Everyone will love these bars that taste similar to PayDay candy bars. Super easy and full of peanut flavor!
I love trying new recipes. (Which is a good thing when you are a food blogger!) I have a few tried and true recipes that I make over and over again, but by and large, when I go to make something, I’m usually trying a new recipe.
Well, you know that you’ve been blogging a long time, and that you’ve tried hundreds of different recipes, when you find a new recipe that you want to try, only to discover – after it’s made – that you’ve made something very similar before. That is what happened with these bars.
It all started several weeks ago when I was trying to decide a dessert to bring to a family get-together. I was browsing through my mom’s cookbooks and came across this recipe for these Peanut Mallow Bars. They sounded easy, they sounded delicious, and I knew I wanted to make them. I didn’t end up making them for that get-together, but a few nights later, I was craving something sweet and these came to mind. I had everything on hand, so I decided to make them.
It wasn’t even until I ate one when they were done that I thought to myself – hmmm, I think I’ve made something similar to this before! Sure enough, after getting online and checking this blog, I remembered these Salted Peanut Chews. Although they are a little bit different – mostly just in the crust (this recipe uses a cake mix, the other is from scratch) – the flavors were very, very similar. I remembered loving them when I first made them. Which I guess is why I was so drawn to this recipe the next time around!
I can’t really compare the 2 recipes, since I did make the first ones over 3 years ago, but from what I remember, I do think I preferred the crust on the old one better. The cake mix was super easy, and super convenient if you keep them on hand, but it was a little thicker than I wish I would have been. But really, these were just good. And surprisingly, I liked them better as they got older. The last few were the best, in my opinion!
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Peanut Mallow Bars
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 1/2 dozen bars 1x
Description
Everyone will love these bars that taste similar to PayDay candy bars.
Super easy and full of peanut flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 package (18-1/4 oz.) yellow cake mix
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 4 cups miniature marshmallows
Peanut Topping
- 10 oz. peanut butter chips
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into cubes
- 2 cups crisp rice cereal
- 2 cups salted peanuts
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Beat together the cake mix, water, butter and egg until blended. (Batter will be thick.) Spread into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan, using your hands if needed to even out.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 22 -25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle the marshmallows on top and return to the oven. Bake an additional 2 minutes, or until the marshmallows are melting. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- In a large saucepan, combine the peanut butter chips, corn syrup and butter. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until smooth. Remove from the heat and add in the cereal, peanuts and vanilla. Carefully spread over the marshmallows.
- Cool completely, then cut into bars.
- ———————
- From Taste of Home: Church Supper Desserts
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Here are some more peanut and marshmallow inspired goodies:
Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies from Picky Palate
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Crispy Brownies from The Cooking Photographer
Salted Peanut Chews from Taste and Tell
Marshmallow Crunch Brownie Bars from Brown Eyed Baker
Zina says
Can I use marshamallow Cream instead of actual mashmallows?
Deborah says
I don’t think that they will turn out the same using marshmallow cream. You can definitely try – it just may not set up like it does with marshmallows.
grace says
i tend to automatically bookmark any recipe using marshmallows, and this is no exception!
Chels R. says
Those do look really good and I really like the brownie layer idea. I bet my dad would like these because he likes peanuts and it is hard to make a dessert that he is actually going to like, so I may have to make these for him sometime 🙂
Russell at Chasing Delicious says
Yumm. These bars look soo good. I love all the ingredients. I can’t wait to try this one.
Joanne says
haha uh yes. I’ve totally done that before. But it just goes to show that peanut butter and marsmallow are just eternally crave-able!
Diana says
So pretty! They remind me of these peanut butter bars that were sold at school bake sales way back in the day. **Love**
Sylvia says
What if the botteom layer were made with a brownie instead of cake?
Deborah says
@Sylvia, I just may have to try that – it sounds delicious!
Erika - The Teenage Taste says
Oh my gosh, this sounds so amazingly delicious! It’s like a cross between a cake and a Fluffernutter sandwich. I love it! 😀
Kristy says
I love the peanut butter chips on top. They look so tasty!
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
I have desserts like that that grow on me and the beginning of the pan is “fine” or just okay but by the end, I’m sad that I pawned them off on hubs/kid because I would have liked to save them for myself. Lol
jennifurla says
Looks and sounds yummy.
Macaroni and Cheesecake says
I’ve definitely done that before. Seen a recipe I want to make and check the blog and yep, already made it. These sound fabulous though…I love Pay Day bars!
Peggy says
You said mushrooms instead of marshmallows…..it made me giggle!
Deborah says
@Peggy, THANK YOU! I really shouldn’t blog when I am tired – I’ve been having all kinds of mistakes lately! I’ve fixed it now.
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray says
Oh man, these look amazing! I bet they are so chewy and delicious.
Abby says
I do that all the time! I have to check my recipes page to see if I’ve made something before. HA. And I also love it when a recipe/food gets better as the days go on. That means it’s something you can enjoy several times over!
Bev Weidner says
Look. At. Those. !
Jenny Flake says
LOVE fun treats like this! Perfect!
Katrina says
Mmmm these look lovely! I’ve never heard of them either. Yum!
Maria says
What a fun and tasty treat!
Kim says
I understand what you mean. I was just thinking yesterday that I’m drawn to essentially the same recipes with the same type of ingredients over and over. I’ve made lots of risottos and pasta dishes over the past few years. Lots! But it sure is fun to have them documented and be able to look back and see what you’ve made.
These bars look delicious. I’m definitely drawn to them.
Rosa says
Gorgeous bars! Wow, so tempting.
Cheers,
Rosa