Old-Fashioned Cafeteria Peanut Butter Candy

Oh wow, that takes me straight back 😄
Old-Fashioned Cafeteria Peanut Butter Candy—that soft, crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth square wrapped in wax paper. Zero baking. Pure nostalgia.

---

Old-Fashioned Cafeteria Peanut Butter Candy 🥜

Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter

• ½ cup butter, softened

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3–4 cups powdered sugar

• Pinch of salt (if peanut butter is unsalted)

---

Instructions

1. Cream the base
   In a bowl, mix peanut butter and butter until smooth.

2. Add flavor
   Stir in vanilla (and salt if needed).

3. Add powdered sugar
   Gradually mix in powdered sugar until the mixture becomes thick, crumbly, and dough-like.

4. Press and chill
   Press firmly into a parchment-lined 8×8 pan.
   Chill 1–2 hours until set.

5. Slice and serve
   Cut into small squares or bars.

---

Optional Cafeteria-Style Upgrades

• Chocolate top: Spread melted chocolate over the chilled candy

• Fork marks: Press lightly on top for that authentic school-lunch look

• Extra crumbly texture: Add powdered sugar until it almost doesn’t want to cooperate

---

Why This Candy Worked

• Cheap ingredients

• No baking required

• High-energy (perfect for growing kids)

• Shelf-stable for bake sales and lunchrooms

---

Storage

• Room temp: 2–3 days

• Fridge: up to 1 week

• Freezer: up to 2 months (cut first!)

---

If you want, I can give you the chocolate-topped lunchroom version, a healthier throwback, or help you scale this for a bake sale or holiday trays.