When it comes to old school recipes you cannot go wrong with these Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars. Super tasty and great for all ages.
I love anything peanut butter and chocolate together and these Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars fulfill both those needs and they are absolutely wonderful.
I have been eating these bars as far back as I remember, I think most of us have tried them a time or two and if you haven’t then you are in for a literal treat.
These bars have 3 different layers, the oat bar mixture, peanut butter and a chocolate topping. Everything works so well together that you will not want to stop eating.
That might be just me, because I’m completely in love with all the sweets, but I’m telling you that these bars are completely irresistible and you are going to want them all the time.
Luckily they take easy pantry ingredients to make and they make a large batch so you are not going to run out any time soon with these bad boys.
Some of my other favorite bar recipes that we have on our site include: Cherry Cheesecake Bars, Snickerdoodle Bars and Oreo Fudge Brownies.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- These are chewy and creamy in one, a perfect pairing.
- With chocolate and peanut butter the flavors match perfectly.
- This makes a nice big batch so you have some to keep for later.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE BELOW):
Old fashioned oats
All-purpose flour
Fine sea salt
Baking soda
Unsalted butter
Light brown sugar
Granulated sugar
Creamy peanut butter
Eggs
Vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Cocoa powder
Whole milk
HOW TO MAKE LUNCH LADY PEANUT BUTTER BARS:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 11×15-inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt, and baking soda, set aside.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes. Add ¾ cup of the peanut butter, the eggs, and vanilla, mix until combined. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place small dollops of the remaining 1 cup peanut butter on top. Wait 10 minutes to warm the peanut butter and carefully spread the peanut butter all over. Let cool completely.
- While the bars are cooling, make the frosting. Place the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the butter until smooth. Start adding the powdered sugar mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the milk, stir it in. Place the mixer on medium-high and whip the frosting for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. If it seems a little too thick to spread, add an additional 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Once the bars are cool, spread the frosting on top. Let them sit for 30 minutes to give the frosting time to crust, or cut and serve immediately.
IS THIS AN OVERWHELMING PEANUT BUTTER FLAVOR?
IS THIS AN OVERWHELMING PEANUT BUTTER FLAVOR?In my personal opinion no, I think that it has just the right amount and balance. But these are truly for the peanut butter lover, so if you like peanut butter but aren’t crazy obsessed with it I would leave out the middle peanut butter layer.
DO I HAVE TO MAKE A HOMEMADE FROSTING?
No you do not have to, this frosting really complements these well but if you want to go an easier route you can just a canned milk chocolate frosting, or any chocolate frosting that you’d like.
CAN I USE CHUNKY PEANUT BUTTER?
If you want a texture contrast then chunky peanut butter would be a great option! We like the texture of smooth but have used chunky as well.
You can use it both in the bars and on the layer over the bars, so you have a nice peanut contrast. You can also sprinkle these with chopped peanuts as well.
HOW TO STORE:
These can be stored in an airtight container where they will keep on the countertop for 4-5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
They can also be frozen, place bars in a freezer container and place in the freezer where they will keep for up to 3 months.
To defrost, remove to the refrigerator overnight and then to the countertop to come to room temperature.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Make sure you are using old fashioned oats, do not try using quick cooking oats.
- This makes a large batch you can cut it in half and make in a 9×13-inch pan if desired, they may be thicker.
- You can use this frosting or canned frosting.
- If you do not LOVE peanut butter, you can leave the peanut butter layer out.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
Looking for that perfect bar that will bring back memories for a lot of people, or something to bring to your next gathering? Then you need to make these Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars.
If you like this recipe you might also like:
If you’ve tried these LUNCH LADY PEANUT BUTTER BARS let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¾ cup creamy peanut butter divided
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 11x15-inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt, and baking soda, set aside.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes. Add ¾ cup of the peanut butter, the eggs, and vanilla, mix until combined. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place small dollops of the remaining 1 cup peanut butter on top. Wait 10 minutes to warm the peanut butter and carefully spread the peanut butter all over. Let cool completely.
- While the bars are cooling, make the frosting. Place the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the butter until smooth. Start adding the powdered sugar mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and 3 tablespoons of the milk, stir it in. Place the mixer on medium-high and whip the frosting for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. If it seems a little too thick to spread, add an additional 1 tablespoon of milk.
- Once the bars are cool, spread the frosting on top. Let them sit for 30 minutes to give the frosting time to crust, or cut and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make sure you are using old fashioned oats, do not try using quick cooking oats.
- This makes a large batch you can cut it in half and make in a 9x13-inch pan if desired, they may be thicker.
- You can use this frosting or canned frosting.
- If you do not LOVE peanut butter, you can leave the peanut butter layer out.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
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