If your kids are like mine, there is nothing better than an awesome snack! One snack favorite in our house are Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter and Jelly bars. But with three kids under 4 years old, we go through boxes of these WAY too quick! So I decided to search for a recipe that would satisfy their cravings and limit my trips to the grocery store! Plus, this way I can make the bars organic, and always modify the sugar if I feel they are consuming too much. This recipe is based on this recipe from Food.com but has been modified to meet our needs. My kids finished the tray in two days! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup quick cook oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup crunchy salted peanut butter
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 jar of low sugar strawberry preserves
Directions
- Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan.
- In one bowl combine flour, oats and baking soda
- In a separate bowl beat [room temperature] butter for 30 seconds; add sugar and beat till fluffy
- Add egg, peanut butter, half and half, and vanilla to butter and sugar mixture. Beat well
- Slowly fold dry ingredients into beaten mixture. Continue until they are completely combined
- Spread mixture in greased pan. Reserve about 1/3 cup of mixture for topping.
- Spread strawberry preserves over top of mixture
- Using remaining batter, place tablespoon sized dollops on top of preserves and spread until smooth
- Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes (checking at 25 mins with toothpick)
- Let cool. Cut into bars.
