These Old-School Oh Henry Bars Are Chewy, Chocolate-Peanut Butter Heaven

Oh Henry Bars, for the uninitiated, are an old-school bar cookie with a buttery, chewy base layer of oats, peanut butter, and brown sugar, topped with a milk chocolate-peanut butter ganache. I top mine with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt in order to cut the sweetness of the bars (and because chocolate + peanut butter + salt = perfection). Moreover, the salt adds a bit of crunch, which is lovely with the soft, fudgy topping and toothsome bottom. To me, Oh Henry Bars taste like a chewier, more superior Reese’s cup, and because I am a die-hard Reese’s fan, it goes without saying that I adore them and keep them in a steady rotation in my home.

I didn’t, however, grow up with Oh Henry Bars. I was first introduced to them when I met my now-husband’s family over two decades ago at Christmas — his mother had a pan of them waiting for us when we arrived. My mother-in-law didn’t put peanut butter in her base layer, or salt, and she used semisweet chocolate in her topping, but I loved them just the same and was over-the-moon happy, years later, when she shared the recipe with me.

Funnily enough, I needn’t have waited for my mother-in-law to warm up to me in order for my Oh Henry bar-making to commence. When I began examining the provenance of the bar, I discovered countless Oh Henry Bar recipes identical to hers.

The first thing I learned is that these bars are likely a homemade version of an Oh Henry candy bar, which contains peanuts, milk chocolate, and caramel (the chewy oat layer of the bar cookie does give off a sticky, caramel vibe, due to the addition of corn syrup). I also learned there’s a Kellogg’s Rice Krispies version of an Oh Henry bar cookie that looks a lot like a Scotcheroo. I did not, however, learn anything about how or when the candy bar might have morphed into a cookie bar.

But you know what? I’m okay with that, and I’m hoping you will be too. This bar cookie — like all the best ones — is perfect for bringing to a potluck, particularly around the holidays. And it’s ideal for cookie boxes. All the ingredients are likely already in your pantry. If they’re not, there are some easy substitutions you can make. For instance, I like to use salted full-fat European butter, but regular unsalted butter plus a half teaspoon of salt can easily take its place. My recipe calls for smooth peanut butter, but my mother-in-law always uses crunchy. Moreover, I like dark corn syrup for the extra caramel-y flavor it provides, but light will work fine. And as I mentioned, I love peanut butter with milk chocolate, but you may be a tad more sophisticated than me and prefer it with dark chocolate, and that is 100 percent okay.

In short, Oh Henry bars are hard to screw up, easy to assemble, and super delicious. My only ask is that you make them often, for both your family members and for those strangers that might be accompanying them home this season.