Classic Peanut Butter Bars

These classic peanut butter bars will transport you right back to your childhood. Not only are they fast to make, but will disappear quickly.

The Story Behind the Classic Peanut Butter Bars

Typically I will see this recipe called Lunchroom Peanut Butter Bars. However, I was never lucky enough to have these served in my school lunchroom growing up. In fact, I didn’t have these until I was 19-years-old. You better believe it was love at first bite.

While my husband and I were dating and engaged, I found myself in a terrible roommate situation. In order to preserve my happiness, I decided to move in with my brother’s in-laws. They lived close to the college I was attending and had extra room for me. It was a fantastic arrangement.

Every Sunday Tim and I were invited to the big family dinner. It was always delicious and always ended with dessert. The desserts would rotate between two recipes. One was store-bought cookie dough baked in individual tins and served with a scoop of ice cream. Obviously these were called pazookies.

However, my favorite was when my sister-in-law would whip up this classic peanut butter bar recipe. I always had a hard time staying out on them. In fact, I always left the house before 7am to get to my job on campus, and if there were leftovers, I would have a slice for breakfast.

This recipe comes together so quickly. While it may be hard to wait for them to cool for the frosting, I promise you it will be worth the wait. Chocolate and peanut butter are such a great combination and these will just prove that fact more.

F.A.Q.S for Classic Peanut Butter Bars

Do you use instant oats or old-fashioned oats?

I almost ALWAYS use old-fashioned oats. I think instant oats dry out any type of cookie dough. Plus, old-fashioned oats give it a great texture.

I need to serve these quickly, how can I speed up the process.

You definitely don’t want to spread that frosting on while the bars are still warm. If you’re in a rush, I would suggest putting the entire pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to help it cool faster.

Is there a brand of peanut butter you would recommend?

I will always suggest using Jif brand peanut butter because I find it the best. I find Skippy to be too sweet, but to each their own. Any brand will work here. However, I would not use an all-natural brand because that will be too runny for this recipe.

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These classic peanut butter bars will transport you right back to your childhood. Not only are they fast to make, but will disappear quickly.

5 from 4 votes

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Course Dessert

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white granulated sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup creamy peanut butter, plus more for spreading on top

For the Frosting

3 tbs cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
2-3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a 9×13 pan and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
Add in the egg and vanilla. Mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add in the baking soda, salt, flour, and oats. MIx until incorporated.
Finally add in the peanut butter and mix.
Press the dough in the the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light and golden around the edges.
Let it cool for 5 minutes before spreading a thin layer of peanut butter on top. I used about ¼-⅓ extra peanut butter on top.
Make the frosting by mixing together all of the ingredients. Add more milk if needed to make the frosting spreadable. Spread on top of completely cooled bars. Serve and enjoy!