Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
These delicious whole grain chocolate chip peanut butter bars are made with all real ingredients, and are as easy to make as mix, press, and bake. You can find even more easy cookies on the Simple Cookie Recipes page.
This chocolate chip peanut butter bars recipe fits all the requirements of a good cookie for my family: it’s quick, includes chocolate, is easy, all the ingredients are real, there’s chocolate, and they’re delicious.
Oh, did I mention chocolate twice? Our family leans toward that, so yeah. And when combined with peanut butter? Well, that’s even better.
But it’s also a bar cookie that I feel much better giving to my kids for a snack than any of those so-called “healthy” store granola bars (though when I want a truly healthy granola bar, I can use this chewy baked one or this no-baked version).
These chocolate chip peanut butter bars are made with whole wheat and oats, brown sugar, and butter. Compare that to the ingredients on pretty much any of the snack foods available today and I think it’s a clear winner. Real, whole food always trumps, and this recipe happens to be fast and easy, too – always a plus, right?
Let’s make some!
For the fourth year in a row I am joining Erin from The Speckled Palate for The Sweetest Season, a week-long cookie fest to get you ready for the holiday baking season. Click here or the image above to see a running list of all the yummy treats we’re all publishing this week!
Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Start by creaming butter and brown sugar (one commenter below used 2/3 cup maple syrup instead and said they turned out great, though I haven’t tried that yet). Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter, mix and then add the dry ingredients before mixing in the chocolate chips.
I used a combo of semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks in the photo above. You can choose to use either regular or pastry whole wheat flour, or even spelt flour.
Press the dough into a 13×9 inch baking pan. You can lightly grease the pan or line it with parchment like I do – it makes it super easy to lift the bars out in one piece to cut evenly.
TIP: you can reuse the parchment three or four times before tossing it (shredded) into the compost bucket!
After baking, place the pan on a rack to cool until just barely warm and then cut into 24 pieces.
Chocolate chip peanut butter bars are a great thing to take to potlucks and parties. They also freeze beautifully – just let cool and then transfer to airtight freezer baggies or containers. I’ve kept them up to six months in the freezer, taking just a few out at a time as we want them.
Preferably with a cup of hot tea or glass of milk!
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Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1-1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups whole wheat flour*
- 2 cups whole rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla until well blended.
- Add flour, oats, baking powder and salt. Beat until blended, scraping sides as needed. Mix in chocolate chips.
- Pat dough evenly in a parchment-lined or buttered 13x9-inch pan, using water to wet fingers in order to spread smoothly if needed.
- Bake until golden around the edges, 25 minutes. Let cool on a rack until just warm (about 20-30 minutes) and cut into 24 pieces.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container for a couple days at room temperature or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Easy Bar Cookies You May Like:
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Bars
Chocolate Topped Oatmeal Bars (Gluten & Dairy Free)
Whole Wheat Blackberry Crumb Bars
This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in April of 2010.
Had this at a gathering. My mouth waters when I think of it. Delicious!
My family is all about chocolate, too, so I have a feeling these bars would be a smashing hit in our house! Also, there’s nothing like a homemade bar cookie like this to have on hand, especially during this season.
Thanks, again, for joining in on the fun of this year’s Sweetest Season, Jami! Your recipes sound amazing, and I cannot wait to try them!
Does it matter if they are quick oats or old-fashioned?
I think both would work, though I only use rolled “old fashioned.”
Thanks for this recipe -they are absolutely delicious, melt in the mouth, really easy to make and even..dare I say it…relatively healthy!
Oh, thanks Jeanne for following up- I think I will try the maple syrup next time, it sounds good!
Jami-
sorry it has taken me so long to get back . . .
My kids loved these “granola bars”.
I soaked my oats, dried them at low temp and then whirled them up in the blender. I used about 2/3 cup pure maple syrup instead of sugar. The bars turned out great.
Thanks!!
I should have mentioned that we make these with Sunbutter instead of peanut butter due to d.d.’s allergy – but works peachy! Just have to use a half the baking soda so the cookies don’t turn green (something to do with the alkaline balance of sunbutter v. baking soda)
Rebekah- Wow- ok, you’ve got me beat. 🙂 And they are a pretty healthy snack with protein, good fat, whole grain, and dark chocolate, even a slightly more healthy sugar (sucanat), so DO feel good about it!
This is the 3rd time this week we’ve made these cookies – I’m in love with this recipe!!! Mostly I like that it only takes 2 c. flour because I grind my own whole wheat and I can only do about 2 cups at a time before my arms give out, lol! 🙂 Plus, I feel like this is kind of a healthy cookie/snack for my 5 kids who practically inhale them. Thanks Jami!!!
I made these yesterday. Delicious! 🙂
I am going to try making them with maple syrup sometime in the next few days. I have never added more flour, but you do cut the amount of sweetener way back. I let you know what I discover. I am also going to soak the oats in a little bit of whey. I let you know what I discover!
Also I have been making sourdough bread for about a month now your post on sourdough/ artisan bread got me started. I make it artisan style if I am serving it for dinner. And just this week I plopped into a regular bread pan for sandwich bread. My kids loved it!
Jenelle- The other peanut butter bars are more of what I think of a true dessert compared to these- more rich and therefore only once-in-a-while… well, that’s the goal! 🙂
Jeanne- I’ve not tried a liquid sweetener with them before. I’m not experienced with substituting these, though I know there is some formula (less honey, more flour?). Let me know if you try it!
Looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
These look so tempting!! yumm!
These look great! I’ll be trying them soon.
I am out of both whole wheat flour and sucanat, but these will be made as soon as I go to the store.
Do you think you could use honey or maple syrup instead?? thanks!
Definately will be using the parchment paper idea!
Wow! Those look amazing!
These look great, and I 100% agree with you about the store bought granola bars.
I’m doing a bunch of baking on Sunday so maybe I’ll just add these to the list.
How do these compare to your other peanut butter chocolate bar cookie? My family absolutely loves those!