These Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars are the EXACT recipe they once served in high school!
These peanut butter bars have a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie base, creamy peanut butter center and chocolate buttercream on top.
Not to mention they are just as good at room temperature. These are the best peanut butter treats of all time!
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars, you will need the following ingredients:
Peanut Butter Bars
- Butter, softened
- Sugar
- Brown sugar, firmly packed
- Vanilla extract
- Eggs
- Peanut butter, divided
- Old fashioned oats
- Flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
Frosting
- Butter, softened
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Cocoa powder
- Powdered sugar
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:



How to make Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar together.
- Add vanilla, eggs, and 1 cup of the peanut butter; stir to combine.
- Add oats, flour, baking soda and salt and mix until well combined.
- Spray a baking sheet (half sheet jelly roll pan that is approximately 17.8 x 12.8 x 1 inch) with nonstick cooking spray and spread out dough in an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.
- Drop remaining peanut butter (about 1 ½ cups) by very small spoonfuls (we use a baby spoon) all over on top of warm bars. Let set for about 5-6 minutes and gently spread when peanut butter has begun to melt. It will spread easily when the peanut butter has softened on the warm bars. Don’t try to spread it while still thick.
- Then let the bars cool until peanut butter has set up.
- While cooling, mix together frosting ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and spread on top of bars.
- Cut into bars and serve.



Storage Suggestions
If you manage to have any leftover Bars + Brownies, these can store well if prepped appropriately. Once they have cooled completely, here is how you can store it:
- Counter: Store bars and brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, consider refrigerating instead to prevent them from getting too soft or melty.
- Refrigerator: Place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Let them come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Enough To Feed A Crowd
These peanut butter cookie bars are exactly like the famous school cafeteria bars they used to make back in the good ol’ days.
I love that these Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars can feed a crowd and I usually have all the ingredients on hand so if I ever need to make a treat at the last minute, these are my go-to recipe.
These bars are made in a half sheet pan and you can cut them into as many bars as you need.
We like a bigger bar, so we typically cut a pan of these cookie bars into 24 squares, but you could easily cut them into 48 for a smaller serving.
Enjoy More Delicious Bar Recipes
There’s nothing better than an easy brownie or bar recipe. Check out our comprehensive list of brownies, bars, and blondies here
- Gooey Golden Grahams S’mores Treats
- Congo Bars
- Frosted Graham Cracker Bars
- Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bars

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Bars
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups peanut butter, divided
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar together.
- Add vanilla, eggs, and 1 cup of the peanut butter; stir to combine.
- Add oats, flour, baking soda and salt and mix until well combined.
- Spray a baking sheet (half sheet jelly roll pan that is approximately 17.8 x 12.8 x 1 inch) with nonstick cooking spray and spread out dough in an even layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.
- Drop remaining peanut butter (about 1 ½ cups) by very small spoonfuls (we use a baby spoon) all over on top of warm bars. Let set for about 5-6 minutes and gently spread when peanut butter has begun to melt. It will spread easily when the peanut butter has softened on the warm bars. Don't try to spread it while still thick.
- Then let the bars cool until peanut butter has set up.
- While cooling, mix together frosting ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and spread on top of bars.
- Cut into bars and serve.



















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You add 1 cup of peanut butter to the dough and the other 1/2 cup goes on top of the peanut butter bars after they come out of the oven.
1 1/2 cups of peanut butter on the top of bars". ;) Growing up in small Utah community, We had super loving lunch ladies who knew and loved us,(one of which was my own Grandma) and we always had delicious school lunches, including desserts and these peanut butter bars were one of my favorite! My kids don't get this kind of yumminess now days. SO HAPPY to have come across this recipe! Thanks for sharing!! :)
Nixandnoli.blogspot.com
I've been looking for a Lunch Lady bread spread for years. It had honey, peanut butter and (I think) raisins. It must have been mixed in a blender, cause it was smooth. OMGosh, I used to trade with my hot lunch friends for stuff out of my lunch sack for that all the time!!
I have never tried them with quick oats, so I am not sure how they would turn out! I hope you liked them! Let us know if the quick oats worked! :)
I am a new follower, and glad I found your blog!
thanks for sharing