The Inspiration.
This recipe for chocolate peanut butter swirl bars is inspired and brought to you by my very own mom, Sandra. Whenever I think of these bars, I’m always taken back to mom’s kitchen.
My mom is truly an inspiration as a cook and a mom. Not a day passed that mom didn’t have breakfast, lunch, or supper, including any sort of snacks or desserts for all of us.
I can’t even begin to imagine the number of meals (and dishes!) that have been made in that kitchen.
Mom has always prided herself in being able to whip up a meal or a quick dessert in a matter of minutes. These bars are just one example of a recipe ready in minutes.
The Masterpiece.
With quick prep and bake time, the Swirl Bars are perfect if you’re crunched for time after work or rushing off to church potluck, and will definitely be a win with any chocolate and peanut butter fans!
To begin these scrumptious bars, I first cream together the butter and both types of sugars.
If you’re looking for a good arm workout, I highly recommend mixing the butter and sugars together by hand!
However, if you’re looking to speed up this process, any sort of mixer works great. Personally, I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I think that machine has to got to be one of the greatest time savers in the kitchen ever invented!
READ MORE: Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
Once the peanut butter oatmeal crust is baked, these bars come together so quickly!
After sprinkling the chocolate chips over the warm crust, the peanut butter mixture can be prepared.
You’ll be able to tell when the chocolate chips are ready to be spread over the crust when they appear glossy/shiny or if you just touch them and they’re melty!
The peanut butter can be spread over the top and swirled in any direction then after spreading the chocolate evenly over the crust.
And there you have it! The bars are ready to be enjoyed at this point!
Growing up, and even to this day, these are my all-time FAVORITE bars!
Between the moist peanut butter and oatmeal crust to the perfect balance of melted dark chocolate and peanut butter on top, the chocolate swirl bars are a great match for anybody with a sweet tooth!
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-The Farmer’s Wife-
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter or margerine, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Peanut Butter Topping
- 1-2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2-4 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy. About 2 minutes. I love using my Kitchen Aid Artisan Mixer for this. It saves my arm and some time!
- Add in egg and 1/3 cup peanut butter. Mix until combined.
- Stir in baking soda, salt, and flour. Making sure everything is mixed well. Fold in oatmeal and vanilla, creating a soft dough.
- Spread dough for crust into a 9"x13" pan. Bake crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned at edges and on top.
- After crust is baked, sprinkle with 1-2 cups of dark chocolate chips. Let chocolate chips soften on the warm crust for about 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate chips evently across the crust.
- Mix powdered sugar, milk, and 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter together until smooth. Drizzle peanut butter mixture over melted chocolate chip layer.
- Spread peanut butter layer in with a butter knife, creating a swirled effect with the chocolate layer.
- Let bars cool and then cut. Store in an airtight container up to a week.
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