Peanut Butter Cookie Bars with Chocolate Frosting

Peanut butter and chocolate. Need I say more? Are you looking for a yummy dessert to feed a crowd? Try these delicious peanut butter cookie bars with chocolate frosting! I promise, you will get rave reviews and they will satisfy your peanut butter and chocolate craving, all at the same time.

My family and I spent this past weekend up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan at my son’s hockey tournament. The weather was a brisk, high of -20 and we spent the most of Saturday and Sunday cheering on the Petoskey Mites hockey team in the Kaines Ice Arena, an old school open air rink situated in the middle of Sault Ste. Marie. Being a hockey family, we travel a ton during hockey season and often spend weekends with our extended hockey ‘family’ cheering our kiddos. Most weekends are spent in hotels letting the kids run around and swim and after a long day of playing their hearts out in cold ice arenas. Being kids, pizza is often the main dinner of choice and we can often be seen taking over a hotel conference room during the evening and letting the kids run around while burning off extra energy. Having this second family and spending so much time together over the course of long 6 month seasons we share conversations, friendship and food. These yummy peanut butter cookie bars with chocolate frosting are great and made enough to share with over 20+ hungry, hockey kiddos, siblings and their parents. I’ll definitely be making these bars again before the end of these season!

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars Ingredients –

1 C. butter, softened to room temperature
1 C. sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 C. oatmeal
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 C. creamy peanut butter (divided)

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients –

1/2 C. butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 C. milk
1 ts. vanilla extract
3 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 C. powdered sugar

Directions –

#1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a large 1″ deep cookie/baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. My baking sheet was approximately 18″x13″.
#2. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of peanut butter with the 1 cup of softened butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and 2 eggs, mixing well.
#3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients: flour, oatmeal and baking soda, mixing well.
#4. Pour the peanut butter cookie mixture over the baking sheet and spread out evenly. I used my hands to gently spread and flatten the dough as needed to fill the entire sheet.
#5. Bake the cookie bars for about 15-17 minutes. The cookies will turn a light golden brown color.
#6. Remove from the oven and scoop the other 1 1/2 cups of creamy peanut butter onto the hot cookies. I dropped several spoonfuls at a time over the cookies and allowed it to begin melting from the heat. As it melts, gently spread it out over the top of the bars. Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the peanut butter to set.
#7. For the frosting, cream together the softened butter, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.
#8. Gently spread the chocolate frosting out on top of the peanut butter cookie bars.
#9. Let the frosting set up and then cut evenly into squares and enjoy with a large cold glass of milk.

If you try these, make sure to come back and let us know what you thought of them!