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A tray of peanut butter and jelly bars cut into squares
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4.86 from 14 votes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Oaty peanut butter clusters floating in a pool of sweet strawberry jam make these bars a memorable treat.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, jelly, peanut butter
Servings: 16
Calories: 280kcal
Author: Tricia

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature (8 tablespoons or 4oz)
  • ½ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed (226g)
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156g)
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats (80g)
  • ½ cup old-fashioned oats (40g)
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12.5 ounces strawberry jam (see notes)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside an 8x8-inch square baking pan (ungreased).
  • In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and peanut butter until creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until blended. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until blended.
  • In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend on low speed until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and blend one more time until a crumbly dough forms.
  • Press a little more than ¾ of the oat mixture into the bottom of the ungreased prepared pan (don’t press too hard!). Spread the jam on top taking care not to leave more in the center; spread the jam evenly. Crumble the remaining oat mixture on top in clumps. Gently press down on the topping to make it more even. Bake at 350°F for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top is light golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature or refrigerate for longer storage.

Notes

  • We don't recommend using all-natural style peanut butter as it tends to be more oily. For this recipe I use Jiff or another comparable brand.
  • For this recipe I use jam instead of jelly as it typically contains less sugar. In my opinion, these bars are sweet enough using jam. I use Stonewall’s Strawberry Jam for this recipe but feel free to use your favorite flavor. An all natural fruit spread would also be good here.
  • This recipe is easily doubled and baked in a jelly roll pan (15x10x1) instead of the 8-inch or 9-inch square. The 8-inch pan makes thicker bars as seen in the photos. Sheet pan bars will be a little thinner and should be cut into 36 pieces. Watch the baking time.
  • When baking a double recipe make half strawberry jam and the other half apricot - so good!
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 192IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg