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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Hi Averie, Hope you are well.
So last night I was in my kitchen with a bag of butterscotch chips, but also wishing I could bake them with peanut butter somehow. I couldn’t find anything on the net so I reluctantly put away my baking mood.
But in the morning I check your site, and to my amazement there is this recipe. It’s actually like you specifically made this with me in mind!
I am SO gonna make this. :D
P.S. I know I don’t comment here that much, but I check this site out everyday drooling over your stunning photos. I have recently made your chocolate chip cookies (with the pudding mix) and the huge cookie [pie] which had m&ms in it. Both were hits.
Take care
So glad to hear you’ve made the CCCs with pudding mix, the Cookie Pie, and now you have this recipe for your butterscotch chips – what perfect timing :)
These bars are so you and I love the PB frosting!
Peanut butter and butterscotch is such an awesome combo…one that gets overlooked all the time. Your bars look amazing! Isn’t that peanut butter frosting the best? I used a very similar one on my Peanut Butter bars last month. It’s creamy and delicious and makes you want to sit in the closet with the bowl :-)
I am not surprised that you used a similar frosting. We seem to be on a very similar wavelength lately :) And yes, soooo good. I wanted to just go to town on that stuff!
These look so good, Averie! Butterscotch and PB – love the combo!! Pinned!
Thank you, Anna!
Oh my goodness these look good! I can just imagine myself having one with a big glass of almond milk! Can’t wait to veganize this recipe!
And I don’t think it will be THAT hard. The only thing is just sourcing some vegan butterscotch chips, use Earth Balance for the butter, and you could do a flax egg. Pretty easy I hope!
My mouth is literally watering just thinking about this. Peanut butter + butterscotch is out-of-this-world, so I imagine these bars are INSANE. Must make them as soon as possible!
I love anything with peanut butter! These look so amazing and I like how you also used butterscotch!
Ooppps… Just caught myself drooling all over my screen! These peanut butter butterscotch bars look addictive! I love thaaaat layer of butterscotch chips and that peanut butter frosting is calling my name!!!!!
I believe butterscotch and oats are just meant to be together. Add in PB and I’m sure it’s just pure bliss! Grogeous bars Averie!
I want your latest toffee bars! Between these and those, we’d be set if we met for coffee :)
These bars look delicious! I usually only keep rolled oats around, so I’ll have to pull out my food processor. I don’t usually make butterscotch flavored desserts, so these will be great for something new. I’ll probably skip the frosting (blasphemy I know!!) but I just don’t care for frosting my my brownies and bars.
Peanut butter and butterscotch sounds like an awesome combo! They look delish!
These look incredible!! I am such a sucker for peanut butter, but with butterscotch? Sounds like salty sweet heaven!
salty sweet heaven! <--- it kind of was! :)
If I don’t stop reading your blog, I am never getting out of the kitchen again……
LOL, thanks Joan :)
Love that layer of butterscotch chips! Definitely will have to try this one out! :)
Thank you, Amanda! I was hoping to see you at BHF but had to cancel my trip at the last minute. All your IG pics were amazing! :)
These look AWESOME Averie! Love all the flavors going on and that frosting looks so creamy! Sweet, salty, and caramel? Sounds perfect. Pinned :)
Thanks for the pin, Chelsea, and I need your detox salad :)
I’d totally be eating that peanut butter icing before the bars made it out of the oven! These bars look great, Averie! Pinned. Have a great day. :)
Thanks for pinning and I totally was going to town on it :)