Description
Nostalgic school cafeteria peanut butter lunch lady cookie bars bring comfort and sweet memories to dessert lovers. Creamy peanut butter meets classic cookie base, creating irresistible bars perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 sticks (339 grams) butter
- 1 1/2 cups (362 grams) peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (240 grams) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (454 grams) powdered sugar
Liquid and Flavor Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare a cookie sheet with a light grease coating to prevent sticking.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly blend the dry ingredients, ensuring an even distribution of flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, combining eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and well integrated.
- Create a creamy base by gently melting butter and peanut butter together in a saucepan over low heat, maintaining a consistent temperature.
- Fold the melted butter and peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients, then gradually incorporate the egg mixture, stirring until the batter achieves a uniform consistency.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cookie sheet, using a spatula to spread it evenly across the surface, ensuring a consistent thickness.
- Bake for 20 minutes, monitoring until the edges turn a golden brown and the center appears set and slightly firm.
- Allow the baked bars to cool completely at room temperature, which helps stabilize the texture.
- Prepare the frosting by melting butter and peanut butter, then gradually whisking in milk and powdered sugar until achieving a smooth, spreadable consistency.
- Once the bars have cooled, generously spread the peanut butter frosting across the entire surface, creating an even layer.
- Let the frosting set for 5-7 minutes to slightly firm up before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- Adjust oven temperature carefully to prevent burning, as 400F is quite high for cookie bars.
- Replace regular milk with plant-based alternatives like almond or oat milk for dairy-free version.
- Use natural peanut butter without added sugars to control overall sweetness and enhance authentic flavor.
- Consider reducing sugar content by 25% if you prefer less sweet desserts without compromising texture.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 301 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 208 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg