla ice cream! I will definately keep this recipe. Thank you so much!!
I have made these several times; they seem to work for me everytime. I make sure, however, not to bake them too long. This will definitely leave that burnt chocolate chip aftertaste. Watch your oven, and these will definitely be a hit!
these are so darned good! I didn't change anything except I don't use instant oats; I like the bigger flakes of oats that the old-fashioned rolled oats provides. Never fails to amaze me how people will rate a recipe less stars because they are 'rich' or 'too sweet'; all one has to do is look at ingredients to realize yes, they have ingredients that produce a rich dessert bar but oh so good. Didn't have a problem mixing the milk and pb-just a few whips with the wisk and it was incorporated. Used a glass pan and no sticking at all; 30 min. was perfect. *TIP* to avoid browning of morsels or pb mixture, refrain from spreading to the edges of pan. I had no problems. thanks for this quick and easy recipe. love it.
These were good, but a little too rich for my liking. I used a full bag of chocolate chips..(I'm not sure if that's more than 2 cups), but it was way too much. The chocolate overpowered everything else and made these sickly sweet. I did like the crust. It had a good flavor and I loved the oatmeal in it. Would probably only use half a bag of chocolate chips next time.
These were good although too sweet for my taste. I made the prep easier by using a food processor to make the oat mixture. Then after reserving part and pressing the rest into the pan, I used the processor again to mix the peanut butter & condensed milk. Altogether less than 10 min prep time.
Fantastic and easy. Cut them into very small squares, as they are decadently rich and a bite or two goes a long way--but that's probably because I added a cup of coconut (sprinkled it atop the peanut butter mixture before sprinkling the chocolate chips), and doubled the chocolate chips. They are very gooey, so I store them in the refrigerator after baking. I've added this recipe to my Christmas cookie list for the future!
This is sooo good! I cooked it for 30 min. then turned off the oven and let it sit in there for about 10 min. Came out PERFFECT! The neighbor said he would pay me to make him a whole pan! LOL!!
I almost gave this recipe only four stars because I believe that more butter is needed to avoid crumbling...the last time I made these, I used a full cup of butter (gasp) and they turned out to be just perfect. They cut easily, and made nice firm bars. Everyone who eats these falls in love with them - it is the peanut butter/condensed milk filling that makes them rise above any other confection of this type. You only need one small bar at a time, because they are very rich, but they are oh so good. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Update: I have started selling my baked goods at a local farmer's market and these are the absolute favorites. I sell out every week. I love to watch people's faces as they bite into the small samples I provide - if they taste them, they must have more. Thank you, Sue!
Easy! Great taste! Followed the recipe exactly as written, then added coconut and dried cranberries for an extra boost. We have made these 4 times now and this is on our list of favorites!
These bars are good, but really sweet and a little bit gooey...I followed other reviewers' suggestions and I microwaved the milk/peanut butter mixture long enough to make it easier to spread (about 30-40 seconds). Even after microwaving, I found that it still would pick up the crumb crust when spreading, but that didn't matter much. Before making the bars, I lined my pan with aluminum foil, which made it a lot easier to pull it out of the pan and cut into bars when it was cool. After cutting into bars, I'd recommend storing these in either the fridge or freezer because they can be a little messy since even after cooling, the bars are rather soft and gooey. I chose to put them into a tupperware container in the freezer. When I wanted to eat one, I would pull one out, let it thaw for about 5 minutes and would eat it cold/frozen. I found that I actually liked them better that way. Overall, I'd say this recipe is a winner. It's quick and easy, I usually have the ingredients on hand, and it is a nice treat for a sweet tooth.
This is a rich but excellent dessert. Three things that I love wrapped into one delicious bar. The combination of oatmeal, peanut butter and chocolate chips was great. Took to work to share and was well received and as usual... requests for the recipe. I would suggest to use a fresh can of Sweetened condensed milk because it can get even thicker if you have had it a while. I also added about 1/2 tsp. vanilla to the milk/peanut butter mix. I also used my fingers to help spread it on top of the pressed mix. Everyone raved and that is why it gets a 5 star. Not just the consensus of one or a few. Thanks for sharing this recipe Sue!
These get five stars from my family. Very good and easy to make. I used regular oats instead of quick and I did heat the peanut butter & condensed milk together in the microwave for about half a minute to make them easier to combine. I also only used about half a cup of chocolate chips as other reviewers had done & found it was plenty. All in all a good new cookie that I will make again.
These are fabulous! I have made them twice now and have not been disappointed! I did find the peanut butter mixture a little hard to spread over the crust so I sprayed my spreader with a little cooking oil and it made it a lot easier. Can't wait to make these again!
I made these heavenly passion bars this past Sunday to send to school for a Thank You/Good bye present for my daughters teachers. One girl said they were the best she ever had, better than any brownie. I altered the recipe slightly..using dark chocolate m&m's..in pastel colors.. we had left from Easter, in place of the semi- sweet chips. They turned out so cute and springing looking. As with any bar recipe, the outside edge always turns out a bit more crunchy than the middle so I trimmed off an inch around the edge of the pan after it cooled. I save the edges in the freezer to eat as an yummy ice cream topper later. This recipe is soo easy. You must try it!!
I am pretty passionate about the taste of these bars! I followed the recipe with the exception of making this in a tart pan & springform pan and I used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet. This recipe has a strong blend of salty and sweet. I didn't know what to expect, but I am extremely pleased with the end result.
Not overly peanut butterly. You only need a small piece. They are rich. Will make again.
Not crazy about this. It's too dry and def not sweet enough. I thought there would be a stronger caramel taste but I was sadly mistaken. I bake often and have made bars many times in the past couple of days and all have been great except this one. Hopefully some ice cream will save this.
Followed the directions and used the same ingredients except I only had mini chocolate chips and used 1/2 cup and used crunchy peanut butter. Had to use more of the oat crumble on the bottom and had a some what difficult time spreading the peanut butter mixture on the crust since it kept lifting crust up. It started to burn at 25 mins. and I took it out of the oven. The edges were pretty chewy & crunchy. The middle was still soft, which tasted much better than the sides. It's rich and super sweet. Next time, I will need to watch it after 20 mins. so it won't too crunchy & chewy or lower the temperature.
These were phenomenal! My family loved them warm and room temp. I followed the recipe exactly. I did have trouble spreading the peanut butter mixture too, and I will try warming it next time for a few seconds in the microwave, because I will be making them again.
these were just so so for me. I love salt and for me I thought they were salty. and dry too. not a fav. hubby didn't care for them and I was sure he would like them.but he did take them to his card party and they all seemed to like them
YUMMMMMY! Definitely cut and eat these after they are completely cooled as the peanut butter and condensed milk layer doesn't set properly before then. I've made these for several events at work and everyone went crazy over them. I saw one man go back to the plate 4 times.
Yummy! Easy to make. I followed the recipe, but heaped the chocolate chips. Great peanutbutter and chocolate flavors, nice crust. Great recipe.
A little too messy and "oaty" for little hands but the flavor is good. Unlike other reviewers, I think I would have preferred more chocolate chips ( I only used 1 cup)
These were just alright. I made them as written and although I like peanut butter, it just didn't work well for me in this recipe. Maybe more of a carmel layer as opposed to a peanut butter flavored layer would have been better.
Not bad, but not my favorite recipe. My family turned their noses up, but I ate on them for a few days for something sweet to eat. I cooked them for 25 minutes, and they were overcooked. Since this is not a recipe you can really tell when they're ready, I had to depend on the directions, and at 25 minutes it looked like they were getting browner than I like. Anyway, it was worth a try.
Rich, soft, gooey...you can't go wrong with this one! Followed the recipe exactly except went scant on the chocolate chips (which were mini) and used margarine instead of butter.
My initial reaction to these was...meh...but then I found myself going back to them again and again so I guess they were better than I thought! My husband thought they were great. If I were to make again, I'd use half chocolate chips, half butterscotch chips as that is just a personal preference but I wanted to make the recipe as stated first. Also, the topping/crust was a little crumbly. I think using cold butter would help combat this as the softened butter clumped into big chunks and didn't spread throughout all the dry ingredients. Cold butter cut into pea size pieces and then worked into the mixture would combat that problem, I think.
These turned out very good. I know a few folks commented about being "too sweet" but I think that happens if you use too many choc chips. I only used what the recipe called for - 1 cup... not dumping an entire bag in.
Followed recipe as stated but used food processor for oat mixture and to mix sweetened cond. Milk with the peanut butter. Made for easy cleanup!
I was looking for a dessert recipe other than the usual brownies or cookies to bring to a picnic. Boy am I am so glad I came across this recipe because these bars were not only FANTASTIC but super easy to prep and bake! I slipped a gallon storage bag over my hand to mix the crust ingredients by hand and also used it when pressing it down into the greased foil lined pan. I did find the need to warm the milk and peanut butter for easier stiring and pouring. The end result on the sweetness scale for me was just perfect. Much to my surprise the s/c milk and peanut butter did create a subtle caramel flavor peanut butter taste. BTW there were lots of brownies and cookies still left on the table but these were all gone. :)
I don't think that I would make these bars again, they turned out good following the recipe as shown, but I thought the taste was kind of disappointing.
These were so simple and so delicious! Followed exactly, and wouldn't change a thing. Made them for thanksgiving, and am considering making again for Christmas! If there's any doubt- go ahead and make them. You will not be disappointed!
Absolutely delicious. I made them just as directed and they were perfect. I took them to church and I had so many compliments and several asked for the recipe. THIS ONE IS A WINNER!
Won't be making these again. I LOVE the pb/chocolate combo but these were truly disappointing. I almost doubled the PB and still could barely taste it. Also bake time was too long.
Wow! Yummy! I only had dark brown sugar. I would have preferred light. definitely gives a darker flavor but still very tasty. I will be baking again very soon and will experiment with other flavors of chips as other bakers have suggested. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
I made these exactly as written and they turned out heavenly! Everyone loved them! Yes, they are sweet. But, oh so delicious!
We liked this recipe, and it was pretty easy to make. I think nuts would make a nice addition to it - peanuts, pecans, or almonds.
this is a delicious, very versatile recipe. I would also call it very forgiving because I actually forgot to put in the baking soda and it still came out just fine! I made it with 1/2 a cup peanut butter chips and 1/2 a cup semi sweet chocolate chips and it was really good. Any kind of chip combination or substitution would work on this I think (or even no chips at all!) plus the addition of cocounut and or nuts would I'm sure work as well. I used old fashioned oats as they were all I had on hand but pulsed them a bit in my food processor to make them more like quick oats. Worked great. I was worried when I took it out of the oven after 30 minutes that I'd over-cooked them as the sides looked pretty brown thru the glass pan, but as it turned out it was perfect. They wouldn't have held together if I'd cooked any less time.
We liked this alot, but we both would have preferred a few less chocolate chips. Other than that, and the pb mixture being hard to spread (should have microwaved it for a few seconds) it was easy to make and had nice flavor and texture.
Great recipe. So easy to throw together. I'll make sure to always have a can of sweetened condensed milk in my pantry so this can be a go-to last minute dessert b/c, otherwise, I always have all of the other ingredients on hand. I will definitely try warming the PB/milk mixture before spreading next time b/c it was difficult to spread. It kept bringing up the oat crust with it. These bars are great warm with ice cream on them too. But, equally yummy cooled and by themselves.
These are delicious and easy! Next time I will microwave the peanut butter/sweetened condensed milk mixture a bit so that it will spread better.
These were really crumbly, not sure if they are supposed to be or if I did something wrong. They tasted OK, but nothing special. To spread the peanut butter mixture onto the crust was difficult but I finally just sprayed my hand with cooking spray & that worked great.
Rich and delicious! I used whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and you couldn't tell at all that they were a "healthier" version. I thought it would be prettier to put the chocolate chips on top but they fall off when you're serving/eating them.
I followed the recipe exactly and they were wonderful. Whoever dreamed this up is amazing because oats, chocolate, caramel and peanut butter are my 4 favorite food groups. I had to hide them from myself.
My entire family absolutely loved this recipe. Make them - you won't be disappointed!
Delicious. But I find these a tad too sweet. Maybe I'll use less sugar next time.
My family all loved this recipe. I will be making these again. Thank you for sharing your recipe Sue!
This was good, I doubled the filling amount (milk & brown sugar) and it was very rich and chewy. My company loved it, and I thought it was just ok, peanut butter isn't my thing, my girlfriend wouldn't leave till I gave her the recipe.
These are sooo good! I keep going back and cutting off little slivers at a time. For some reason, when I went to the store, I thought the recipe had coconut in it, so I bought it. I realized that it didn't, but added it to the crust anyways. I think they would be great without it as well. Top was a little crumbly, so I might add a little more butter next time, or just press the top down like another reviewer suggested.
Absolutely wonderfun exactly as is! I may try milk chocolate and maybe per another reviewer coconut next time, but they were definately great as the recipe is too! Thank you!
Took these to a bakesale and they were the only ones to sell out and everyone was requesting that I make them again.
This is definitely a peanut butter lover's delight. The peanut butter taste was overpowering. I basically just tasted the oatmeal and peanut butter. I couldn't really taste the chocolate and I definitely didn't taste the sweetened condensed milk. This is not a sweet dessert at all. Bars were ready in 25 minutes. The peanut butter/milk mixture was a pain to spread even after nuking it for 30 seconds. My kids ate for breakfast with a glass of milk and my husband and I had it with coffee. If you are not a fan of sweet desserts and you love peanut butter, this recipe is for you. We weren't crazy about it.
I took these to work one day, and everyone asked for the recipe. So tasty and chewy. Thanks!
Incredible!!! Anything but boring, and it tastes like it's SO much work... but it's not!
These bars are tasty, and I highly recommend them to anyone who has an obsession for peanut butter.
A little too sweet/rich for me, but I think most people would like this. I thought the p-nut butter/milk layer was too much. If I make these again I'd either only use half of the mixture or use less p-nut butter.
I followed this receipt just as is - delicious, especially if you like sweets and peanut butter. It's a great way to make a snack with whole oats. They were very good after we let them cool, but we actually preferred them cold and chewy out of the refrigerator. My teenage ate half the pan in one night. I used the tip about slighty heating the peanut butter and condensed milk in the microwave before spreading and it definitely made it easier to spread.
Oh wow. This was amazing. Chocolate, peanutbutter, & oatmeal goodness. Easy to make-very little prepwork. I halved the recipe & used a 9x9, and ppl are going to be sad I didn't make the full 9x13. Will make again.
Thsee bars are good, but not excellent. There are just too many bar recipes with oatmeal in them that are for sure 5 star recipes. My family also liked them and they will get eaten.
these are a very decadent and rich dessert bar that my kids are currently obsessed with. i think it could be made better with a few improvements, including doubling the crust recipe, which as written struggles to cover the bottom of a 9x13. i also made it ith a full cup of PB and think it could even stand to have some more. all in all a very simple bar to make, and because it's so rich and best served in smaller pieces, it lasts more than a day around my house!
Wow, these are awesome! I made them tonight for the first time and everyone loved them! The only change I made was to use milk chocolate chips instead of semisweet (personal preference). They're very rich so go easy on the size of the bars cut, and they're oh so good! Thanks Sue!!
these are wonderful! I have been making them in a bakery, and they are selling out all the time. I do double the recipe so the slices are thicker.
These were delicious. I used Spelt Flour instead of AP flour as I'm allergic to wheat, but am able to eat Spelt flour even though it's a derivative of wheat. I got rave reviews. Do wait for them to cool completely - they are WAY too rich when they're even slightly warm. Also, cut into small pieces, they're incredibly rich! This recipe is a keeper!!
I am not much of a baker, but thought I could manage these. They were wonderful! I used a glass dish and baked 25 min.
I followed the recipe exactly. The crust was crumbly and I thought the bars tasted a little salty. My daughter agreed.
These bars are fantastic. In addition to being delicious, I enjoy the contrasting crunchiness of the oatmeal and the gooiness of the PB/condensed milk mixture. The top was not packed down enough, and the end result was a lot of crumbs everywhere. This should be fixed by packing down more before baking, and perhaps adding more butter. Will definitely make again!
Soooo good!!! Incredibly rich and sweet, so if you want a light dessert this isn't it. Anyone who likes peanut butter and chocolate will love this.
I give these bars 5 stars for flavor, 4 for assembly. I should have followed other reviews that said to heat up the peanut butter-condensed milk mixture, because I had a lot of trouble spreading it on the bottom crust. The crust was also pretty crumbly, but that could have been because I used rolled oats, not quick oats. I used plenty of chocolate chips and they tasted so good! Not too rich for us!
Bars are delicious. Next time, I think I'd use a little less flour/oats or a little more butter to help cut back on the crumbs, but otherwise excellent!
There are absolutely FANTASTIC! I followed the recipe to a "T" and they turned out wonderful. Creamy peanut butter center, yummy chocolate chips with a crumbly top? What's not to love about that! I'm making them for a cookie exchange next week and I'm positive they will be a big hit.
Didnt change a thing, excellent. Everyone loved, will make over and over. Such simple ingredients that I always have on hand.
These were awesome! I made them exactly as is and used chunky natural peanut butter...sooo good!!
Good recipe. I used mini choc chips. Heated the peanut butter and sweet cond milk to make it easier to mix. Baked for exactly 30 min. In order to make these better if I make them again I'd 1) add the topping before the choc chips and press it down a bit, as the topping fell off with each bite 2) Use regular choc chips cause I just think they'd make for a better texture 3)Add some nuts or maybe use crunchy peanut butter. All in all good and remind me of magic cookie bars (but not as good).
I made this yesterday afternoon and half the batch is eaten already! Needless to say, we’re enjoying the heck out of it. I followed the recipe exactly (which is a rarity for me), and it was so easy to assemble and came out perfectly with 30 min. baking time. As someone else here recommended, microwave the evaporated milk/peanut butter mixture for about 20 seconds to make it easier to spread onto the oatmeal crust.
These were perfect for a family party. They are however very rich, and the next time I make them, and there will be many more times, I will cut them in little bites. Thanks for a GREAT recipe.
Unless I did something wrong, the oatmeal part needs to be changed. It was good and interesting, very rich and people liked them but I was disappointed. The middle peanutbutter fudge part was pretty good. I'll add more peanutbutter, maybe use a different oatmeal cookie recipe, and cook the bottom oatmeal cookie layer about 8 minutes next time I try it.
Absolutely fabulous recipe. I wouldn't change a thing. I have had nothing but compliments on this recipe. A diffinite keeper.
