Thursday, December 10, 2009

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars





Remember the peanut butter bars from elementary school lunch? They were the BEST! I searched the internet high and low and found this recipe that is very similar to the ones from elementary days. I even had the chance to do a taste test with the real deal at a Davis County School District lunch one day and I'd say they were about equal. Enjoy!

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars
This recipe is for a large 18X13 inch pan.


Make sure to half the recipe if you are using a 9X13 inch pan!


Cream together:
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar, packed
1 C butter, softened

Add and combine:
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 C peanut butter (I prefer chunky because I like peanuts, but original recipe calls for creamy)

Add and mix with above mixture:
2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Add last:
2 C oats (I prefer whole oats, but the original recipe called for quick oats)

Spread dough on greased cookie sheet cake pan.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-23 minutes until golden brown.

While hot, spread 1 ½ C creamy butter on top. This layer should be thin. It is easier to spread the peanut butter if you microwave the it for about 15 seconds so it is hot and thin.

Cool so that peanut butter is solid again. It helps if you place pan into the refrigerator for 10 minutes after they are completely cooled off so the peanut butter will become very solid.

Spread chocolate frosting on top. This layer should be thicker than peanut butter layer.

Cut into bars.

Hershey’s Cocoa Best Frosting
18X13 pan:not needed to double frosting recipe.

½ C butter
4 TBS Hershey’s Cocoa
1 tsp vanilla well.
4 TBS milk
4 C powdered sugar



1. Melt butter over low heat in medium saucepan.

2. Gradually add all other ingredients and mix well. Make sure you put frosting onto peanut butter bars immediately because this recipe sets rather quickly.

1 comment:

Heather said...

These are delish! Katry made them in a 9x13 pan without halving it. We just baked them longer- they turned out great and that is the way we do them all the time now. Yummers! Thanks for the recipe.