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Leigh Anne Wilkes

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Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Course / Dessert / Bars and Brownies / Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars

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By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 7/09/22Updated: 5/03/24

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

peanut butter bar square on a spatula

This recipe will remind you of that childhood favorite the Lunch lady used to make. Peanut Butter Bars are made with an oatmeal cookie base, topped with creamy peanut butter and a delicious chocolate frosting.

stack of peanut butter bars on a plate

Why You’ll Love These

A Favorite Food Memory. These peanut butter bars reminded me of the ones the lunch lady used to make at school and are often called lunch lady peanut butter bars.

This recipe is meant to serve a crowd, as it makes an entire large sheet pan worth. This makes it perfect for a gathering of family and friends. If you are looking for a small batch version be sure and check out this recipe.

Great texture. A chewy and moist oatmeal cookie base is layered with peanut butter and chocolate for the perfect treat.

side view of peanut butter bars in the pan

Ingredients

  • Butter. I use salted butter, room temperature
  • Sugars, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar
  • Eggs
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Flour. I prefer unbleached all purpose flour
  • Quick Oats
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Peanut Butter. I recommend using creamy peanut butter
  • Butter. I use salted butter, if using unsalted butter add in a bit more salt.
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • Milk. Use what you have in your refrigerator. I usually have 2 percent.
ingredients for peanut butter bars

How to Make Peanut Butter Bars

  • Cream together sugars and butter in a bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
mixing butter and sugar togethe rin a bow
  • Add in eggs and beat until fluffy.
  • Mix in baking soda, salt, flour, oats and vanilla, dough will be moist but not sticky.
spreading dough in a pan
  • Spread on to a jelly roll size cookie sheet
  • Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Don’t over bake.
mixing peanut butter layer together
  • Whip peanut butter in mixer and add vanilla extract.
  • Spread whipped peanut butter over top of warm cookie base.
spreading peanut butter layer on cookie layer
  • Melt Butter over medium heat and stir in cocoa until dissolved and smooth.
mixing chocolate frosting in a sauce pan
  • Add in milk, powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth.
chocolate frosting for peanut butter bars in a pan
  • Spread chocolate peanut butter mixture over the top of the peanut butter layer.

Variations:

To dress them up a bit sprinkle the frosting with some broken up Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate sprinkles or semi-sweet chocolate chips.

peanut butter bar square on a spatula

Frequently Asked Questions

Do leftover need to be refrigerated?

Keep your peanut butter bars covered in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days. No need to store in the refrigerator. You can also just cover them with plastic wrap once the frosting has dried and firmed up a bit. Store bars in the fridge if you prefer them cold.

Can I use something other than peanut butter?

You could use cookie butter or substitute with almond butter or your favorite nut butter.

Can I freeze peanut butter bars?

These bars freeze great and will keep for 2-3 months. Do not freeze until frosting has set. I prefer to flash freeze them in individual bars. Then put the frozen bars into a freezer safe container. Thaw at room temperature.

3 peanut butter bars stacked on top of each other

Check out more of my favorite peanut butter dessert recipes:

  • Small Batch Peanut Butter Bars
  • Peanut Butter Pie
  • Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
  • Peanut Butter Blondies
  • Peanut Butter Skillet Cookie

Be sure and follow me over on You Tube for weekly cooking demos.

5 from 1 vote
peanut butter bar square on a spatula

Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
A delicious peanut butter bar frosted in chocolate frosting.
serves: 20 servings
Prep:15 minutes minutes
Cook:10 minutes minutes
0 minutes minutes
Total:25 minutes minutes
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter salted, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 3 tsp vanilla divided
  • 1 cup peanut butter creamy
  • 1/4 cup butter butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa
  • 3 Tbsp milk
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Cream together sugars and butter.
  • Add in eggs and beat until fluffy.
  • Add in soda, salt, flour, oats and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla.
  • Dough will be moist but not sticky.
  • Spread on to a jelly roll size cookie sheet
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Don’t overbake
  • Whip together peanut butter and 1 tsp vanilla in mixer.
  • Spread over top of warm cookie base.
  • Heat 1/4 C butter in a saucepan and stir in cocoa until dissolved and smooth.
  • Add in milk, powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
  • Mix until smooth and spread over peanut butter layer.

Tips & Notes:

Keep your peanut butter bars covered in an airtight container on the counter for 5-7 days. No need to store in the refrigerator. You can also just cover them with plastic wrap once the frosting has dried and firmed up a bit. If you prefer, they can also be stored in the fridge. They are yummy served chilled.
You could use cookie butter or substitute with almond butter or your favorite nut butter.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 331kcal (17%) Carbohydrates: 42g (14%) Protein: 6g (12%) Fat: 17g (26%) Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 6g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 41mg (14%) Sodium: 221mg (10%) Potassium: 145mg (4%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 29g (32%) Vitamin A: 311IU (6%) Calcium: 25mg (3%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
peanut butter bar square on a spatula
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  1. Dannell says

    Posted on 2/21 at 5:00 am

    What if I don’t have Quick Oats?

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne Wilkes says

      Posted on 2/21 at 7:01 am

      You can use old fashioned oats, just put them in the blender and pulse a few times. If you use old fashioned oats as is, that will work too but it will have a different texture.

      Reply
  2. Lynne says

    Posted on 1/8 at 6:41 pm

    Why does the small batch have peanut butter in the batter but the larger recipe does not call for peanut butter in the batter?

    Reply
    • Leigh Anne Wilkes says

      Posted on 1/9 at 3:26 pm

      I first posted this recipe years ago and just tweeked it a bit when I did the small batch recipe more recently.

      Reply
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