Butterfinger Bars are incredible tasting, crisp, buttery oat bars, topped with a creamy milk chocolate/peanut butter icing. This easy recipe makes 24!
Many years ago (about 15), a friend, who was a parent of a student at the school I worked at, gave me a homemade dessert bar. She called her crisp, chocolate treats Butterfinger Bars. Not sure why she gave them this name, but since I LOVE Butterfinger candy bars, I “forced” myself to try one.
Ha Ha… I could have eaten 18 of them, they were so good. I asked her for the recipe, and she graciously wrote it down for me. Now, mind you, this is NOT A COPYCAT RECIPE for the delicious candy bar. This is its own bar cookie recipe that I’m confident you will LOVE, and I am happy to share it with you today!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Okay… But What Is In This Bar Cookie?
Well, I’m glad you asked! The bar cookies are made with only FOUR common ingredients: old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. They are baked into a crisp bar cookie base, and then are frosted with a milk chocolate and peanut butter topping, once cool. Really, really simple!
The butterfinger bars have a crisp cookie base, and a creamy luscious topping of chocolate and peanut butter! These are seriously addicting bar cookies, especially if you enjoy chocolate and peanut butter. I think they’re even better the day AFTER you make them! Let me show you how EASY it is to make two dozen!
Make The Butterfinger Bars Base
Preheat your oven to 425°F. while you make the oat mixture base. It only takes a few minutes to make, so you will want your oven hot and ready to bake, once you’re done.
Mix oats (uncooked), brown and granulated sugars with melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir these ingredients together very well, until you have a crumbly, but butter-coated mixture.
Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray, and pour the oat mixture into the dish. Spread the crumbs over the entire bottom of the pan. Use the back of a large spoon to firmly press the ingredients together in the pan.
When done, you should have a very firmly compacted oat mixture base in the pan (shown in the 2nd photo below, before baking). Now it is ready to bake! Bake the butterfinger bars at 425°F for 10-12 minutes. When done, they will be golden brown around the edges. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool.
Make The Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
While the butterfinger bars are cooling (after baking), make the chocolate peanut butter frosting! Fear not- it is SUPER EASY! Melt milk chocolate chips (or giant sized Hershey bar) in a double boiler, along with the peanut butter.
WHAT IS A DOUBLE BOILER? A double boiler has a bottom saucepan filled about 3/4 of the way with water, and then a slightly smaller pan (with chocolate and peanut butter in it) sitting in (on top of) the water. Bring the pan with water to a gentle boil, while stirring the chocolate and peanut butter. Be careful to not let any water get into the chocolate mixture.
The heat from the boiling water below will gently melt (without burning) the chocolate chips and the peanut butter in the upper pan. Continue to stir until you have a creamy frosting, and then remove from the heat. TIP: For this recipe, it is best to NOT use all natural peanut butter.
Time To Frost The Butterfinger Bars!
Okay… now you should have a creamy frosting and a tray of completely cooled butterfinger bars! Pour the frosting over the bars, and then spread it, to cover the entire surface. Let the bars cool completely, so the frosting can firm up, before attempting to slice.
See How CRISP The Butterfinger Bars Are?
Getting the butterfinger bars out of the pan can be a bit of a challenge due to their crispness. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan, and then use a really sharp knife to cut the butterfinger bars in half. Lift an entire half of the bars from the pan.
They are so crisp they should hold together very well. Cut the half into three equal portions, and then cut each third into 4 pieces, using a very sharp knife to make the cuts. Repeat with the other half of the bars!
Now It’s Time To EAT!
Once the bars are cut into portions, you should have 24 square butterfinger bars! They are now ready to serve, and eat! The bars will be crisp, and the frosting creamy… and guess what? They also freeze well, so you can wrap up any leftovers really well, and save several for another time. They’re so good!
Hope you enjoy these yummy chocolate frosted butterfinger bars! We sure do! Have a great day, and thank you for visiting!
Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?
You can find all of my bar cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites include:
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Recipe Source: My friend Annette Goetz gave me the recipe over 15 years ago
Butterfinger Bars are incredible tasting, crisp, buttery oat bars, topped with a creamy milk chocolate/peanut butter icing. This easy recipe makes 24!
- non-stick cooking spray (for pan)
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup brown sugar , I used dark
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) , melted
- 11.5 ounces milk chocolate chips (1 bag) , or 12 ounce Hershey's milk chocolate bar
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter , do not use natural peanut butter
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Mix oats, brown and granulated sugars with melted butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir well, until fully combined. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking pan (bottom and sides) with non-stick spray, then pour oat mixture into dish. Spread mixture over bottom of the pan. Use the back of a large spoon to firmly press the ingredients together. When done, you should have a very firmly compacted oat mixture base.
Bake at 425°F for 10-12 minutes. When done, they will be crisp, golden brown around the edges. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool.
Make the frosting while the bars are cooling. Melt milk chocolate chips (or 12 oz. milk chocolate Hershey bar) in a double boiler, along with the peanut butter. (See blog post for info on double boiler). Bring lower pan with water to a gentle boil, while stirring the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the pan above. Continue to stir until frosting is smooth and creamy, then remove from heat. TIP: For this recipe, it is best to NOT use all natural peanut butter. Once bars have cooled to room temp, they're ready to frost. Pour frosting over bars, and spread, to cover the entire surface. Let bars rest, so frosting can firm up, before attempting to cut or serve.
To slice: Run a butter knife around edges of the pan, and then use a sharp knife to cut the pan of bars down the middle in half. Lift an entire half of the bars from pan. They are so crisp they should hold together well. Cut this half into three equal sized long slices. Now slice each third into 4 pieces, using a sharp knife to make the cuts. Repeat with remaining half of the bars, and you will have 24 square bars, ready to eat. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Enjoy!
TIP: If substituting a Hershey large milk chocolate bar for the chocolate chips, be sure to break it into smaller chunks before melting it with the peanut butter! It will melt a LOT faster that way!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
My mother-in-law gave me this exact recipe over 30 years ago.She worked as a baker (from scratch) at a Jr.High School
Hi its me Karen in ontario Canada again, i emailed you before you made your trip here in Canada. Love your recipes!!!
Could you please tell me the make of your food processor?
I want to purchase one but with so many on the market i dont have a clue! I would rather ask someone that uses one fairly regularly. I’ve watched all the utubes but its still confusing ! Lolol
Id appreciate your input if you have time.
Your advid follower Karen ?
Good morning, Karen! Yes… I do remember you and your e-mail! Hope you are doing well, in spite of this coronavirus craziness. I use a Cuisinart food processor, and it is really OLD. My sister-in-law gave me her old one about 7-8 years ago. It is the only food processor I have ever owned, and even though it is quite old, that thing works like a charm! Hope you end up finding one that you really can utilize and enjoy in your home.