Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Oh. My. Goodness. Not only do these bars have the longest, most confusing name ever to be written, but they're, like, really good. REEEEEEAAAAALLLLY good. 

I know I say that all the time, and I mean it every time, but this time I MEAN IT because peanut butter, chocolate, whole wheaty-ness, and the texture of oatmeal have been combined into a tasty cookie bar.

Cookie. Bar. Filled with beautiful things sent straight from God himself.

These bars came about in a sort of round-about way. I didn't set out to make bars; I was on a mission to make cookies. Can I just say my mission failed (for the second time)?! Yes, this was round #2 of delicious sounding cookies in my big brain that didn't go as planned, so I just decided to try making them into some bars. 

I am so glad I did!

These bars are ooey gooey and have a perfect blend of flavors. No flavor really over powers another, which makes for the perfect flavor combination, in my opinion. Plus they're made with whole wheat flour, so that automatically means they're -100 calories, am I right?

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

{recipe adapted from Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies}

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup. light brown sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

1 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup quick cooking oats (oatmeal)

2 T. milk

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease an 8x8 inch square pan with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add in the sugars and mix well. Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, salt, baking soda, flour, and oatmeal. Gradually add and mix into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in the milk, and fold in the chocolate chips. The mixture won't really be a combined, creamy mixture. It will be more crumbly. (It's kind of hard to explain, but just trust me here.)

Press the dough evenly into the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The bars should be set. Cool before cutting.

Linked to Inside Bru Crew Life, Buns In My Oven, Six Sister's Stuff

Oh, and in case you're wondering, a cookie recipe of these flavor sorts will be heading your way. There has been tasty progress!