Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your 9x13 inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper for easy removal later.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, firmly packed brown sugar, corn syrup, creamy peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer or a whisk to blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the quick-cooking rolled oats to the wet mixture. Stir well until the oats are fully incorporated and the mixture is thick and sticky.
- Gently fold in the semisweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips until evenly distributed throughout the oat mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Using a spatula, spread it evenly across the bottom, pressing it down firmly to create a compact layer.
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. The center may still look slightly soft, which is perfect for chewy bars!
- While the bars are baking, prepare the topping by melting the additional creamy peanut butter and semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth.
- Once the cookie bars are out of the oven, spread the melted peanut butter and chocolate mixture over the top. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and any additional peanut butter chips or chocolate chips, pressing them down gently into the warm topping.
- Allow the Candy Bar Cookie Bars to cool in the baking dish for at least 30 minutes before slicing into squares. For best results, refrigerate for a couple of hours to set the chocolate and peanut butter topping.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- If you want to keep them longer, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- For extended storage, freeze the bars in individual portions for up to 3 months.