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
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 teaspoon 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Video
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
Yum! I’m a sucker for anything with Peanut Butter and I can’t wait to try these.
New follower!
Betina
http://www.mommyladyclub.com
Those look great! I’m going to try them.
~ Mona : )
http://moremilestones.blogspot.com
Looks great! Thanks for stopping by and commenting and following! I’m following you back!
Aimee
Oh my, these bars look so good! I love anything with peanut butter. Camille, thanks for stopping by my blog and following. I’m so glad you found some recipes to try. I’m enjoying browsing through your blog and am a new follower. It must be amazing to be a group of 6 sisters. I have 3 daughters and they are the best of friends 🙂 Have a great day!
Rhondi
http://bigmamashomekitchen.blogspot.com/
Okay…so my mouth is watering as I read this! I loved these too!
saved this recipe… yummo! thanks for sharing!
Dang…now I’m going to have to try those and apparently, I’m going to have to try the cookies and cream cheesecake bars that are looking at my right now too! =P
I guess that means I’m a new follower. lol! (Followed you over from This Week’s Cravings.)
My blog is http://imitationbydesign.blogspot.com if you’d like to visit.
oh my ever since I went to Savannah I’ve hankering for one of those…
Do not forget to add our linking it this party here http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/06/beautiful-furniture-redo-pop-up-cards.html
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com
Oh my yumminess! This looks delish! I am a new follower and would love it if you follow back! Have a great day!
They do look tasty!
Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a great week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
Looks like you had a good school. These days its all prepackaged fast food. Kids would love to have lunch ladies like the one you had. Thank you for participating in my linky party at Joy of Desserts.
This looks FAN-TASTIC! I can’t wait to try these, they look so yummy!
This looks good. Would come over and share some of your recipes at my link party Cast Party Wednesday tomorrow? I guess I went to the wrong school I don’t remember “good” desserts. HA!
Thanks,
I hope to see you there!
These look delish!
I am featuring these on my blog on Saturday! Feel free to stop by and grab a button!!
Ashley
http://www.simplydesigning.blogspot.com
These sound divine!!
New follower from Wow Me Wednesday,
okay, if these are anything like what my lunch ladies served I will be so happy! They were seriously the best! I am going to have to try these out! I would love for you to come and share these at my Fantastic Friday link party. http://ironvioletdesigns.blogspot.com
Thanks for the great recipe.
New follower from What’s cooking Wednesday.
Hope you follow back.
http://grandmabonniescloset.blogspot.com/
I am a newish follower. This looks like a great recipe. I am the cookie monster’s grandmother and am always looking for new cookie recipes to try. This one looks scrumptious. I am looking forward to exploring your blog further.
that sounds so yummy I can almost smell them! Wow, great post, MAria http://caribbeanmissionarywife.blogspot.com/
I have opened this website up two separate times. I am drawn to the deliciousness. I a a follower.
If I enjoyed PB, I’d be all over these! lol They still look good though. Thanks for linking up to this week’s Catch a Glimpse party.
YUM!!! I want to make these RIGHT NOW. I wish I had the oatmeal! Saving this one for sure!
I just found these via Pintrest. They looked so good I had to click over and have a look. Lucky for me I have everything I need to make them.
thank you i have been looking for this recipe for a long time. my grandma was a lunch lady and made these all the time.
Absolutely wicked!! These are not something MY lunch lady would ever make.=) bellesbazaar-heather.blogspot.com
Wow, thanks for this!I made them & everyone loved them & then I couldn’t find the recipe again but I did just now, Yeah!
Wow! These are great! Never heard of them before..my boyfriend loves anything Peanut Butter and Chocolate..so I gave it a try. The only thing i did different was to use DH canned Milk Chocolate frosting. Will be making these again and again ! thanks girls 🙂
They look yum but omg 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter. It’s far too unhealthy for me to make 🙁
Ooo, I have this recipe from Gooseberry Patch. Good!!!
Made these for 5th Sunday potluck and they were spot on! We all reminisced about these from the Old Lunchroom Days.
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They are in the fridge setting up – ack – it’s so hard to wait! I can’t wait to eat them! I love that they have chocolate frosting on top and not just melted chocolate chips. I was really fighting the peanut butter trying to spread it on top – ha ha ha – I tried to plop it all on at once and it just sunk straight down and made a hole, ack! quickly scooped it back up – what a mess! it took a lot of fineness to finally get that peanut butter to spread and not smush the bars.
You must have gone to a better school than I did or just had a better Lunch Lady, I don’t remember any of our desserts being so yummy, going to have to give these a try, nothing better than Peanut butter and chocolate!
Anyone have that school lunch chocolate cake recipe?
I need clarification before I make these. There are 1&1/2 cups of Peanut Butter listed in the instructions that I don’t find in the list of ingredients. Is this an additional 1&1/2 cups of PB?
I can get it for you on Monday. But it is for 600 servings!
Hi Diane,
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.
I needed that clarification as well. The instruction still say to “spread
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!! 🙂
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I have looked everywhere for this! I’m so excited! I had the recipe when I took the cooking class in high school, straight from the lunch ladies but lost it. Instead of spreading the peanut butter we just combined it with the chocolate frosting. Mmmm.. I’m going to make it this weekend!
I made these today and they are so so so yummy! However, they are not the same bars from my cafeteria growing up! Dang! This is NOT a complaint though! This recipe makes a million bars and is awesome so I’ll definitely be bringing these to potlucks! A new keeper recipe!
Nixandnoli.blogspot.com
Really great recipe thanks. My 2nd batch of these I added 1 tbsp instead of tsp of vanilla extract by mistake to my frosting but hey they tasted even better than the first batch. So now I’m going to keep doing that it bumps them up a whole lot try it & see.
THESE. ARE. SOO. GOOD! Enough said. Thanks for this recipe, definately a keeper!!!!
THESE. ARE. SOO. GOOD! Enough said. Thanks for this recipe, definately a keeper!!!!
Yep….amazing!!! Loved these!
turned out great all except the final 1/2 C. of peanut butter trying to spread that on while it was still hot was a challenge. It was dragging the peanut butter crust right along with it. EEK! Nothing a little bit of your famous choc. icing can’t cover up. 🙂 Thank you for this post. Definitely a keeper.
Double Yum! Love Peanut butter!
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!!
Making these now, but why not quick oats? I am loving your stuff!
Hi Mandy!
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! 🙂
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These look amazing! Thank you for the recipe will be trying them soon!
I am a new follower, and glad I found your blog!
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These were absolutely delicious! I find that if you take the 1/2 C of peanut butter that goes on the top and whip it with a mixer until lighter in color and creamy, it has a great texture and spreads very nicely. Thanks for the recipe!
I always use quick oats when I make these and they taste great!
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Is there a difference between a jelly roll sheet and a cookie sheet?
Made these yesterday. They were great. To me the icing was a bit too sweet. I thought perhaps melting chocolate over the top instead of icing like I do for my Tandy Takes would be better. Just my opinion.
Yes there is a difference. I made mine in a 1/2 sheet pan. A jelly roll pan is smaller; so they would be thicker.
OMG they are coming out of the oven right now….your right…i think i will refrigerate them so i can eat sooner…YUMMMY!!
thanks for sharing
Hi Jamie, We use a cookie sheet with a rim all the way around it. The dimensions are 12 x 17 inches.
There are 2 1/2 c. of peanut butter listed in the ingredients, and the instructions say 1 c. goes in the dough and 1 1/2 c. goes on top, but your comments say 1 c. for the dough and 1/2 c. for on top…clarification?
Sorry I’ll delete that. 1 cup goes into the dough. The 1 1/2 cups goes on top. Just like the recipe states. Sorry about that!
YUM. I can taste them now…just looking at that picture. NO, our poor kids do not get such deliciousness! thanks for sharing this. I may ruin my diet with this.
just made these.. delicious. i do think 15 minutes in the oven is slightly too long. would rather have the bars be slightly gooey. next time i’ll probably do 13. excellent recipe.. thank you!
WE LOVE these here at our house! I’ve added coconut and white chocolate chips and chocolate chips and they are to die for! Thanks for sharing!
Wowzers….THANK YOU for finding the recipe I have been craving and searching for (over 25 years!!)…Talk about a “blast from the past”!…Now I will be able to make these for my future grandchildren!!! The texture looks spot-on to what I remember…although our High School Lunch Ladies did not add the chocolate frosting component…leaving them “naked”…which, personally, I do not mind at all as I think it really highlights the moist, chewy peanut-buttery-ness of the bar…alhough I imagine with the frosting they are out of this world. I always “justify” not adding frosting as a lame , yet somehow “valid” excuse to partake in an “extra” bar to nosh on! 🙂
These exact same bars are in Gold Medal Flour’s 2001 Let’s Bake number 30. Even the same frosting recipe. The only difference is Six Sisters used 1/4 c butter instead of 1/4 c peanut butter in the frosting, otherwise the entire recipe is identical.
I have been searching for the “lunchroom” peanut butter cookies or bars but I also do not remember there being an icing on them. Just have to try both ways now! Thanks for the recipe!
I have made these twice and they are so easy to make and delicious. I don’t know why there is only an average 2 star rating. I used my own chocolate buttercream icing, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Love them!
Is there a way to make this recipe using quick oats? I have tons of it!!
We have made these with quick oats before and it still turns out good!
I made these for the treat for the week and for the snack for date night. I used quick oats (because they were what I had and others had said they worked). I did figure out one thing to do for next time: melt the peanut butter in the microwave ahead of time and pour it over the baked bars rather than dollops to spread. Plus, once I had gotten the dollops melted and spread it was the same effect. These are just as I remember them being, and my mom, a retired teacher, loved them too, and has asked for the recipe. I blogged about the treat at http://fullhappybabyandmommy.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/date-night-log-another-movie-night-and-a-movie-treat/ . Thanks for a great recipe (several in fact have been bookmarked to try later). I am also going to be making the Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken on my meal plan for this week.
It makes a 18 by 12 inch pan? cut it in half for a 9 by 13 or in quarters for an 8 by 8?
Just made these. They are PERFECTION!!! Great recipe!!! I will definitely make them again!!
Probably a dumb question, but is it dry oats or make 2 cups of oatmeal and mix that in? Thanks!
Dry oats!
Thank you!!!
If you find the peanut butter hard to spread, just warm it up in the microwave or on the stove until it is soft enough to spread like frosting, or soft enough to pour over the top. 🙂
For the frosting…if you bring the butter, cocoa and milk to a boil for one minute, then stir in the rest, the frosting will taste like fudge and when it cools, you can touch the top without being sticky. Fabulous frosting!
I don’t know what I did wrong with the frosting…my butter may have been a bit more melted than softened, but it just wasn’t very chocolate-y. Wish I would have seen this tip for boiling, maybe that would have helped? And my bars turned out more dry and crumbly than chewy like I had hoped.
Just made these bars tonight, and I loved them! I halved the recipe and made it in a 9×13 inch pan, and it turned out perfectly. Great tip about putting on the peanut butter while the cake was still hot–definitely helped the spreading. The only change I would make would be to add a little bit more cocoa to the frosting just to add some more chocolately flavor. Otherwise, I think this recipe rocks! Thanks for sharing!
An exact replica of Utah elementary lunch lady bars. I was suddenly in 3rd grade again…instantly! Thank you so much for sharing!
My child will love it! Thaaaanks, sweetie
Hi! I was wondering if I could use natural peanut butter?
We have not tried this recipe with natural peanut butter. But here is some information I found for you on the internet when cooking with natural peanut butter when the recipe calls for regular peanut butter. Hope this helps!!
***When it comes to baking, we tend to use what is on hand, but there will often be some differences in recipes made with natural peanut butter instead of regular. Most recipes (unless otherwise specified) are written with the assumption that you?ll use regular peanut butter. The salt and sugar from that regular peanut butter can add a lot of flavor to a recipe, and the thickness of the peanut butter translates into less spread for peanut butter cookies, for instance. Natural peanut butter is often unsalted, so you may need to add additional salt to a recipe. It might also seem saltier than regular peanut butter because of the lack of sugar in the mix, so you might want to cut back on the salt in the recipe by 1/4 tsp if you are very sensitive to it. Natural peanut butter cookies tend to spread out more, and frequently have a crispier texture (this is often do to a higher proportion of oil in the mix) than cookies made with regular peanut butter. Since they spread out more, they sometimes need a slightly shorter baking time.
Most recipes will deliver a similar result no matter which type of peanut butter you use ? even if you do have to make a tiny tweak or two due to a lack of salt or sugar in your product ? so you can still use whatever is on hand. But watch out for a recipe that specifically calls for one or the other and be aware of the slight differences that exist between the two types.
I made these…so yummy! Do you think they would work in cookie form??
Hi Gina, These are by far one of our favorite desserts! I have never thought about making them in cookie form. If you give it a try, you need to let us know how it all turns out! Thanks so much for stopping by our blog and have a super great week!
Waiting for them to cool so I can ice them. So far taste test licking the spatula is yummy! :-p
Do these freeze well?
These freeze well in an airtight container.
Just made them and sampled!!Terrific!! How long will they stay fresh in a sealed container? Need to get till Christmas.
Lunch lady peanut butter bars freeze well in an airtight container.
Can these be made without the oatmeal?
We have only made them with oatmeal. Where it needs 2 cups of oatmeal for this recipe, I wouldn’t leave it out.
Thanks for sharing this! They are JUST as I remember from the 1970s. Delicious!!! I followed the recipe exactly… perfection!
I am always making things for my adult granddaughter and she begged me to try and find a recipe like this because of her memories from school of these bars. I’ve looked and tried different recipes with same claim but so far not a winner with her. I asked her to describe them to me and this recipe sounds like it just might be it. Making them this afternoon as she is coming to visit. Will let you know how it turns out. Love ? the peanut butter smell from my oven.
Thank you! I only have quick oats!
Lunch lady’s back in the day made everything from scratch every kind of cookie bar they served were awesome at my school there was probably 10 different types of cookie bars
I found basically this exact recipe on another blog and made it last week, it’s amazing. As a side note for the peanut butter frosting layer after the cookie part has cooled, that recipe had you whip the peanut butter (I used my stand mixer) before you frost it, so that might help people that have had trouble spreading the peanut butter layer. When it’s whipped, it’s just like spreading frosting.
Hi, I can’t find the full recipe. The recipe I see says mix until….
Where is the recipe for these Peanut Butter Bars?
Hello! I can not find the recipe. Am I missing it somewhere???
We were having major issues on our site yesterday. The recipe is now back. Thanks for your patience.
I can’t see anywhere that it specifies the size of the baking pan. Do you use a half sheet pan? 18×13?
18 x 13 inch cookie sheet is what we use.
I remember something very similar at my elementary school in the 60’s. Pretty sure ours had no frosting but instead powdered sugar on top. I’ve wanted that recipe so many times…I’ll give this a go.
wish the dimensions had been listed above lol. my “cookie sheet” that i bought must be a jelly roll sheet and believe you me it didnt just make them thicker it spewed all over my oven in nutty waves of goodness which quickly blackened and set off all the smoke alarms hahahah
We use a half sheet pan with the dimensions approximately 18 x 13. We have not had a problem with it running over the edge. Sorry it went over the edge and set off the smoke alarms!
If you have a kid that’s allergic to peanuts and you’re dying to make this, WOW butter works as a great substitute!
I have made this recipe too many times to count!! Everyone loves them and requests them!!
Hi, just wondering- do you use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
Thank you!
We have used both salted and unsalted in this recipe. So whatever you have on hand will work great. We like it both ways. Really not much difference in the taste.
I may even call these healthy and eat them for breakfast 😉
How many days in advance can I make these and still have them be soft and the frosting not crusted over?? TIA! 🙂
These are great for a few days in an airtight container. Or you can make them and then freeze them. They freeze great in an airtight container. They are one of our most favorite desserts!!
Thanks Tyler–could not see this in recipe directions
The recipe says she sheet pan… what size sheet pan?
We use a half sheet (cookie sheet size) that is about 15 x 10 inches.
My favorite school lunch treat! I loved the homemade Spudnuts too that they made with the chili and breadsticks in the fall. We always had those at our fall carnival too.
You stated 2 1/2 cups of peanut butter in recipe divided it up by 1 c in the base dough and rest of it on hot dough after baking. Now I read it is 1 c in the dough and1/2c on top of the hot baked dough. I am confused. Which is it? 1 1/2 total or
21/2c total? There is a difference of 1c. Thank you.
Growing up I lived in the country and went to a country school…there was no such thing as a lunch room, never mind food that was prepared there. If we forgot our lunch, we either had to call home and hope mom could bring it or we went hungry. Oh the joys of growing up in the rural areas lol. These sounded so good I just had to try them – and I wasn’t disappointed! Made as per the recipe with the only change being I just made a half batch (empty nesters don’t need a sheet pan full lol). These went together quickly and easily and I know I will be making them again!
What size pan?
We use the half sheet jelly roll pan or any cookie sheet. They are approximately 17.8 x 12.8 x 1 inches.
I made these last night. Very yummy but not quite the lunch lady recipe I remember.
Still, very yummy.
I love anything with peanut butter & chocolate! I made them this afternoon & they’re DELICIOUS!! Thanks for a great recipe!
How do I convert cup measurements to lbs and ounces or grams? Thank you! Can’t wait to make and try these 😊
I SO remember these bars from school! I was excited to see this recipe, finally had the chance to make it … followed the recipe exactly for a dinner with friends & it was a huge hit!! Thank you!s
Thanks Jessie. They are one of our favorite desserts full of childhood memories!
Can these be frozen
Lunch lady peanut butter bars freeze great in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag.
Thanks for your comment. Our lunch ladies just topped them with powdered sugar. I wasn’t sure this was the right recipe…..now I have to try it with powdered sugar.
This is the best ever! A hit every time ! I ate more then I would like to admit!
Horrible. Used fine ingredients according to recipe. Turned out hard, crumbly, very disappointing! Save yourself the trouble and cost of making these!
Darlene, I’m not sure what could have gone wrong. These Lunch Lady peanut butter bars have been a staple for years! They are one of the most popular desserts on our website. We serve them at SO many functions. Not sure what could have gone wrong. Sorry they didn’t turn out for you.
This recipe is our family’s favorite. I took some to my students and co-workers and they were a hit! I get requests all of the time to bring them in to school!
Just finished making these, OMG so glad you shared this recipe, thank you!!
This recipe is amazing. Not too easy to spread the dough but worth the effort. It took me back to grade school.
Hi, How do these freeze? I’m making these for a camping trip but I want to make them ahead of time. Thanks
These freeze well in a freezer bag or airtight freezer container.
These bars are amazing. Everyone loves them! I like that they make giant-sized bars-so fun for kids’ events. (I do use quite a bit less of the fudge frosting than the recipe calls for, but I’m a peanut butter lover).
This has to be the easiest and yummiest cookie recipe ever! My husband even made it to share with his golf friends. They even asked for the recipe too!!!
It is one of our most popular recipes on our blog. We are so glad you like them!
Idk what only five people have reviewed this recipe. It’s BOMB!! Literally my favorite dessert and a crowd pleaser. You’ll eat the entire pan of them bite by bite and not even regret doing so!!
How do you store these best?
If you are lucky enough to have any left, store them in an airtight container or on a plate covered in plastic wrap if you will be eating them the next day. They also freeze great in a freezer bag or freezer container.
I’m anxious to try this recipe. When I was in the MTC (a hundred years ago 😉 ) the cafeteria served a peanut butter bar that I took every time it was served. Any idea if this is THAT recipe?
I don’t know about the MTC, but they are similar to the one’s in elementary school. At least they served them in the Utah schools. They were everyone’s favorite!
I just made these tonight. They look amazing. I am planning to cut them tomorrow and take some to the dog groomers and orthodontist! I love to Bake People Happy!
These are one of our favorite desserts. I think you’ll make the ortho and dog groomer very happy! What a wonderful way to serve – I love “Bake People Happy”.
Oh my goodness!! These are just like I remember from elementary school. I was a kid who hated peanut butter but loved peanut butter bar day. Thank you for posting the recipe!
This is very similar to our Road Runner Bars, if you went to Grade school, junior high, and high school, this is what we got in school, Only called our version Road Runner Bars, ( the mascot was Road Runners, and used to have little road runners on the highways here in Harper,Kansas. I got my recipe from the hospital, cuz they made them too. lol
I love this name! For all of you in Harper, Kansas – Go Roadrunners!!!
I literally have been looking for a copycat recipe of those bars for years!!!! I remember begging people to trade their bar with me for something off my tray. So excited to try these!!
So glad I found this recipe! I’ve made your version so many times and they are always a huge hit! I’m looking forward to packaging these up for Christmas gifts! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Evelyn. These are one of our most popular recipes on the website. They are our family favorites!
I’ve been using this recipe for years! It’s always a favorite.
These bars are amazing! I bake all the time and these have become an instant favorite in our house.
Can you freeze these bars?
Yes, these peanut butter bars freeze great!
These are a hit anywhere I take them. The recipe is perfect, even when I use quick oats instead of rolled. I love these. Thanks!
Yummy.
Going to make for hubby.
My husband loved them!! I had to bring the rest to my friends house because I would have ate them all.
We totally understand! These are one of our favorite desserts!
My family cannot get enough of these peanut butter bars, even though some of my crew will not go near oatmeal. They are worthy of every star they’ve received. They bottom is firm and chewy, but not sticky or crunchy. We like them best kept in the refrigerator and they disappear quickly. I normally tweak most recipes, but this one is pure perfection just as it is.
I make this as an indulgence that I seriously can’t get enough of! Just curious, any way to make it keto-friendly?
These turned out so yummy! My go to recipe!
Are these the same that they served at Bountiful High in Davis County? If so, you have made a 45 year dream come true for my husband!
I have wanted this recipe for the last 31 years since graduating elementary school. I honestly have 7 recipes in my recipe box for these and had tried all 7 and they could never get it right. Then I stumbled upon this last year and it is exactly everything I’ve been wanting and more. I now get asked for the recipe or get told that I make the best PB bars and I tell them it’s all about this recipe. Thank you, thank you for recreating and sharing this recipe.
You are very welcome. These are one of our favorite desserts of all time!
I would say pretty close!!!
Look here…Don’t be leavin’ no comments about how EXCITED you are to try a recipe, leave a review about how incredible this recipe is lol because OMFG this receipe is thebomb.com and then some! Flavor combo is on point, soft, chewy and will definitely be a HIT when you bring this dish to your friends. Do not even think about it lol just MAKE THE RECIPE!!
Crystal, we need you to promote all of our recipes! Thanks for the enthusiastic review! But how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?!!!!
We make this recipe all the time. So good!
OMG! These are so good! They are even better the next day! I’ve made them several times and cut the recipe in half because it makes so much.
OMG! These are so good! They are even better the next day! I’ve made them several times and cut the recipe in half because it makes so much.
Let me start off by saying I’m not from Utah. I had never even heard of these until my Utah brother in law mentioned them. They are so so good AND addicting. Those lunch ladies had to have had a pipeline straight to God because these bars are definitely a gift from heaven.
Candace, your sweet comment made us laugh. But we totally agree, all the kids that grow up in Utah know about lunch lady peanut butter bars! We still crave them after all these years!!! And yes, lunch ladies might have a direct pipeline to God, and patient enough to put up with kids in the cafeteria! Ha Ha Ha!!
These are amazing! We love them! It’s makes a ton so they are great if you’re having a pot luck. If they are just for us I cut the recipe in half. Thanks for all of the yummy recipes!
Hi Carolyn, These peanut butter bars are one of our favorite desserts! So glad you liked them.
Can these bars be frozen?
For years I kept trying every recipe I could find and I could never state that they were THE lunch lady bars. Luckily I live close enough and could buy them straight from their cafe they run here in Davis County. Then I started thinking that the oats I’ve always tried just dry out the bottom layer too much, compared to the originals and I started noticing that the original oats seem WAY smaller. So I decided to try this recipe this past weekend but I put the oats through the food processor for 30 seconds or so. Then I had read that butter dries out baked goods so I used 3/4 butter and 1/4 cup oil. PERFECT!! I can now make my own and they are much better. I may try going 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup oil because they could be just a little moister*. (*everyone’s hated word)
What size pan do you recommend if halving the recipe? Would you change the baking time? Thanks!
If you have a pan that is half the size of the jelly roll pan (cookie sheet), you could give it a try. We always just make the full pan to be safe. You can always freezer leftovers.
We love buying baked goods for huge occasions from the Davis school district. You could also add a little margarine with the butter instead of the oil. That should work great too.
These bars freezer great in a freezer container or freezer bag.
Do I need to refrigerate them after spreading peanut butter on top?
No refrigeration needed. Just let them cool after spreading on the peanut butter. Frost when cooled.
I am getting ready to make these!! Questions: I buy “real” peanut butter for eating (just peanuts and salt) but usually buy “Jif” or “Skippy” style for baking. Which do you recommend for these yummy bars??
We have used Jif, Skippy, and Kroger (store brand) peanut butter. They all work great.
Question? How many days will these keep and best way to store them? I need several pans for a big work event but I need time to get my other food ready too. Made them many times but they’ve never lasted long enough to know how long they’ll keep!!!!
You can freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag and they should be great for a few weeks. You can cut them into bars before freezing.
My family really likes these peanut butter bars. I didn’t grow up with them at school, but now my children can eat them.
These are a crowd favorite! We love them and they make a huge pan! So delicious!
We make these every few months, they are delicious and nostalgic. Literally had them for lunch
These are amazing! It makes a ton so I cut the recipe in half and they keep well in the fridge. I just set them out for an hour or 2 before we are ready to eat them.
Hubby really loves these– major peanut butter fan! I stuck the pan in the freezer after I spread the peanut butter layer and it seemed to be taking forever to cool. The edges were way more brown than the middle of the pan and I was afraid they’d be too crunch but it wasn’t a problem. I ended up using my hands to get the batter in the pan– neither spatula nor rubber scraper worked… tried a greased serving spoon, too… guess that’s another vote for why God gave us those wonderful tools! It makes a lot– froze some, so we’ll see how that works out! Thanks for a yummy recipe, even though I don’t think we ever had them for school lunch… my favorite was the cinnamon roll sticks they served with chili (which I hated at the time but got for the sticks!)
Such a fantastic recipe!!! The texture, the flavors, the quantity…. absolutely perfect! These freeze beautifully, by the way, so don’t be intimidated by the amount if it seems like too much for you. I have frozen these and travelled with them many times! Also quick tip….I have found that spooning and spreading the peanut butter is really difficult. Instead, I put the peanut butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave it fue a few seconds till it becomes runny. Then I pour the peanut butter over the cookie layer and spread as needed. So much easier, and the peanut butter sets up very quickly! Thank you so much for sharing this treasure!!!! I’ve baked millions of cookies and bar recipes, and this is one of the VERY BEST I have ever made!!!!
This recipe is great and easy to make. I make them for youth retreats and camps. On the PB, put 1 cup in the dough and microwave 1 cup to pour on top and spread easily. They are very popular with the kids and adults too. I love to eat them frozen – so good and chewy! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!!
THE BEST!!!
These were delicious and addicting!! I made them with gluten free flour and they turned out great! This will be a favorite for certain!
I’ve made these bars multiple times and they are SO GOOD! My favorite dessert recipe
Great recipe. We love these especially for a crowd.
I do bake the crust for 18-19 minutes. I add an additional tablespoon of cocoa and an additional teaspoon vanilla to the frosting
Made exactly as written only made a little extra chocolate frosting. 15 minutes the was perfect bake time. Delicious! These were a hit with my coworkers
I’m so excited try these bars. These will go perfect with our game night. My theme is 70’s hot lunch. Making all my favorites from back in the day hot lunch. Including the hot lunch trays.
That sound so fun!
These are so fudging delicious. It makes way too much for just my husband and I so I make the whole crust and freeze half of it. Then halve the rest for the topping. I’m lazy so I use chocolate fudge cake frosting and nuke it for a few secs to make it easier to spread.
Where do the graham cracker crumbs that you mentioned in the description, come in?
There are no graham cracker crumbs in this recipe – that was a typo. I’ve gone ahead and edited the post to reflect that. Thanks for the heads up!
This recipe tastes exactly how I remember these as a kid. The frosting is perfect and creamy.
Great recipe. However, had my kid make these and they added the 2 cups of peanut butter to the recipe; it seems wise to separate the PB in the recipe from the on you put on top, for those who would be reading this recipe for the first time.
I made these only change was I nuked the peanut butter so it would pour onto the cookie, spread with offset spatula.
Easy recipe and so delicious.
Everyone asks me to make these for get togethers. They are amazing and so easy.
Thanks
Can’t wait to try this! Question, salted or unsalted butter?
We usually use salted butter but feel free to use whatever you have
These are incredible! We loved them. It makes a ton so I cut the recipe in half after I made them the first time.
These are wonderful, I find them too much for our family though. I’m curious if you’ve Frozen them before successfully? Thanks!
These freeze beautifully!
This recipe is amazing! I made it for our church get together and it was a big hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Is it possible to make these ahead of time and freeze them? I love the recipe and have made them many times, just haven’t ever tried freezing them.
These freeze really well!
This recipe is a favorite. Easy to make and makes a big amount. Perfect for a party! I am taking this batch to work for a baby shower. This is definitely worth making and I highly recommend them! Delish!!!
I plan on making this tomorrow (or maybe later today). Why couldn’y i put all the peanut butter in at oe time? All I have on hand is crunchy PB and felt it might be better all at once.
These are the best! They make a ton, so we cut the recipe in half and there’s still plenty.
Is it a half sheet pan or a quarter sheet pan? It says each in different places.
Dangerously delicious!!!
Mage them twice and they’re a big hit. They’re just as I remember from school. So glad I found your recipe.
This is our favorite recipe! Such a crowd pleaser. I bake them anytime we have a family get together.
Any time we call for a sheet pan, it will be a half size. I don’t believe we use quarter sheet pans in any of our cooking, instead we opt for 9×13″ pans (which is the same size as a quarter sheet pan).
This recipe has become a favorite! I like to do special dark chocolate cocoa powder instead of regular to make them more balanced.
Omg! These were PB & chocolate heaven! I halved the recipe & used a 9×13 pan and also used another reviewers suggestion to boil the butter, milk, & cocoa for the frosting for one minute then whisk in the vanilla & powdered sugar & poured/spread it on the bars while they were still warm & it turned out perfect, like a layer of soft fudge on top! I went to school in California, as did all 3 of my kids, & nothing like this was ever served with school lunches but I wish! These did taste a lot like PB chocolate no bake cookies that I’ve had before, very soft just kind of melt in your mouth. Will def be making these again & again, thank you for sharing this recipe!
I made your recipe and it is delicious. There’s only one in my house that said there wasn’t that strong of a peanut butter flavor. He’s crazy. 😆 A short cut I used was microwaving the peanut butter just until barely liquidy and pouring it on the “cookie” layer. I’m lazy and didn’t have time to do the baby spoon drops. 😆 After the cookie layer is completely cool I poured the peanut butter on top then put it in the fridge to set. I didn’t think I’d have enough frosting but it was enough and did not overpower all the peanut butter flavor. Thank y’all!
These hit the spot. Thank you so much!
I like to be able to stack these bars on a plate without the icing sticking them all together and getting smooshed. Leaving out the butter in the frosting recipe did this quite nicely. Stays firm enough to be stacked !
Can you freeze these?
These freeze great!
Definitely a very good recipe. The bars do taste just like they did as a child despite the substitutions I made of using coconut oil instead of butter in the bars, and turbinado sugar instead of brown and white.
I can’t comment on the frosting because I had to use dairy-free butter substitute in the frosting to accommodate a food allergy, but I think with real butter it would also have tasted just the same.
As it is, it’s a wonderful recipe. Thank you to the authors.
Brings back all the nostalgia of old. My grandkids were fascinated to know that I loved these as a kid in school.
I would give this 10 stars! They are amazing! I’ve made them several times but the last time I just did half of the recipe because it makes a ton!. Delicious!
I have made this recipe for my coworkers a few times bc they keep requesting it. Super easy, absolutely delicious and quick! Easy to follow recipe with ingredients we all probably have in the house already. You MUST make this recipe. It’s the best!
Salted or unsalted butter?
We have used both with great results
Fantastic! Ive made these several times for large group events and they are always very well loved. Delicious! Do not use natural peanut butter… it’s just not the same. Great for a sandwich – not for these.
I made this recipe for a party and it was quite the hit. I cut them down to bite size and everyone loved them.
Has anyone tried this with gluten free flour?
Thank so much for all of the recipe caint wait to make the recipe for my great nephew they are going to love them GOD bless you
This is the best recipe I’ve found! I’m just wondering why mine don’t always come out as dense as they should. They get very airy and crumby? Do I need to reduce flower or bake less or something?
These were great. Made them for a BBQ with company. I am not a big PB fan, but even I liked them enough to gobble down several. 🙃. I thought they were even better the next day. My family really enjoyed them. Thanks for the recipe.
Just made these yesterday. Oh my word, delicious. You have the best recipes. Our weather is brutally cold and snowy right ght now. I made these for a treat after a meeting tonight and it’s been canceled.
Can these be frozen to enjoy later?
The recipe says to use a half baking sheet, but the video below shows a full sized baking sheet. I used a half size, but worry the 15 minutes of cooking time isn’t enough because they seem much thicker than the photos. Not sure what to do
This is a massive hit in my family. We make them all the time and they are the far superior peanut butter bar recipe.