Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

May, 2nd 2022 By Recipes by Sugar

Recipe Credit: Recipes By Sugar

These Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars are a trip down memory lane for me. These taste exactly like they did back in high school. I can remember always eating them with a fork as they are so soft, they just fall apart. The flavoring of the peanut butter bar and the chocolate frosting is a match made in heaven. I will forever be making these as they are perfect! Someone from SEP actually shared the ingredients for this recipe. However, it had no instructions and was actually missing an ingredient.

Ingredients for Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

• 1 and 2/3 cups peanut butter
• Little less than 1 cup brown sugar, do not fill whole cup
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups quick oats

Frosting

• 2 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup milk

Utensils Needed

• Medium mixing bowl x 2
• Spatula x 2
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Handheld mixer
• 9 x 13 jelly roll pan
• Metal spatula for serving

Directions for Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook Time: 12 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, add peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar. Cream together.
3. Next, add vanilla, mix.
4. Then, add oats and mix well. It will be a thick sticky dough.
5. In your 9 x 13 jelly roll pan, place parchment paper down.
6. Dump dough mixture onto parchment paper and use your hands to evenly press across the pan.
7. Place in the over and cook for 10 – 15 minutes. Dough will firm up a bit, not much color change. (The dough almost lightens up from baking, reference photos below).
8. Place pan on the counter and let cool.
9. While dough is cooking and cooling, you can prepare your frosting.
10. In a medium mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients.
11. Use your hand held mixer and mix on low. Once, ingredients start to mix, you can turn up speed.
12. Mix until well combined. (If your butter is not softened, it will clump).
13. Once bars are cooled, you can frost and serve! (I had extra frosting, do what you want with it. They usually only have a thing layer of frosting).

Variations

• You can easily double this recipe and make it in a half sheet jelly roll pan.
• I cooked my dough for 12 minutes, my oven almost always takes longer then directed. So I would go with 10 minutes.
• As I checked the dough, it stayed pretty squishy. When I checked it at 12 minutes, it had firmed up and was not as sticky. I called that good. These bars are not supposed to be crispy.
• You would probably be okay using any oats, but I would strongly suggest using the quick oats for this.
• I have not tried it, but I am sure you would be fine to use almond butter.