Lunch Lady Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Everyone knows this treat as the Lunch Lady Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars. They have been a part of just about everyone’s childhood school lunch experience.
What makes these peanut butter bars so iconic is that just about every school in America had its own version. Some people remember them from elementary school, others, like my husband, remember them from high school. Either way, they are a nostalgic treat.
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Even if your school never served these mouthwatering treats, you need to make them. Why? So when your friends talk about them, you know exactly what they are talking about.
A little bit about this recipe. It’s from my husband’s Pennsylvania high school. We’d only been married about a year when we went to his 10-year reunion. They gave every alumni attendee a goodie bag, and this recipe was in it. This version is baked.
My husband couldn’t wait for me to make them! He has very fond memories of these old-school cafeteria peanut butter bars. One might even call them buckeye bars.
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What ingredients do I need for Lunch Lady Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars?
- Butter – I used unsalted butter, but if you use salted butter, omit the salt.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Creamy Peanut Butter – I’ve never tried using crunchy peanut butter, and the texture will definitely be different and not at all like the cafeteria treat.
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Powder
Plus, for the chocolate glaze, you’ll need:
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Cocoa
- Butter
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Milk
Use a good-quality peanut butter (not natural); it would separate. Better ingredients make better recipes.
Needless to say, they have been made and enjoyed many times over the years.
Tips and Suggestions
This recipe makes a large pan of bars, so it’s ideal for large gatherings or a potluck party. The original recipe didn’t specify the size of the sheet pan, so I started with my smaller one and worried it was too small.
I decided to use a larger size, 17.25 by 11.5 inches, and it was perfect. I decided to bake lunch lady peanut butter bars for 25 minutes to start, and that was just enough time.
This is not a recipe that can be made in a baking dish. They need to be made in a sheet pan.
Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate glaze. Trust me when I say it will make the job easier.
Store lunch lady chocolate peanut butter bars on a plate covered with foil, or in an airtight container.
How do you serve lunch lady peanut butter bars?
I like to make a nice presentation and place the bars on one of my vintage cake plates.
Cut the peanut butter bars into squares or bars to serve. You could also cut them into small squares and put them in cupcake liners to serve on a buffet.
They are perfect for church or potluck gatherings, game-day desserts, after-school snacks, holiday cookie trays, bake sales, and fundraisers.
All recipes are tested in my Florida kitchen exclusively by me.
While these would probably be fine without the glaze, it takes them over the top. They are not too sweet and have a nice balance of chocolate and peanut butter.
More Peanut Butter Favorites:
If your family loves peanut butter desserts, try my peanut butter truffle cookies, favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, peanut butter pie, or glazed peanut butter pound cake.
Why are they called “lunch lady”?
They were traditionally made and served by school cafeteria staff, “lunch ladies”, making them a nostalgic childhood favorite.
Do chocolate peanut butter bars need to be refrigerated?
No, it’s not necessary, but if it’s very humid, you may want to put them in the refrigerator to set the chocolate topping.
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and 5-star review on the recipe card below. If you really love this recipe, please share it on your social media!
Lunch Lady Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups flour
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Chocolate glaze:
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Add all at once to peanut butter mixture and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, pat mixture onto a 17.25 x 11.5-inch rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Make the glaze while bars bake: In a stand mixer combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and butter. Mix until moistened. Add vanilla, then mix. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until spreading consistency.
- Glaze while warm with chocolate glaze.
These look so good! My son loves peanut butter and I’m always looking for new ways to use it. He will love these!
These take me right back! And they turned out so good. The chocolate set up perfectly on top without being too thick. 10/10
I made these gluten free and vegan. I used King Arthur gluten free flour blend, and used Bob’s Red Mill Egg replacer, Imperial Margarine (not butter), and Almond milk. They turned out AMAZING! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I remember eating these at Webster High School in the 1980s 😉
These sound exactly like the bars I had at my school in Tracy, California! I have missed them and have searched for the exact recipe. It looks like you came through for me. Thank you so much!!!
Hi Denise! I hope they are everything you remember! I’d love to hear what you think about them.
I was interested in making these but am wondering if the amount of sugar, 2 cups sugar + 3/4 cup soft brown, total of 550 g, which sounds like such a lot, is correct?
Thanks
Hi Sandra,
Yes, that is correct – 2 cups white or granulated sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar. This recipe is from my husband’s HS cafeteria in Pennsylvania. It makes a lot!
We didn’t have cookie bars like this at my school but they look like winners! We did have a lot of gigantic cookies though!
These look amazing! I’d gobble up all of them myself – chocolate and peanut butter are my favorite!
Yumm these look SO good! Definitely something my family would enjoy – anything with a PB chocolate combo makes me happy!
I’m with Karen! We missed out here in California. I’ll have to make these soon.
We did not have these at my school! I was totally deprived! I must remedy that!