Peanut Butter Passion Bars

Some desserts get away with a light sweetness and an accent of fruit. Others are so rich and so sweet that that you might say they’re passionate about it. See example: Peanut Butter Passion Bars. These are a dessert bar that’s all about indulgence – just imagine layers of crunch, smooth and creamy peanut butter, and sweet melty chocolate. (In other words, so so delicious.) They’re not for the faint of heart but they’ll sure satisfy a sweet tooth in a bite or two.

I find that it’s hard to resist anything that has a crunchy, butter crust and guess how these start? You got it – crunchy, buttery crust. In this case, we’ve got oats, flour, butter, and brown sugar that are mixed together until crumbly.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add butter and mix in with your hands until crumbly.
3. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the oat mixture and press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until combined.
5. Pour peanut butter mixture over the oat layer and spread out evenly. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
6. Top with remaining oat mixture and press down lightly. Bake until edges are lightly golden, about 30 minutes.
7. Let cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!