Delicious gluten-free and vegan Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars made with oats, creamy peanut butter, and a rich chocolate topping. An easy, satisfying treat for any occasion!
From elementary school through high school, if you've eaten in a school cafeteria you most likely have enjoyed no-bake lunch lady peanut butter bars.
These bars have a chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookie base, a creamy peanut butter center, and a layer of chocolate on top of the bars. Full of peanut butter flavor, these bars were a favorite treat of mine.
With a few healthier ingredient swaps from the traditional cookie bar, this version is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients
- Perfect balance of sweet and salty
- A must for peanut butter lovers
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the main ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Peanut butter - I prefer and use natural peanut butter in this recipe (just peanuts and salt, no added sugar!).
Rolled oats - Also known as old-fashioned oats, choose certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free lunch lady bars.
Maple syrup - The base of these bars are sweetened with just maple syrup.
Organic cane sugar - Powdered sugar is used for the chocolate frosting. Choose organic to keep it vegan.
Unsweetened cocoa powder - Combined with powdered sugar, vegan butter, and almond milk for a delicious rich chocolate frosting.
Vegan butter or coconut oil - I like using vegan butter for the "buttery" flavor, but either option will work.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup peanut butter and ½ cup of maple syrup over low heat. Stir occasionally until almond butter has melted and the mixture has evenly incorporated about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Place oats in a large bowl. Pour almond butter mixture over oats and stir until oats have been evenly coated.
Step 3: Transfer ¾ of the oat mixture to the prepared pan. Using an extra piece of parchment paper, press the mixture down firmly into an even layer.
Step 4: Place remaining pb in the saucepan and heat over low to melt, stirring often. Pour melted peanut butter on top of the pressed bars and spread with a rubber spatula in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 20 minutes.
Step 5: Once the pb layer has been set, mix the frosting ingredients together in the small saucepan over low heat.
Step 6: Quickly spread over the peanut butter layer and return to the fridge to chill for at least one hour.
Recipe tips
Avoid using quick or instant oats. Rolled oats provide the chewy texture we want and subbing with the instant version will change that.
You can use the same saucepan for the peanut butter mixture and the frosting. No need to clean it!
For best results, keep these peanut butter oatmeal bars in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
How to store
Store these homemade cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also wrap individual squares in plastic wrap to make them easy to pack in school lunches.
More gluten-free peanut butter desserts
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
No Bake Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups peanut butter divided
- ½ cup maple syrup room temperature
- 3 cups gluten-free oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons almond milk
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup peanut butter and ½ cup of maple syrup over low heat. Stir occasionally until almond butter has melted and the mixture has evenly incorporated about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract.
- Place oats in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over oats and stir until oats have been evenly coated. Transfer oat mixture to the prepared pan. Using an extra piece of parchment paper, press the mixture down firmly into an even layer.
- Place the remaining peanut butter in the small saucepan and heat over low to melt, stirring often. Remove from heat and pour melted peanut butter on top of the pressed bars and quickly spread with a rubber spatula in an even layer. Place bars in the refrigerator to set for at least 20 minutes.
- Once the peanut butter layer has set, mix the frosting ingredients together in the same small saucepan until smooth (no need to clean it out - the leftover peanut butter remnants will melt into the frosting). Quickly spread the frosting over the peanut butter layer and return to the fridge to chill for at least one hour or until set.
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