You know, because we don’t have enough peanut butter on this site. Or chocolate. Or cookies. I can almost guarantee once you make these for the first time you will become addicted and have to make them all the time. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it makes a ton (they’re baked in a large sheet pan). That can be both dangerous and helpful. Mostly helpful. If I have to feed a crowd, this is my go-to. They honestly are SO fast. The dough comes together in about 5 minutes and they only bake for about 10. And then you can feed a gazillion (okay slight exaggeration) people when you’re done and they will all love you. I originally got this recipe from two friends (thanks Carolyn and Alisa!) and it seems to be one of those recipes that just ‘goes around’. Apparently this was a common treat in school lunches back in the day and I’m starting to feel majorly ripped off that all I got was soggy pizza. If anyone knows the original source, I’d love to know, but it seems to just be traced back to either everyone’s grandma or everyone’s lunch ladies! Let us cook.
These start off like most good things do: with butter and sugar.
In goes yummy nummy peanut butter. Smooth or chunkified, totally up to you.
Then some eggs
(and there’s some vanilla in there too)
Then toss in the dry ingredients
You should have a nice soft dough at this point; a little softer than a normal cookie dough. Definitely take a big ol’ bite of that.
And then add some oats.
That’s it for the dough- just press it into a big rimmed cookie sheet. (By the way, have I ever told you how much I love these pans?? They come with lids. Brilliant. Makes baking stuff like this and then storing or transporting sooo easy. Love love love them.) I usually line mine with foil because I have a thing for covering pans in foil. If I can avoid washing a pan, I’m all for it. Pop that pan in the oven to bake- they only take about 10 minutes.
While those are in the oven, rinse out your bowl real quick and whip up the frosting. Oh my gosh this frosting is so good. It’s melty and buttery and chocolatey and so many other good words I can’t think of right now.
You’ll want to put the frosting on when the bars are still warm, and just after the frosting itself is done. Otherwise it stiffens up and becomes hard to spread.
Mmmm…giant pan of soft cookie…
This next photo is borderline ridiculousness. Dumping melted peanut butter on top of a giant peanut butter cookie and below a layer of ooey gooey chocolate frosting is completely unnecessary. It’s also very delicious.
You can skip this step, or embrace it, depending on how wild you’re feeling that day.
Then pour on that frosting, or rather “plop” on the frosting. Like I said, do it right after you make it and while the bars are still warm so it spreads on easily and doesn’t break your cookie.
Since I took forever taking pictures my frosting isn’t as smooth and glossy as it will look for you. Yours will be beautiful, I promise. I also picked up some of those peanuts from below. It’s all good.
That’s all there is to it, well except for the eating part which is the most important. Once the bars are cool, they are super soft cookie squares with chocolate that melts in your mouth.
You can also eat these slightly warm, and they’re amaaazing. They’re so soft and the chocolate frosting is more like melted chocolate fudge so you’ll want to grab a fork.
These have so much flavor and richness that they also work great with a scoop of ice cream, and heck, throw some hot fudge on there too just for good measure. In fact, this is how we eat them most often at our house. Because a scoop of ice cream makes just about everything better.
Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Bars
Compliments of Lunch Ladies and Grandmothers Everywhere
Cookie Base
1 cup real butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter, chunky or smooth
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups quick oats
optional: an extra 3/4 cup peanut butter, see notes in recipe below
Fudge Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed cookie sheet (standard half-sheet pan) lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and add mixture to dough. Beat to combine. Add oats and mix until incorporated. Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, but up to 15-20. I’ve noticed that baking time can greatly differ depending on elevation, product brands (especially the peanut butter) etc. The center should be puffed and set, but still soft. The one thing you don’t want to do is overbake them. So just keep an eye on them.
While crust is baking, prepare frosting. Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and glossy.
When cookie crust is done baking, if desired drizzle about 3/4 cups melted (just nuke it in the microwave) peanut butter on top and then spread on frosting. Let cool (or leave slightly warm) and cut into squares to serve. If also desired (and what’s not to be desired here?) serve with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. Moan while eating.
I grew up on that recipe (as well as for school lunch). It’s always been my go to! I love it but was interested to see that yours is exactly doubled from my recipe! Guess I can now get twice the yumminess from a sheet cake now 🙂
Sounds delicious!
Man they never served anything like this where I went to school but I will for sure be making these to pack for my daughters lunches this school year. =0)
Thank you! I have been looking for this recipe. Favorite part of school lunch. I just need to find the recipe for those chocolate cookies dusted with powder sugar.;)
I tried these today and they are AMAZING!!! So delicious!
ha! to echo what everyone else said, these are totally school lunch peanut butter fingers! my great grandma was a davis county utah lunch lady, and her recipes is very similiar. our recipe has a boiled icing instead though. we are going camping tonight and i think i will try your version out.
Funny, we just had these at a bbq! Love them!
Two of my favorite things (peanut butter and chocolate). I would make these today since I’m getting ready to go to the store, but I’m also going out of town for four days starting tomorrow morning. I will make these when I get back home. Yum!
So I gotta say that I am so glad you posted this recipe! It has been a family favorite since I was a little girl. My grandma worked for an elementary school in Bountiful, UT and that is where she got the recipe. We always called them Butterfingers. So Sara, this recipe came from school lunch and my grandma!
Everyone keeps commenting on how these taste like something served at school lunch…well I wish I had gone to a school, like that!! These look better than anything I ever ate at school:)
OMG! My mouth is watering just looking at these pictures! Tomorrow is my birthday… maybe I’ll make this instead of getting cupcakes!
I LOVE your new format. I can now print JUST the recipe and not everything on the page. GREAT JOB.
Carol
I make goodies for our ward mission meeting every Wednesday, and this is what will be made tonight. What a great recipe!
I wish my monitor was “scratch and sniff”….and I will never know how you dont weigh 750 pounds, with all these incredibly awesome recipes you keep posting.
I love these too–big hit every time I make them! I also do the chocolate chips on top, as opposed to the frosting–but I am a milk chocolate girl. 🙂 YUM-O!! I’ll have to try your frosting sometime–when I find myself with a little extra time, and no choc. chips. 😀
Wow, that brings me back to school lunch!! I can’t wait to make these!
Looks wonderful! Maybe I’ll give this a try tonight. Oh, what size pan are you using?
Just a standard half-sheet pan. Usually they are about 13″ x 18″
You will never need to convince me that pb + choc = best combo EVER!
How did you know I was trying to find a recipe for tonight that made a lot and was chocolately but less common than chocolate chip cookies? These will be perfect! Thank you! A sweet friend of mine, the one who actually introduced me to this blog, makes peanut butter bars like this and I’ve been missing her, so this will be a fun way to pretend she around again. 🙂
These look amazing!! I love anything with peanut butter and chocolate! Topping them with ice cream and hot fudge sounds right up my alley! You ladies are amazing!!
Yum! I have everything for it right now to make it. I consider it healthy since it has oats in it and peanuts are protein!
You think like me Denise 😉
When did you guys start OBB Our Best Picks? So fun!!! I just bought a couple of those pans from Gygi’s about two weeks ago!
And, no, there are not enough recipes here for chocolate or peanut butter, and definitely not enough cookies.
You know, it’s always been sort of hiding there! We’re trying to get it all finished up (as in, filled up with all of our fave things) and then we’ll point out that it’s actually there! lol
I don’t think I can stop myself from clicking over there and getting that purdy turquoise immersion blender today 🙂
I am a strong believer that you can never have too much peanut butter + chocolate, or cookies! And to have them all in one is just divine.
My grandma used to make these…except instead of the frosting, she just threw some semisweet chocolate chips on top right when it came out of the oven. Once they melt, spread and eat! Probably not as tasty as the frosting recipe here…BUT, it works great to make this super quick/simple recipe even more so (plus less dishes)!
Great tip!
Oh wonderful 🙂 We have a ward pot luck this Sunday. These would be a perfect dessert!!
These are A-MAZING! My recipe for these came from a Ward Cookbook, which gives credit to Stephanie Wilkey. But they taste just like the peanut butter bars that they used to serve us for school lunch. Whoever or wherever they came from they are super delicious!
You’re right–these do look amazing. And dangerous. In my opinion, that’s the best combination. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Mmmm!! I have hot fudge stuff in my pantry! This will be a must have treat for today! Anything to use Ice cream for in an excessive heat warning!! Thank you for sharing this.
I remember these being served with our school lunches when I was a kid. I got my recipe from my Grandma, and it is very similar to yours. These are always a big hit & one of my most requested recipes!!!
This exact recipe has been in my family for years.. It came from the school lunch lady in springville Utah along long time ago! We love it!