Baking is overrated some days.
Some days you need a chocolate fix without all the mixing and preheating.
Some days you need to melt some chocolate, top it with cereal and call it a day.
Some days turns out to be today.
This is essentially a bark, but not a bark, because it’s a little thicker…and also because I didn’t want to call it bark.
And since I invented it, I have that ability.
In this candy bar (bark) we have chocolate, peanuts, mini peanut butter cups AND Reese’s Puffs cereal. It’s a chocolate and peanut butter party.
And again, you don’t even have to bake it. I’m winning at desserts today.
So let’s get these Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Candy Bars (Bark) show on the road.
First, chop up some honey roasted peanuts…
Then melt some chocolate. About 3 cups. I used Hershey’s Baking Melts.
They melt pretty much the same way that a chocolate chip would, just to let you know, they aren’t like those candy baking melts.
Mix in your chopped nuts…
Then get your mini peanut butter cups ready…
And stir them in. They might melt a touch, but that’s ok!
Spread that onto a baking sheet lined with parchment to about 8″x11″. You want a little thickness.
And then measure out your cereal…about 2 cups.
And press that into the chocolate. Make sure you press it in, though, because if you don’t it will all pop off when you cut it into pieces.
And if you’re feeling fancy, drizzle some melted peanut butter chips on top.
Kinda cute, right?Chill it for a bit to set the chocolate and then cut it into pieces!
Print
Homemade Peanut Butter Cup Candy Bars
Description
makes 16 bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts
- 1 cup mini peanut butter cups
- 2 heaping cups Reese’s Puffs cereal (you could use Cocoa Puffs too)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil or vegetable shortening
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave or over a double boiler.
- Once melted stir in chopped peanuts.
- Then stir in mini peanut butter cups. It’s ok if they melt slightly.
- Spread your mixture onto lined baking sheet into a rectangle approx 8″x11″. You don’t want it to be too thin like a bark candy, you want it to be a little thicker.
- Sprinkle your cereal on top of chocolate mixture evenly, pressing in to stick.
- Melt peanut butter chips and coconut oil or shortening in a ziptop bag in the microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Remove bag from microwave and squeeze, repeating the process until the chips are melted.
- Snip off a small corner of the bag and drizzle melted peanut butter chips on top.
- Place in refrigerator for 15 minutes until chocolate is set up.
- Cut or break into pieces.
Notes
If weather is warm, you might want to keep these in the refrigerator until serving.
You can really never have enough peanut buttery things in a candy bar. This is awesome!
Yummy!
Yum! Goodness, so easy too!
No baking on hot summer days!
This looks cute and must taste amazing. I’m going to make some for my nephew’s bday. Thanks, Shelly.
Reese’s Puffs cereal or Cocoa Puffs were something my mom almost never bought but boy, I sure want to buy some now and make these 🙂
My A/C broke for the third time this month so I am definitely down for no-bake treats!
Very cute! Yes, sometimes a candy recipe is just needed. Especially if oodles of peanuts are mixed in! Plus, that Reese’s Puffs cereal! Reminds me that I just rediscovered my love for PB Cap’n Crunch, and ate an entire box way too quickly… why are those so good??
Yep, this would go over big time in my household. We buy the puffs cereal by the case!
The kids would dig these! And, I will love “not” baking on those hot days…which need to come very soon! (=
SO great to have a dessert recipe that doesn’t require the oven! It’s been 90+ here in Mississippi the last few days. I’m still learning how to tolerate this hot climate compared to what we had in Chicago, so the oven has been a big no-no for me lately! 🙂