Best Homemade O'Henry Bars Recipe - Easy Bar Recipe! (2024)

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Are you looking for a easy dessert bars recipe? Try these homemade O’Henry bars. They feature a chewy base layer of oats topped with a delicious peanut butter chocolate mixture. You will love this homemade bar recipe!

O’Henry bars are a family favorite recipe of ours. It’s a popular recipe that has been around for a long time. I originally got the recipe from an old church cookbook, and it’s one of those recipes with a 10 marked beside it. It is definitely one of my favorite recipes – and based on the comments I get when I make them, many others agree!

Every time I bake O’Henry bars, I think that I should make them more often. In a way, this recipe reminds me of a delicious granola bar – except the chocolate is thickly layered on top. That’s important because I am a chocolate girl.

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I mean, really! Is there a better flavor combination then chocolate and peanut butter? I’ll eat it any time of the day. Lately, I will grab a spoon of smooth peanut butter and top it with a couple chocolate chips for a quick snack. But, if I have a pan of bars like these with chocolate and peanut butter together already, this will definitely be the treat I choose every time!

There is something to be said for the convenience of a good homemade bars recipe. Bar recipes are so simple because it’s one pan and you are done! The hardest part is waiting for these cookie bars to cool so you can enjoy them!

I like to make O’Henry bars when I need a dessert for a potluck. They are also great for an after school snack or when you want a sweet treat for dinner later tonight. I even make these bars around Christmas time to add to my holiday cookie trays.

If you’re looking for an easy dessert recipe with simple ingredients, try these O’Henry bars.Whether you call them Oh Henry Bars or O Henry Bars or O’Henry Bars, it’s all the same recipe. Make them soon. You’ll be glad you did!

O’Henry Bar Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 cups quick oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

How to Make O’Henry Bars:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 by 13 pan.

In a large bowl in your mixer, cream butter and sugars. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla. Add in the oatmeal, a little bit at a time.

Pat oat mixture into an even layer in your greased 9 by 13 pan. Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until slightly browned. Let cool.

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Stir chocolate and peanut butter mixture occasionally until the chocolate and peanut butter are completely melted and combined. You are making a milk chocolate-peanut butter ganache that is so good!

When bar mixture is cooled slightly, spread the melted chocolate chips mixture evenly over the top.

Chill. Cut into bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. You can refrigerate these bars as well, but they will be a little firmer when cutting.

Additional Notes:

The oatmeal cereal mixture can sometimes be sticky on the bottom of the pan when it comes time to cut and serve. Consider lining your pan with parchment paper instead of greasing it, to help reduce the stickiness.

I recommend using a mini serving spatula (like this one) to remove the bars. I love my mini serving spatulas and own multiples of them!

O’Henry bars can be made with creamy or crunchy peanut butter. Since I normally use creamy peanut butter, this is what I typically use in these delicious bars. Crunchy peanut butters adds a nice bit of crunch to the bars that many people enjoy!

Variations can also be made with the chocolate chips. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips almost exclusively. I think they have the perfect bit of sweetness for all my baking recipes, or, ahem, for snacking. However, you could certainly substitute milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.

However you make the bars, I hope you like these O’Henry bars as much as we do!

If you want a different recipe made with peanut butter and chocolate, try these rice krispy treats made with peanut butter and topped with chocolate.

Best Homemade O'Henry Bars Recipe - Easy Bar Recipe! (2)

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Easy O’Henry Bars Recipe

Best Homemade O'Henry Bars Recipe - Easy Bar Recipe! (3)

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O’Henry Bars feature a sweet and chewy layer of oats topped with the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate. You will love this easy bar recipe!

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 4 cups quick oats
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9 by 13 pan.
  3. In a large bowl in your mixer, cream butter and sugars. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla.
  4. Add in the oatmeal, a little bit at a time.
  5. Pat oat mixture into an even layer in your greased 9 by 13 pan.
  6. Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes, or until slightly browned. Let cool.
  7. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a double boiler over medium heat. Stir chocolate and peanut butter mixture occasionally until the chocolate and peanut butter are completely melted and combined.
  8. When bar mixture is cooled slightly, spread the melted chocolate chips mixture evenly over the top.
  9. Chill. Cut into bars. Store bars in an airtight container – on the counter or the refrigerator – until serving.

Notes

O’Henry bars can be made with creamy or crunchy peanut butter. Variations can also be made with the chocolate chips. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips almost exclusively. However, you could certainly substitute milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips if you prefer.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 piece
  • Calories: 285
  • Sugar: 20.3g
  • Sodium: 76mg
  • Fat: 15.6g
  • Saturated Fat: 7.9g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.8g
  • Fiber: 2.8g
  • Protein: 3.6g
  • Cholesterol: 15mg

Keywords: chocolate

Best Homemade O'Henry Bars Recipe - Easy Bar Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is in the middle of an O Henry bar? ›

This iconic candy bar features crunchy peanuts, smooth caramel and rich fudge, coated in a chocolatey shell. From candy bars to bite-size clusters, there're plenty of ways to enjoy an OH HENRY!

Why was Oh Henry candy bar discontinued? ›

In 2018, Nestlé sold the rights to its U.S. confectionery products to Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero SpA. Ferrara quietly discontinued the US version of Oh Henry! in 2019.

What are O Henry bars made of? ›

Oh Henry Bars are a quick dessert with a buttery oatmeal base and topped with a peanut butter chocolate topping.

What's the difference between Baby Ruth and Oh Henry bar? ›

The difference between the Baby Ruth and the Oh Henry is in the shape and name of the stuff in the middle. The Oh Henry calls it "fudge" while the Baby Ruth calls it "nougat", even though they're really the same thing.

What is a Ruth bar? ›

Baby Ruth is an American candy bar made of peanuts, caramel, and milk chocolate-flavored nougat, covered in compound chocolate. Created in 1920, and named after the deceased U.S. presidential daughter, Ruth Cleveland, it is distributed by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero.

Are Oh Henry bars discontinued? ›

The iconic bar, which contains peanuts, caramel, and fudge covered in milk chocolate, has had an historic run. But sadly, the Oh Henry! bar has been quietly discontinued by its current owner Ferrara.

What is the oldest candy bar still made today? ›

What is the oldest candy still in production? The chocolate cream bar created by Joseph Fry in 1866 is the oldest candy bar in the world. Although Fry was the first to start pressing chocolate into bar molds in 1847,the chocolate creame was the first mass produced and widely available candy bar.

What is the oldest candy bar still sold? ›

Fry & Sons and currently manufactured by Cadbury. Launched in 1866—nineteen years after Fry's created the first moulded, solid chocolate eating bar (in 1847)— Fry's Chocolate Cream is the first mass-produced chocolate bar and is the world's oldest chocolate bar brand.

What's a candy from the 80s that you can't find anymore? ›

Marathon Bar - In 1981, after an 8-year run, the braided caramel 8" candy bar was retired. It remains one of the most requested discontinued candy bars of all time.

Why are they called Oh Henry bars? ›

Created in 1920, the candy bar owes its name to happenstance. Williamson Candy Co. of Chicago, where it was created, had an employee named Henry. The young man was popular with the ladies and during his visits they would say, “Oh, Henry, will you do this for me? as a way to keep him around a bit longer.

What's the difference between Snickers and Oh Henry? ›

The Oh Henry! has a thicker caramel layer, whereas the Snickers has a thicker nougat layer.

Do Oh Henry bars have peanut butter? ›

OH HENRY. Candy Bar is the delicious combination of big crunchy peanuts, creamy caramel, smooth Reese peanut butter inside a chocolaty coating. Its delicious combination of ingredients feeds all your senses and satisfies your appetite to help re-energize you and keep you going.

What was Kit Kat's original name? ›

When did the KIT KAT® Bars get its name? The KIT KAT® candy bar dates back to 1935 when the wafer crisp chocolate bar was launched in England. Originally, it was known as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” but in 1937 the candy bar was renamed as "KIT KAT® Chocolate Crisp".

Which came first, Snickers or Baby Ruth? ›

First was the Goo Goo Cluster in 1912, then came the Clark, Oh Henry!, Baby Ruth and other bars. In 1930, the Mars company debuted the Snickers bar, which remains one of the world's most popular candies.

What is in a payday candy bar? ›

The original PayDay candy bar consists of salted peanuts rolled over a nougat-like sweet caramel center. Since 1996, classic PayDay candy bars without chocolate have been continually produced by The Hershey Company.

What is in the middle of an Idaho spud candy bar? ›

The popular Idaho Spud Bar is a wonderful combination of a light cocoa flavored, soft marshmallow center drenched with a dark chocolate coating and then sprinkled with coconut (Sorry, no potato!). It was originally marketed as a "Healthful" candy bar since it is made with agar agar instead of gelatin.

What is inside a Clark bar? ›

The Clark Bar is a candy bar consisting of a crispy peanut butter/spun taffy core (originally with a caramel center) and coated in milk chocolate. It was introduced in 1917 by David L. Clark and was popular during and after both World Wars.

What is each section of a Hershey bar called? ›

HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate bar are called? Each one is. a "pip." Share a pip with your friends today! Abby Buth and 894 others.

What was in a chunky bar? ›

Chunky is a candy bar with milk chocolate, raisins, and roasted peanuts — using a sectioned and truncated pyramid shape. Chunky is produced by Ferrara Candy Company, a division of Ferrero SpA.

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