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Retro-style Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars…taking it back to grade school today with these DELICIOUS peanut bars. Picture a doughy buttery, peanut butter cookie base, layered with creamy peanut butter, and the most delectable, roll your eyes back good chocolate frosting that’s rich and fudgy. The added bonus is that these bars require only pantry staple ingredients and take almost no effort to make. They’re sweet, salty, heavy on the peanut butter, extra chocolatey, and every last bite is truly delicious. The perfect treat to enjoy as an afternoon/after-school/homeschool snack and for any upcoming fall gatherings with family or friends.
The truth really is that I love each and every recipe I share with you guys. I work endlessly to only share the best of the best with you guys. There are many, many…and I do mean many…recipes that you never see because they just aren’t good enough. The recipes I share with you guys have to be really good, so because of this, I love them all.
That said, I of course have some recipes I might favor slightly more than others.
Case in point, these peanut bars. It’s no secret that my favorite desserts include chocolate and peanut butter. That’s fairly obvious from the amount of peanut butter and chocolate recipes that can be found on the site. I could not love these chocolate frosted peanut bars more. If you could see me typing away, you’d see my excitement
It’s dorky, I know, but I love it when I really LOVE a recipe. That said, I have so many reasons why I love this recipe…and it’s not just about the taste.
So here comes the story.
I’ve been talking about this all week, but it’s back to school time, and for me, that brings back a lot of feelings. For as much as I hated school growing up, I always somewhat enjoyed this time. Back to school meant, new clothes, new supplies, and the excitement of the fall season ahead.
And also? Lunchroom desserts. YES, you guys know what I’m talking about.
For me personally, I never bought a school lunch. Mom always packed our lunches when we were younger. But the one thing we did always get to enjoy was pizza day. Oh, pizza day. If I’m remembering correctly, it only happened once a month (if not it seemed like it was a month!). It was a day we looked forward to all month long. We loved pizza day!
I mean of course, we got to eat cheesy pizza (yumm), but even better than the pizza?
The “lunchroom” desserts that came with it. Also known as the desserts that all the PTA moms would bring in. Enter the giant chocolate chip cookies and the generously frosted chocolate peanut butter bars. Again, yumm!
Today I took inspiration from my grade school days and really thought back to what I loved most about those “lunchroom” peanut bars.
They were doughy, heavy on the peanut butter, and frosted with the most delicious fudgy chocolate frosting. The frosting was a cross between fudge, frosting, and icing. Hard to explain, but I get the feeling many of you know what I’m talking about.
Who else enjoyed a good ole’ chocolate peanut butter bar on pizza day? Any of you? I can’t be alone on this one.
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars…the details.
For once, this dessert didn’t take me forever to perfect. Though I did have to make the frosting about four times to get it JUST right.
These bars are easy…so easy…and very hard to mess up.
Start with the peanut cookie base. I used my favorite blondie recipe that’s pretty much foolproof. It doesn’t even require a mixer, just mix with a spoon and bake. So simple. As soon as the peanut bars come out of the oven, dollop them with a hefty amount of creamy peanut butter. The key is to add the peanut butter while the bars are still warm. The heat from the bars allows the peanut butter to melt into one even layer and make spreading the peanut butter out very simple.
Now let the bars chill completely.
In the meantime, make the frosting.
I have some words on this frosting.
When I set out to make these I had a picture of the frosting in my head and I needed to recreate that picture. The frosting needed to be thick and fudgy, but yet soft and almost runny. Think of a just set top that has glazed over and stiffened, but then underneath is fudgy, loose frosting.
Very old school, very vintage, that’s what I was going for. Like the kind of frosting your grandma would make.
Yummm (apparently, this is today’s word of the day. Just go with me on it).
What is the secret?
The mix of ingredients is basic…butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk.
So what’s the trick? Using warm to almost hot milk. The heat from the milk warms the butter and turns the cocoa powder into a rich creamy chocolate. It’s so hard to explain, but I promise, it’s beyond good. Just sweet enough, extra chocolatey, smooth, and very fudgy.
Once the bars are cooled, just spread the frosting over top. And that’s it, easy.
You can let the frosting set up or just cut and enjoy, preferably with cold milk, because that’s the best pairing with chocolate and peanut butter.
Nothing too fancy, but all things incredibly delicious.
I know that things look different this year. But whether you or your kids are heading back to the classroom, or just homeschooling, these bars make for the perfect dessert to enjoy anytime, mid-school day, after school, late night. They all work. Just bake, eat, and enjoy all the deliciousness.
And if your kids are home, these are easy enough for them to help bake up too!
Looking for easy “lunchroom” style back to school desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lastly, if you make these lunchroom chocolate peanut butter bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 344 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup warmed milk
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. In a microwave safe bowl, melt together the butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Stir in the brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. 3. Press/spread the dough out into the prepared dish. Transfer to the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until just set in the center. Remove from the oven and dollop tablespoon size spoonfuls of the peanut butter over the bars, lightly spreading the peanut butter in an even layer. Let cool completely. 4. To make the frosting. Add the butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and 1/4 cup warm milk to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth, adding additional warm milk until the frosting becomes thicker, but still drizzly. Taste, adding more sugar if needed. Spread the frosting over the bars. Let set for 1-ish hour…or slice, snack, and enjoy!
Notes
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Storing: these bars keep well for 3-4 days at room temperature or in the fridge.
To cool the bars quickly for frosting: place in freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and frost.
To Bring Eggs to Room Temperature: place the eggs in a bowl and fill with warm water. Let sit 5 minutes.
Made these twice now… hubby LOVES them!
Hi Paige,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) xx
Can these be frozen?
Hi Rachelle,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
The recipe wasn’t confusing to me at all! Made these a big hit! This will be my go to peanutbutter bar recipe!?
Hey Jayme,
Perfect!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
I don’t understand the 2 cups of peanut butter listed in the ingredients and then the 1/2 cup listed in the instructions. Was it supposed to be 2 cups in the batter or 1/2 cup? It was very confusing.
Hi Ellen,
The recipe calls for 2 cups of peanut butter, 1/2 cup being used in step 2 and the remaining 1 1/2 cups being used in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I wish the instructions would have been more clear and stated it just like you said on your response. I am sure they would have been delicious if done the right way. I was disappointed in the way they turned out.
These bars are THE BOMB!!! Wow! SOOOO GOOD!! They will definitely be a staple in our household! I only had a TBSP of vanilla extract left and used that for the dough but had almond extract on hand for the frosting. The almond extract was delicious! I am definitely going to use this frosting on other desserts! Thanks so much Teighan for sharing your delicious recipes! I have not made one recipe I didn’t like!
~Wendy ((xx))
Hey Wendy,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xx
Hi! I’d like to make these, but wondered if anyone has tried these with Nutella, instead of Peanut butter? With the JIF PB being in short supply, I was trying to think of a modification! Thanks!
Hey Jennifer,
Sure, I think Nutella would be just fine for you to use! I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xx
These are SO GOOD. Beware: Highly addictive, haha. I’m shocked that some people didn’t care for it. I’m wondering if using a quality peanut butter may be a key with this recipe? I used the Santa Cruz dark roasted creamy peanut butter, and everyone who tried these loved them! Thank you Tiegan!
Ps. I might actually double the icing recipe next time… omg the icing is crazy good!
lol thanks Meredith:)
Hey Meredith,
Perfect! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a hit! Yes, I prefer using a natural peanut butter:) xxT
I’ve been dreaming of this recipe since I saw you share it on Instagram and I’m finally making them now. However, I just noticed the recipe said to only put 1/2 cup of PB in the batter. I put in the whole two cups because I was reading from the ingredients list! I hope these still turn out ok. Ugh, I could cry I’m so mad at myself!
Hi Samantha,
Thanks for making this recipe, so sorry about the peanut butter! Let me know how they turn out:) xx
This recipe is so good! I couldn’t stop eating them. My portions for the frosting were a bit off so it was sort of runny but I ate them right out of the fridge. So amazing cold!
I also ended up putting 1.5 cups of the peanut butter in the batter and only .5 cups on top, I love anything peanut butter and it turned out very good still!
Lol so glad to hear this!!
Delicious! I remember these from the cafeteria in my high school❤️
Hi Wendy,
Happy Labor Day! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:)
Hi Delaney,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! xTieghan
I’m a little confused. Two cups of peanut butter , using 1/2 cup in the base, melted with butter. Then dollop a total of 1 and 1/2 cups over the baked crust? Isn’t that a lot?
Hi Theresa,
That’s really the point of the recipe, they are peanut butter bars:) But if you want to use less then go for it! I hope you love these, let me know how they turn out! xx
Made these today and OMG were they so good!! Just by looking at the recipe and photos, it is easy to imagine how good these are but they far exceeded my expectations— they might be one of your very best recipes! simple but so flavorful and comforting! Feel like this could be an easy recipe to whip up in my dorm kitchen this fall ?
Hi Emily,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great Saturday! xT
I made these last night. I couldn’t stop eating them. Somehow, they weren’t cloyingly sweet which I find is the case with sweet stuff in general. These were perfect and hit all the right notes for me, sweet, salty, tender but firm. I’m bringing what remains to my mother-in-laws house tonight. YUMMY!
I don’t get notified when there’s a response to my comments, am I doing something wrong?
Thank you!
Hi Laura,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! You should get a notification via email. Have a great weekend:)
I made the similar recipe out of your cookbook. Can I store in the fridge or will that mess up the crust? I live in Phoenix and it’s super hot here still and the chocolate still isn’t setting up completely after 2 hours!
Hey Amanda,
Sure, you can totally keep in the fridge! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Friday! xT
Amazing && very easy to make! Usually have all the ingredients on hand aswell. Will be making these for any upcoming party or holiday.
Hi Danielle,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
Made these today and they were a hit!! After dolloping the peanut butter on the baked cookie like bottom I popped the pan back into the still warm oven for a minute or so, which warmed the PB to a perfect spreadable consistency. They were very rich but definitely satisfied the chocolate and peanut butter cravings!
Hi Karen,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for sharing your review and making it! xxT
The crust was so disappointing. Very dry, crumbly, and lacking flavor. I thought the texture would be like a cookie/blondie combo, but it was neither. It would have been hard to swallow on its own had there not been peanut butter and chocolate on top.
Hi there,
Thanks for trying the recipe, sorry to hear about your cookie portion. Was there anything you may have adjusted that I can help with? Let me know! xx