Were these an offering in your junior high or high school? Wait, how old are you and where did you grow up? Some… unspecified number of years ago in Idaho Falls, ID, there was a secret room ’round the corner from the public lunch options, where a not popular but not un-liked seventh grader and her much cooler friends used to lumber like zombies to obtain two squares of… well, crack in the form of butter and sugar and oats and peanut butter and chocolate frosting.
I can’t speak for all seventh grade girls, but many don’t want to be seen with a tray of food because that would make her look like she actually cares about eating at lunchtime, and it’s not cool to care about anything. Seventh grade girls do, however, need to eat, and – actually – have pretty voracious appetites (after probably having skipped breakfast), so it is a necessity to eat something. The Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bar is the perfect option because 1) you don’t have to stand in the traditional dorky lunch line and 2) it’s a little rebellious to eat dessert for lunch. Plus, 3) the peanut butter bar is (was) like 25 cents, so you could get two and pocket the rest of the lunch money that your parents gave you, which, overtime, could add up to a significant profit if one was patient. Also, 4) THEY ARE DELICIOUS BEYOND ALL REASON.
What is it about peanut butter, oats, and chocolate? Take the no-bake cookie, for example. Hits the spot every dang time.
Surprisingly, these bars are not greasy and end up the most perfectly soft-and-chewy texture. We like them really thick so we multiply the recipe by 1.5 and bake them in an 18 X 13 inch half-sheet pan. We don’t multiply the frosting ingredients as we find the amount is perfect as-is. The ingredient amounts listed below reflect this thicker bar version edit.
You can pour the peanut butter on the bars while they are still warm, but be sure and let the peanut butter cool before frosting so the two layers remain distinct.
Thank you, Our Best Bites, for posting this recipe!
Adapted ever so slightly from: Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Bars.
- Cookie Base:
- 1.5 (3 sticks) cup real butter, at room temperature
- 1.5 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 2.25 cups peanut butter, chunky or smooth
- 4 or 5 eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 2.25 teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ teaspoons table salt
- 4.5 cups all purpose flour
- 4.5 cups quick oats
- ¾ cup peanut butter
- Fudge Frosting:
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed 18 X 13-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray the cookie sheet lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and mix. Add flour mixture to dough. Beat to combine. Add oats and mix until incorporated.
- Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer. Bake for about 15 minutes, but up to 20. I’ve noticed that baking time can greatly differ depending on elevation, product brands (especially the peanut butter) etc. The center should be puffed and set, but still soft. Do not over-bake.
- Drizzle ¾ cups melted (just nuke it in the microwave) peanut butter over crust. Let cool before making chocolate frosting.
- Make chocolate frosting (do this when you're ready to frost as the frosting will harden as it sits so you'll want to spread frosting right away): whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and glossy.
- Let cool (or leave slightly warm) and cut into squares and serve.
