Peanut butter and butterscotch is such an awesome flavor combination, and so under-used.
One of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipes is in my cookbook and it’s a peanut butter-butterscotch cookie.
I was craving something with butterscotch so I made these easy, no-mixer, soft, chewy bars.
They begin like blondies with melted butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
Add peanut butter, flour, and quick-cook oats, which lend incredible texture and chewiness to the otherwise soft, buttery bars.
If you don’t typically buy quick-cook oats and only have old-fashioned whole rolled oats, simply pulse or blend the old-fashioned oats for about 10 seconds in your food processor or blender. Now you’ve got quick oats.
Before baking, sprinkle with butterscotch chips. The scent of melting butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and oats that wafts from the oven while the bars bake is positively intoxicating.
Bake the bars until the edges are slightly firm and the center has just set. It’s a little tricky to tell if the bars are done because the surface is covered in semi-melted butterscotch chips, but 25 minutes did the trick for me.
While the bars bake, make the frosting because it goes on right as the bars emerge from the oven. No waiting around for them to cool.
The peanut butter frosting is thick, luscious, and you’ll be tempted to eat the whole bowl during those 25 minutes while the bars bake.
The frosting sets up satiny smooth, creamy, and beautiful. I’m going to remember this frosting for other recipes because it’s so easy, the texture and taste are both wonderful, and it would be great on most any cake, muffin, banana bread, or cinnamon rolls.
The butterscotch flavor is prominent and really shines. Sweet with a bit of saltiness, caramely, and buttery. If you’re a fan of butterscotch, you’ll love these.
The bars taste much more complicated than the simple, everyday ingredients used. Love it when that happens.
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Peanut Butter Butterscotch Bars
Ingredients
Bars
- heaping 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup quick-cooking oats, not old-fashioned whole rolled
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ¾ cup butterscotch chips
Frosting
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup cream or milk, I used half-and-half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Bars – To the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer), add the peanut butter, butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed to cream, about 3 minutes.
- Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, oats, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute; don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle with butterscotch chips.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until edges are slightly firm and the center has just set. It’s a little tricky to tell if the bars are done because the surface is covered in semi-melted butterscotch chips, but a toothpick inserted in the center (if you can find a bare patch to test) should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. While bars bake, make the frosting.
- Frosting – To the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer), add the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, cream, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, satiny, and creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap; set aside.
- As soon as you pull bars from the oven, add the frosting (don’t wait for them to cool). Smooth the top lightly with a spatula or knife, and allow bars to cool completely in pan before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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DYING. Just DYING here. Do you realize I have not baked for 2 whole weeks? I still can’t get back in the kitchen until tomorrow and now I want all the peanut butter butterscotch things!!!!!! pinned of course.
Thanks for pinning and Ive been on a baking rampage. One of those cycles where I needed to get caught up and try to get ahead a little bit and have been churning out SO MUCH. I would gladly trade places with you. LOL Except getting new floors…well, that would not be fun in the MOMENT but holy gorgeous results!
These are perfect. I love the combo of peanut butter and butterscotch!
Obsessing over how amazing that pb frosting looks with these gorgeous bars. They look soo dense and rich! Um yeah, I kind of want to dive headfirst into a huge plate of these. :D Pinned!
Thanks for pinning and the frosting just turned out to be so darn good :) One of those got lucky moments!
I love that the bars have oats in them, such a nice touch! I’ve been wondering what to bake next and after some sort of boring, crumbly flourless PB cookies I think these will be fantastic. Who can say no to butterscotch?!
Crumbly flourless cookies, eh? Ok I have never had bad luck with these if you want to try them, or just try these bars :) https://www.averiecooks.com/peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookies/
I will, thanks! I should have known better than to try a PB recipe that wasn’t yours ;)
I think these bars look as perfect as bars could look. Holy cow! Love everything about them – the flavors, texture, frosting, etc. :)
You’re so sweet, Colleen, and thank you!
Two of my favorite things – peanut butter and butterscotch! Yummy! Gorgeous, Averie! :)
I luv butterscotch everything….especially butterscotch dip at dairy queen..if you’re extra nice they’ll double dip it..I’ve never had it with peanut butter and these look so good can’t wait to try…the chips never last in our house so I’ll need to get some.
I totally agree that peanut butter and butterscotch aren’t used together enough, and you created the perfect recipe to mesh them together! I love butterscotch and can’t wait to try these bars! Beautiful pictures, too, as always!
Glad you can relate to PB + butterscotch being a winning combo and thanks for the photo compliments!
That PB frosting alone makes me want to take these babies down!
LOVE butterscotch and PB together. I’m finishing up school right now things are really hectic, but I have a growing list of things I want to bake when it’s summer… this is definitely on the list!
And here’s to your year being done very soon! Amen for that, right :)
I TOTALLY agree that PB and butterscotch are underused, and SO GOOD. I can’t wait to face plant into these!
Ps I got to check out your cookbook and try your Sweet Cream Coffee Cake at BHF! SO AMAZING! Pinned! :)
You got me with that frosting. Gorgeous!
Thanks, Maryea!
I love PB and butterscotch and both go so well with oats. The frosting looks awesome–a nice thick layer (and so smooth too)! The bars sound like they hit quite a few flavor notes and they look so delicious…I always seem to want dessert for breakfast as I drool over your recipes with my morning coffee!
LOL with the dessert for breakfast comment and these bars were really unique. The oats, the butterscotch chips, lots of texture, and then the PB flavor in the bars and with the smooth frosting, it was lots of tastes/textures in one. Trying to do things I haven’t already done a million times, you know!
These bars look amazing! I love that peanut butter/butterscotch pairing :-)
Oh boy! I just love peanut butter and butterscotch! Butterscotch chips have only just appeared on the supermarket shelves fairly recently in Australia and I’m yet to bake with them. Perhaps this can be the first recipe I try! Yum!
Oh wow, they JUST appeared! Okay that’s crazy but good they finally did! It’s always interesting to hear what products are or aren’t available in other countries!
Oh my gosh, where can you get butterscotch chips in Australia?! I’ve just been to North America and brought back about 7 packets of butterscotch chips and am madly rationing them in my baking!!!
I’m loving the frosting! But you’re right. It’s going to be hard not to eat it up while the bars bake!
And since I have your book, I can personally attest to the greatness of those butterscotch/peanut butter cookies. Such a good blend of flavors!
You made those PB/butterscotch cookies? THAT’S AWESOME! God I loved those things. I remember remaking them a few times to get them just right and it’s been a few years now but I want them again :)