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Lunch Lady Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Bars. Taking it back to grade school today with these DELICIOUS peanut butter oatmeal bars. Picture a doughy, buttery, peanut butter oatmeal cookie base, layered with creamy peanut butter, and the simplest chocolate glaze that’s rich and fudgy. These bars require a simple box of vanilla cake mix, oats, butter, peanut butter, an egg, and plenty of chocolate. Almost zero effort goes into these bars. They’re sweet, salty, heavy on the peanut butter, extra chocolatey, and every last bite is truly delicious.
Well, aren’t these fun! I love this recipe. It’s honestly so different for me, but yet, the same. You all, I used my first box of vanilla cake mix to create these bars. And while I don’t love using store-bought ingredients like cake mix every day, they have a time and a place.
Recently I have been so intrigued by the idea of a dump, mix, and bake style recipe. Something very retro and something very easy. With the amount of cooking and baking I’ve been doing daily, I think I just needed to find new things to excite me and keep me feeling creative.
Well, I am excited! I just adore these no-effort peanut butter butter.
Plus, they’re fun! They remind me of the peanut butter bars the lunch day would hand out on Pizza Day at school. We’d get a choice of a peanut butter cookie bar or a chocolate chip cookie.
Do you all remember those? Did your school offer them? Either way, I love these take-me-back-to-being-a-kid bars! And what I love even more is just how yummy each bar is.
Little Oslo is totally obsessed!
Here are the details
Step 1: mix the wet ingredients
Beat together a stick of softened salted butter, melted coconut oil, an egg, and creamy peanut butter.
That’s it!
Step 2: the dry mix
For this step, you’ll need your favorite box of vanilla cake mix and some old-fashioned oats. Mix the cake mix and oats into the wet ingredients until combined.
Step 3: bake and glaze
Next, we bake. These take about 25 minutes. You want them to be a little doughy in the center, so be sure to not overbake.
For the glaze, it’s simply mini chocolate chips melted with milk. Just two simple ingredients and you’ll have a creamy, dark, and rich glaze that stays soft on the bars. It’s delicious and leaves you with chocolatey fingers. Exactly what we all want.
What’s the secret?
The mix of ingredients is basic, especially the cake mix. It makes it easier the put these bars together and adds a yummy, sweet vanilla flavor.
Nothing too fancy, but all things incredibly delicious.
The perfect dessert to enjoy mid-school day, after school or work, for lunch meetings, and definitely late at night. Just bake, eat, and enjoy all the deliciousness!
Looking for easy Lunch Lady style desserts? Here are a few ideas:Â
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Lastly, if you make these Lunch Lady Chocolate Glazed 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!
Lunch Lady Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Bars.
Servings: 24 bars
Calories Per Serving: 228 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1 box (16 ounce) vanilla cake mix
- 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup milk
- chocolate sprinkles optional
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, coconut oil, egg, and 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Add the cake mix, oatmeal, and 1/4 cup water. Mix until combined. 3. Spread the dough out into the prepared dish. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until just set in the center. Remove and dollop the remaining 1 cup of peanut butter over the bars, gently spreading the peanut butter in an even layer. Chill until set. 4. To make the glaze. Melt the chocolate chips and milk on 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Spread the glaze over the bars. Let set for 30 minutes, slice, snack, and enjoy! Keep stored at room temp or in the fridge.
My kids and I made these a few weeks ago, and they were a hit. We topped them with rainbow sprinkles. After I cut them into squares, I put half in the freezer for a later date. We will definitely make again!
Hey Kristen,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend:) xT