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+ servings
a piece of peanut butter & jelly oat bar with a bite removed to show the strawberry jam
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5 from 2 votes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars have the flavors of a classic childhood sandwich with a twist! These easy homemade bars start with a peanut butter oat base that gets topped with a quick homemade strawberry jam and topped with a peanut butter oat crumble. Sweet and nutty, these peanut butter and jam bars make a great dessert bar or a sweet breakfast treat.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Rest Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 9
Calories: 485kcal

Equipment

  • Food processor, blender, nutribullet
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
  • 8x8 inch square pan

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats divided
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup peanut butter creamy, non natural
  • ½ cup + 2 T unsalted butter room temperature
  • ½ cup light brown sugar 100g
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 2 cups strawberries sliced
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup strawberry jam or preserves
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Begin by preparing the strawberry layer. Hull and slice the strawberries, then add them to a saucepan over medium heat with the sugar. Stir occasionally and mash them down as the juices develop.
    2 cups strawberries, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Once the strawberries are sufficiently broken down and juicy, mix together the corn starch and water, then add to the cooked strawberries. Allow it to bubble for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat and stir in the jam.
    1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water, ¼ cup strawberry jam or preserves
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease and parchment line (with overhangs so it's easy to remove) an 8×8 inch square baking pan.
  • In a food processor, pulse ¾ cups of the rolled oats until they become smaller. Sand texture is too fine, but you definitely want to break them down a bit.
    1 cup rolled oats
  • Combine the flour, ground oats, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
    1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a handheld mixer), beat the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until incorporated, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
    1 cup peanut butter, ½ cup + 2 T unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • Add ¾ of the mixture to the prepared pan and press down evenly into all corners and sides. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While the base is baking, combine the leftover ¼ of the base mixture with the remaining ¼ of whole rolled oats and bring it together with a fork. You will have to break up the mixture a bit, but you want to keep the pieces crumbly.
  • Spread the strawberry jam layer over the base, then sprinkle the oat crumble overtop of the strawberry layer.
  • Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the crumble top gets slightly golden.
  • Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then remove and cut into 9 or 16 pieces.

Notes

Store the bars covered at room temperature for 3 days. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store for up to 2 months. To eat, remove the plastic wrap and allow the bars to thaw at room temperature on a plate. 

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 427mg | Potassium: 327mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 345IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg