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Who is ready for a new easy Christmas cookie bar recipe? I know I am – it’s officially Christmas season! Let’s get baking! These peanut butter oatmeal bars are loaded with Oreo cookies and peanut butter m&m candies!
I can not handle another minute without a tray full of Christmas cookies in my life.
I mean, honestly. How do we go all year without having copious amounts of baked goods in front of us at all times?
Is life even worth living January through October? I think not.
Except for the Reese’s eggs and pumpkins. I guess I’ll keep April and October. 😉
Anyway, I’m hitting the Christmas goodies hard this year.
And I’m trashing them up as much as possible, because look. Plain old sugar cookies are fine, but sometimes? Trashed up cookies are better.
These guys are full of peanut butter m&m candies and Oreo cookies.
Plus peanut butter and oats, because YUM.
Aren’t these so fun and festive? Don’t you just want a whole pan full in front of you right now?
I took my favorite monster cookies and turned them into a bar. I love this cookie base because it’s infinitely soft and chewy. It’s my favorite cookie base in all of the land and it gets made more often than I’ll admit.
We eat the heck out of some monster cookies in this house and now we get to make them Christmas-y! Yay!
Promise me you’ll make these cookie bars! Your Christmas won’t be complete without them.
More Christmas goodies to try:
Buckeye Fudge: Layers of chocolate and peanut butter!
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add some red and green m&m’s!
White Chocolate Fudge: Topped off with pretzels!
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies: All dressed up for the holidays!
Peanut Butter Oreo Christmas Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup instant oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup peanut butter m&m candies
- 1 cup Oreo cookie chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper or foil.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and beat until well combined.
- Stir in the m&m candies and cookies.
- Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition Information:
More holiday favorites:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge
Anna Banana says
I’m still chuckling. Poor hubby. I’m great-grandma now, but I remember holding one child’s head while one puked in the tub and I puked in the wastebasket. I have sympathy for those parents and their kids! But I’m also glad you got to be single for a few days. You’ve earned it. Oh..and thanks for the cookies.
Karly says
Thanks, Anna! Hope you enjoy the cookies!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
yum yum yum! looove the pb & oreo combo (seriously, I spread pb on my oreo’s :P)
Karly says
I do too!
Andi says
When I was little mom usually got sick kid duty, but dad took care of monsters under the bed (or giant spiders, if you have psychopathic older brothers), and anything that required leaving the house – we had a few post-midnight ER trips before we figured out my pneumonia was an allergic reaction to the cat.
But dad also took “out past curfew” duty when we got older, so I figure it worked out pretty even.
Karly says
Out past curfew duty – I had forgotten about those days. Not looking forward to it with my own kids. Haha!
Debra says
Awww.. don’t you feel just a wee bit sorry for him? Just a bit? I do cause when I was little lots of the time it was my dad that was up with us at night. Now I am a single parent and have been for quite a few years so when they’re sick, there’s really no question .. but I always feel really bad for whichever kid is sick.. They usually just want to hug their momma anyway. Good experience for him though but was probly a tough one! Was going to ask why you live in one town and he works in snother. Or is it cause it’s close enough and it’s your dream hone?
Karly says
Oh, I did feel a bit sorry for him. And I really felt bad for my girl – I wanted to do the mama cuddle thing, for sure.
As for the living situation, our dream home is within 30 minutes of all of our family, but he was offered a really good opportunity 3 hours away. It was the right decision for his career and we’re making the best of it. 🙂
Roxana says
Oh boy, I am ALL over these! On my baking list! 🙂
Karly says
Can’t go wrong with Oreos and m&ms!
Amy says
I think these types of cookies are the greatest thing in a long time. Perfect way of adding textures, teastes, and color all rolled up into one.
Karly says
Thanks!
Carlee says
Yum! And it is kind of funny to see the tables turned a bit. I definitely get most of the sick duty around here. Sickies seem to prefer mom cuddles too.
Karly says
Yes! I was worried my girl wanted her mama, but dad seemed to do the trick. 😉
Tara says
Hope your daughter is feeling better! I have a very vivid memory of my brother staying home from school with a stomach bug once, and my dad giving him a salami and cheese sandwich for lunch…so you can probably imagine that he was not usually in charge of taking care of us when we were sick 🙂
Karly says
Oh my!! That’s hilarious! And traumatizing!