Caramel Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Caramel and peanut butter give these oatmeal bars a delicious flavor. Sweet and salty in every single bite.
Caramel and peanut butter give these oatmeal bars a delicious flavor. Sweet and salty in every single bite.
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup quick oats
- for the glaze
- 1/3 cup caramel topping
- 1 cup caramel filled chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons caramel topping
- coarse ground sea salt
- Carbohydrate 31.0843036240325 g
- Cholesterol 20.5715277907186 mg
- Fat 10.7866050765202 g
- Fiber 2.33407633139245 g
- Protein 3.13795007057694 g
- Saturated Fat 5.48664868410024 g
- Serving Size 1 1 bar (89g)
- Sodium 1245.29296866085 mg
- Sugar 28.7502272926401 g
- Trans Fat 0.851469451823408 g
- Calories 220 calories
Step-by-step
- Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg, vanilla, peanut butter, and caramel and beat again.
- Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir together the glaze ingredients until creamy. Spread over the hot bars. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Let cool completely. Cut into 24 bars.
Stretching expensive baking staples across twenty-four servings requires precise measuring, particularly when balancing three distinct sugars against dense fats. Softened butter creamed properly with granulated sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar creates the structural aeration needed before introducing heavy peanut butter. Adding quick oats rather than rolled oats ensures a finer crumb that holds together without crumbling into dust upon slicing.
Adapting for Dietary Needs
Replacing dairy butter with a solid plant-based margarine maintains the required fat ratio for the dough structure without altering the 350 degree oven temperature. Standard all-purpose flour converts reliably to a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend, though adding an extra quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum prevents the bars from becoming overly crumbly during the five-minute cooling window. Dairy-free chocolate chips substitute seamlessly for caramel-filled varieties, allowing the separate caramel topping to provide the necessary sweetness profile.
- Bake precisely for 24 minutes until edges turn golden, avoiding longer heat exposure that hardens the caramel chips.
- Spread the glaze over the hot bars immediately after the initial five-minute rest to encourage proper absorption.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days to preserve moisture.
