Description
Peanut Butter Lunch Lady Cookie Bars are thick, chewy, old-school dessert bars packed with rich peanut butter flavor and topped with a smooth, fudgy peanut butter frosting. A classic cafeteria-style treat that’s easy to bake and absolutely irresistible.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk (more as needed for consistency)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine melted butter and peanut butter until smooth. Stir in granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt; mix until fully incorporated.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 28–32 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
- While bars bake, prepare the frosting: in a saucepan, melt butter and peanut butter together. Remove from heat, stir in powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread frosting over warm bars. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Frost while bars are still slightly warm for the perfect texture and shine.
- Add chopped peanuts or chocolate chips for extra flair.
- Bars store well covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 130mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: peanut butter bars, lunch lady cookies, old school dessert, cafeteria bar recipe, chewy peanut butter squares