Peanutty Candy Bars

Oh my goodness, these bars are soooo good! They are very sweet and chewy and really do taste like a candy bar. Very simple to make. The recipe was clipped from a magazine and made it into my recipe binder. I even drew little stars all over it, which is clearly the best endorsement of all.

Peanutty Candy Bars
Makes ~2 dozen depending on how you cut them

4 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup and 2/3 cup peanut butter, divided (smooth or crunchy)*
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (11 oz) butterscotch chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped salted peanuts

Preheat oven to 375-F. Grease a 13" x 9 " baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, butter, 1/2 cup peanut butter, corn syrup and vanilla. Press into baking pan and bake for 12-14 minutes or until mixture is a little bubbly around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool about 20 min. It does not have to be completely cool when you add the top layer.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butterscotch and chocolate chips, 30 seconds at a time and stirring in between, until smooth. Stir in peanuts and 2/3 cup peanut butter. Spread over the oat mixture. Refrigerate for a least 1 hour before cutting into bars or squares. Store in the refrigerator in the warmer months.

*Reduced-fat or generic brands of peanut butter are not recommended for this recipe.

Happy Baking!