Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
Take a step back in time and enjoy these rich and delicious Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars. These might even taste better than you remember from your school days.
If your cafeteria didn’t offer Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars when you were in school, you’re probably wondering if they are very good. Let me clear that up for you! They are simply delicious!
My friend Karin was sitting in my kitchen a few days ago, when I offered her a peanut butter bar with a cup of coffee. You should have seen the look on her face, as she muttered through a large bite, “these taste exactly like the ones we had in school.“ When I offered to send the rest of them home with her, she happily accepted.
Good To Know
Years ago, schools received a big commodity in peanut butter. Therefore, many schools offered peanut butter bars in their cafeterias. The original peanut butter bars did not have a layer of chocolate on top. Chocolate was not a commodity. Oatmeal was later added to stretch the batter more, when peanut butter wasn’t as readily available.
Ingredients
All-Purpose Flour – Don’t use cake flour in this recipe. These need to be thick and dense.
Salt – Salt always brings out the flavor in all ingredients.
Butter – Use unsalted butter. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe in half.
Eggs – Eggs are used for richness and structure. Make sure to use 4 large eggs.
Light Brown Sugar – It adds moistness and a chewy texture.
Peanut Butter – You can use creamy or chunky in these. You can also use organic natural peanut butter. If you do, make sure to mix it up in the jar before measuring it out into a measuring cup.
Pure Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract adds great flavor to all baked goods, vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, etc. It doesn’t matter what flavor you’re making.
Milk – Add just the amount you need to make a thin glaze. This is not an icing. However, if you prefer icing, simply use less milk.
Powdered Sugar – If your powdered sugar is lumpy, sift it into the pan.
How to make
The bars
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the peanut butter. Stir and allow the peanut butter to melt into the butter. Mix until well combined, remove from heat, and set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt. Mix until combined, making sure there are no lumps in the brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour, mixing just long enough to incorporate the flour. Don’t over mix. Add the melted butter/peanut butter mixture. Mix until well combined.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just slight crumbs on it. Don’t over bake. Allow to cool in pan until just warm. You want to spread the glaze on them while they are slightly warm but not hot. Make the glaze while they are cooling.
The glaze
Add the peanut butter, vanilla and about 2 tablespoon of the milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the peanut butter melts. Remove from heat.
Add the powdered sugar, (if it’s lumpy, I sift it in). Then add the remaining milk as needed. This is suppose to be a thin glaze, so don’t make it too thick. I usually use about 3 tablespoons of milk. Mix well.
Spread thinly over the top of the warm bars, and allow to set for a few minutes for neat looking cuts. Otherwise, go ahead and cut and enjoy!
I cut these bars into 12 very large bars. However, they are rich. You might want to cut them into 16 bars, or even smaller if taking to a party.
Tips
- If you want a thicker glaze, more like icing, simply add more powdered sugar. If that’s the case you might want to double the glaze recipe. This is just meant to be a thin glaze, and it doesn’t make a lot.
- Some recipes today add baking soda. The original recipe didn’t use any leaveners. No baking powder or baking soda. The bars are not suppose to rise in the oven. They are suppose to be thick and dense.
- You can use organic peanut butter in this recipe. However, make sure to mix it up some in the jar before spooning it into your measuring cup. Most organic peanut butter has oil on the top surface that needs to be blended in.
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Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Bars/Brownies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These vintage peanut butter bars will take you back in time. They are dense and rich, and finished with a peanut butter glaze. Nothing but pure peanut butter flavor.
Ingredients
BARS
- 1 cup butter, unsalted
- 1 1/2 cups peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
GLAZE
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
BARS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 cake or sheet pan, and set aside. I use one of my butter wrappers to grease the pan.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the peanut butter. Stir and allow the peanut butter to melt into the butter. Mix until well combined, remove from heat, and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and salt. Mix until combined, making sure there are no lumps in the brown sugar.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour, mixing just long enough to incorporate the flour. Don’t over mix. Add the melted butter/peanut butter mixture. Mix until well combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just slight crumbs on it. Don’t over bake. Allow to cool in pan until just warm. You want to spread the glaze on them while they are slightly warm but not hot. Make the glaze while they are cooling.
GLAZE
- Add the peanut butter, vanilla and about 2 tablespoon of the milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the peanut butter melts. Remove from heat. Add the powdered sugar, (if it’s lumpy, I sift it in). Then add the remaining milk as needed. This is suppose to be a thin glaze, so don’t make it too thick. I usually use about 3 tablespoons of milk. Mix well. Spread thinly over the top of the warm bars, and allow to set for a few minutes for neat looking cuts. Otherwise, go ahead and cut and enjoy! These are so good warm.
- Cut them into 12 large bars or if you’re taking them to a party where there will be other sweets, you can cut them in half again, making 24 bars. They are pretty rich.
- Tightly covered leftovers will keep well for up to 3 days on a counter.