Chocolate Ribbon Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

We haven't had dessert in awhile!  It's high time, y'all.

So here we are.  Chocolate Ribbon Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars.

Hello!

And the good news is that this is a totally legit breakfast!  Because in my world, anything containing oats and/or peanut butter is considered a healthy breakfast.

The breakfast rule still applies even if it also contains, butter, sugar, and chocolate chips.  Oh, and peanut butter chips.

See, these bars are totally a healthy breakfast.  Or an energy snack.  Like a power bar!  Or I guess they could be dessert.

It's totally your call.

So let's make some granola bars.  Or something like that.

Make the batter first.  The batter doubles as the crust and the crumble topping.

And what goes in the middle, you say?  Why, chocolate ribbon, of course.

You'll need to melt together some peanut butter, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk for the chocolate ribbon.

Are you picking up what I'm puttin' down?

Spread out the chocolate, and then crumble the remaining batter on top.

Now you can bake it if you want.  In my world, baking is optional.  Raw eggs don't scare me!

So anyway.  Just make these things, because it just don't get no better than chocolate and peanut butter.  For breakfast.

Chocolate Ribbon Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

For the cookie dough:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats (you can use quick-cooking but your bars will have less texture)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

10 oz. bag Reese's peanut butter chips (about 1 2/3 cups)
1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the chocolate ribbon filling:
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 T butter
1/2 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle mixer attachment, beat together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add the oats, flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just combined.  Add the peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips and stir until combined.  Do not over-mix the dough.

Press 2/3 of the dough into a 9x13 baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Now make the chocolate ribbon filling.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the sweetened condensed milk, semisweet chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter and salt until just melted and combined.  Spread the chocolate ribbon filling evenly over the cookie dough in the dish.

Crumble the remaining 1/3 cookie dough over the top of the chocolate ribbon.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 23-26 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Cool completely before cutting.