This tempting Soft and Chewy Fall Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars recipe is packed with peanut butter, marshmallows, lightly salted peanuts, and candy corn. This easy bar recipe is an homage to the delicious combination of peanuts and candy corn – one of my favorite seasonal snacks.
It’s also a fun and tasty recipe to make with the kiddos this fall. So read on, then grab your ingredients and meet me back here to run through the recipe.
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My Fall Favorites in These Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars
Four peanuts to every one candy corn. That’s the appropriate ratio of peanuts to candy corn. For me, it’s the perfect balance of crunchy salty peanuts to sweet candy corn. It’s a flavor combination that I crave every fall. The craving doesn’t last long – maybe a month or so and only a few handfuls total over the course of that window of time, but there’s something about that sweet-salty combination that signals fall for me.
There’s not a lot to say about this recipe for soft and chewy peanut butter rice krispie bars. It’s really pretty straightforward. I suppose not all recipes have to be gourmet, highly-technical creations. Lately, this is a philosophy that I have been feeling more deeply. Some of the simplest, most beautiful recipes were born out of need – like historical desperation cooking recipes – or to fulfill a need. In the case of this recipe, the need is to create some fun, tasty memories in the kitchen with little ones, and to spark their interest in cooking. This recipe is about building recipe around making memories.
However, there are a few rules you will need to adhere to for success, but don’t worry. They’re very simple.
- First off, you need a mainstream peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butters will break apart and leave your bars oily. Stick with a supermarket brand.
- Salted butter is best for this recipe. The salt in the butter will melt into the wet mixture and season the bars. The touch of salt also helps to balance the sweetness of the marshmallows.
- Use lightly salted peanuts. In development, I found regular salted peanuts to be a touch too salty. No-salt-added peanuts were bland and did nothing to cut the sweetness of this dessert. Lightly salted, roasted peanuts hit that perfect sweet and salty balance that we all crave in a snack.
- Don’t be tempted to overbake the finished bars. Three to four minutes in the oven is all that’s needed for the marshmallows to puff up. Don’t be tempted to give these bars more time. Overbaking will cause the candy corn to melt and spread over the top. They only need a brief 3-4 minutes in the oven to puff up and set.
Easy, right? If you stick to these rules, you’ll be a happy baker every time.
Breaking Down This Recipe for Fall Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars
Before anything else, we begin by preparing a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and lining it with parchment paper. It’s important to press the paper against the bottom and sides of the pan so that it rests flat, with no bumps or wrinkles. Spray the inside of the parchment paper lightly to help prevent sticking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and set the pan aside until you are ready to build your peanut butter cereal treats.
The process for making these soft and chewy peanut butter rice krispie bars is pretty simple. Peanut butter gives these bars their nutty flavor. You can use either creamy or chunky peanut butter. I like the added crunch of chunky peanut butter, but you can use either.
The butter, peanut butter, marshmallows and vanilla are combined in a large pot and melted over low heat. The goal is to warm the mixture until it is just melted and combined. Once the wet mixture is completely melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the puffed rice cereal.
If you like a taller cereal bar, you can double this portion of the recipe. I’ve never been a fan of overly tall treats as I dislike having to unhinge my jaw like a python to eat them. For this reason, I tend to go shorter, but even I have to admit they are pretty when you double the base.
Once the base is built, you’re ready to top and finish your peanut butter cereal treats in the oven. We finish the bars by adding a layer of marshmallows, roasted, lightly-salted peanuts and candy corn. Pop in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F. for 3 – 4 minutes – just long enough to puff up the marshmallows, but not enough to make the candy corn melt.
The final step in this recipe is arguably the most difficult. You have to wait for them to cool completely before you can cut into them. It’s so very hard, but they will be so much easier to cut if you do. As for cutting, do you know the secret to a clean cut with these sticky treats?
EXPERT CUTTING TIP: When you’re ready to cut the bars, lightly spray both sides of your knife with nonstick baking spray. The spray will keep the sticky marshmallow from clinging to the sides of your knife, and will give you clean slices.
Fall Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars: Easy Fall Desserts You Can Make With the Kiddos
When my daughter was little, I often kept her close by in the kitchen with me. When she was in her high chair, I’d slip her something new to try and watch her face as she experienced a new flavor or texture for the first time. Some things she’d gobble up right away. Others were slyly slipped or outright tossed to our dog, who was usually more than happy to help clean up whatever made its way to the floor.
The time she spent in the kitchen was more than just a way to introduce her to new foods. Cooking together became a way to learn. We learned colors. We learned the difference between sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory. Baking was her first lesson in fractions (1/4 cup goes into a 1 cup measure four times, and so on). She got to experiment in the kitchen. I can’t tell you how many rolls of banana sushi she and her daddy made together. Yes, it was exactly how it sounds – bananas wrapped in seasoned sushi rice and nori — and we proclaimed all her creations as being chef’s kiss “delicious”!
I like to think those early years were a sort of foodie gateway for her. Any recipe that encourages children to get in the kitchen and play is a wonderful thing in my book.
If you’re looking for other fun recipes to make with kids, this one for Easy 20 Minute Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix (AKA Turkey Bait) is another you may want to check out. It’s one of those easy fall desserts that’s fun to make with the kiddos – especially when they are bursting with holiday excitement and anticipation. As for this recipe, rest assured that no Turkeys were captured or consumed using this mix as bait. That would just be silly.
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Tempting Fall Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy24
servings20
minutes5
minutesThis easy bar recipe is an homage to the delicious combination of salted peanuts and sweet candy corn – one of my favorite seasonal snacks.
Ingredients
- For the peanut butter bar base – NOTE You can double this portion of the recipe if you like a taller base.
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. salted butter4 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
- For topping the bars
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup roasted, lightly-salted peanuts
1/2 cup candy corn
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Preparing a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and lining it with parchment paper. Press the paper against the bottom and sides of the pan so that it is flat. Spray the top of the parchment paper lightly to help prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Prepare the peanut butter bar base
- In a large pot, combine the butter, peanut butter, marshmallows and vanilla. Melt over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Once the wet mixture is completely melted, remove it from the heat and stir in the puffed rice cereal. If you like a taller cereal bar, you can double this portion of the recipe.
- Gently press the rice cereal mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Finish the bars
- Finish the bars by adding a layer of marshmallows, roasted, salted peanuts, and candy corn.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 3 – 4 minutes, just long enough for the marshmallows to puff, but not enough to make the candy corn melt.
- Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely before cutting. For easier cutting, lightly spray both sides of your knife with nonstick baking spray. Cut into 24 even squares.
- Store peanut butter cereal treats in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.
