🥜🍫😍 My No-Bake Cornflake Peanut Butter Bars are rich, chewy, and loaded with nutty chocolate flavor. A great recipe for both kids and adults, this easy no-bake combines in one bowl with simple, failproof steps!
Best Ever Cornflake Bars
I love soft, dense, really chewy peanut butter bars made with Cornflakes. And these bars are really chewy!
You can whip them up in 15 minutes in one bowl. Best of all, there is peanut butter used three times in this recipe!
It’s used in the saucy mixture that holds the bars together, it’s melted with chocolate chips to create a chocolate-peanut butter fudgy topping, and it’s swirled into said topping.
Did I mention I wrote a cookbook with 100 peanut butter recipes? I can never have too much peanut butter, so three times in one recipe isn’t even over the top. Definitely the best that Cornflakes have ever tasted!
Love no-bake bars?
My no-bake s’mores bars bring all the flavor of your favorite campfire treat in an easy-to-make snack. And my no-bake tropical granola bars are a lifesaver breakfast or snack on busy days!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The chocolate peanut butter cornflake bars are so simple to make and use ingredients you likely have on hand:
- Peanut butter – I recommend using a creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy peanut butter for easy mixing. Also, avoid natural varieties, as they tend to separate and can make your bars oily. Brands like Jif and Skippy are best. If you have allergies in your household or are out of peanut butter, use any no-stir nut or seed butter you like
- Light corn syrup – I haven’t tested this recipe with honey or agave, but imagine it would work. I think honey would work the best because it’s very similar in consistency to corn syrup
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cornflake cereal – Seeing as how these are Cornflake bars, it’s best to make the recipe with Cornflakes. However, I imagine Special K or Rice Krispies treats would be a good substitute
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate would also work
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cornflake Bars
These corn flake peanut butter bars are a cinch to make! You’ll have to be patient and let the bars set before cutting into them, though.
- Make the bars: In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, corn syrup, sugars, and heat on high power to melt. Then, stir in the vanilla, followed by the cereal.
- Turn mixture out into a foil-lined 8×8-inch pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top; set pan aside.
- Make the topping: In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, heaping 1/4 cup peanut butter, and heat on high power to melt. You can also melt the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat or low heat, stirring frequently.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over bars, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula or knife; set aside.
- Add 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt. Evenly drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate and swirl it lightly with the tip of a knife or toothpick. For extra flavor, feel free to add toppings like chopped nuts, coconut flakes, mini marshmallows, or a sprinkle of salt. Then, cover the pan with a sheet of foil, and place it in the fridge to set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
Make the Marble Swirl Atop the Bars
To create the marbled pattern shown, do the following:
- Drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the width of the pan. Like 5 rows of long train tracks.
- Rotate the pan 90 degrees.
- With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, “draw” 5 evenly spaced lines through the peanut butter. You’re dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the pattern.
Double the Recipe
For a large batch of peanut butter cornflake bars, simply double the ingredients and use a 9×13-inch pan. The process will stay the same!
No-Bake Cornflake Peanut Butter Bars
Equipment
- 1 (8 inch) Square Pan
- 2 Large, Microwave-Safe Bowls
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter, don’t use natural or homemade, it’s too runny to glue the cereal together
- ½ cup light corn syrup, light colored, not lite
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 ½ cups corn flakes cereal
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Topping
- ½ heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- ¼ heaping cup creamy peanut butter, melted with the chocolate
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, for swirling on top
Instructions
Bars
- Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 heaping cup peanut butter, corn syrup, sugars, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.
- Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Stir in the cereal.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top; set pan aside.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Topping
- In a large microwave-safe bowl (the same one is fine, no need to wash it provided you scraped it with a spatula fairly clean) combine chocolate chips, heaping 1/4 cup peanut butter, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.
- Stop to stir. Chips may not be completely melted. Return bowl to microwave and heat in 10 to 15-second bursts until mixture can be stirred smooth.
- Pour chocolate mixture over bars, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula or knife; set aside.
- Add 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt, about 30 seconds. Stir peanut butter smooth.
- Evenly drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate and swirl it lightly with the tip of a knife or toothpick. To create the marbled pattern shown, drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the width of the pan. Like 5 rows of long train tracks.
- Rotate pan 90-degrees. With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, “draw” 5 evenly spaced lines through the peanut butter. You’re dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the pattern.
- Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until chocolate layer is completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More No-Bake Peanut Butter Desserts:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars — Can’t decide if you want PB or chocolate? Make these easy no-bake fudge bars! Chocolate + PB is sooo irresistible!
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles — Fast, EASY, no-bake, and the BEST peanut butter truffles! A creamy peanut butter filling with a bit of texture from graham cracker crumbs, dipped in white chocolate (or milk or dark), and topped with sprinkles!
Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — If you need a ridiculously easy, no-bake dessert for a party, holiday cookie exchange, or just have a spur of the moment craving for chocolate and peanut butter, these Ritz cookies are perfect!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls — EASY, NO-BAKE chocolate peanut butter balls that are a holiday favorite!! They have it all: Salty, sweet, crunchy, with chocolate and peanut butter!
Buckeye Fudge — EASY, no-cook, no-fuss, FOOLPROOF fudge that’s ready in 1 hour! Dense, chewy, and full of rich peanut butter flavor with a smooth, fudgy chocolate topping! It’s irresistible!
Loaded Christmas Puppy Chow — This fast, easy, no-bake holiday treat is LOADED with all the good stuff! Chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, M&Ms, peanut butter cups, and pretzels for a salty-sweet, crunchy, and addictive snack!
That swirl is perfect and who could resist a triple dose of PB!
I’m kind of in love with peanut butter. I mean, I keep a jar in my desk at work so I can snack on it. I eat it right out of the jar. I want these bars in my life! Waking up to these each morning would be fantastic!
I love that you keep a jar in your DESK! That is awesome! Years ago when I used to have a desk job, I used to keep a jar in mine too. And a spoon :)
I seriously need to try your cereal bars recipe. These look fantastic! Love the sound of triple PB!! Pinned!
thanks for pinning, Anna!
I LOVE corn flakes and smothering them in peanut butter and chocolate sounds DIVINE.
There’s also a recipe for similar bars in my cookbook which I know you have, too! :)
These look so chewy! I love it, and I love that you spoke about the fact that even though something is pretty spot on, you’ve gotta keep mixing it up for the blog, sometimes I just want to reiterate how good that recipe was by making it again. Although the revamps are always amazing if not better!
I think I’m gonna try this with Almond butter!
If you try with AB, lmk how it goes!
These look great! My husband is crazy for anything no-bake, so I’m definitely going to have to make these.
Great! LMK what he thinks!
The texture of these bars look amazing. So jealous you are in Aruba again. Send warmth to Michigan please… please!
I cannot resist chocolate and peanut butter and the fact that these are no bake means that they will get into my mouth that-much-faster!! They look irresistible!
These bars are soooo perfect! Delicious!
Cornflake balls will always be my favorite Christmas treat. I didn’t see any on any of the treat plates this year, but I still vividly “taste” them in my mouth, even without actually eating them. Delicious!!
And the attention to detail in your photos = the swirled peanut butter on that spoon?! You’re incredible.
Ahh you noticed that swirl? Thanks :) I had so many sticky, PB covered fingers to get it just right, and then…it would melt in the heat :)
I love the PB/ricekrispies/specialK/cornflakes treats SO MUCH. So midwest and just so…homey :)
I have yet to make bars like these with cornflakes. I so need too – these look so gooey, chewy, and delicious. Don’t you have air in Aruba? 89 degrees is seriously stifling!
In the bedrooms but not the kitchen. Central air is NOT common really anywhere in the Caribbean and window units in the bedrooms (if any) is the norm!
You know I love this combo of peanut butter, karo syrup, sugar and chocolate! To this day it is still probably one of my families favorite desserts. That giant swirl of peanut butter on top look so good! Love these bars!
I knew you’d love these. It’s just a variation on the theme we both love :)
I love the texture of cereal bars–and the more PB the better! I can’t help noticing your swirls on this batch. They remind me of tulips–especially the one right above the recipe. I must have spring on my mind already–the only flowers I see now are in the floral dept. at Kroger! I have probably made more variations on microwaveable mug cakes than anything else–if it turns out badly, well, it’s only a mug full of ingredients. So far so good. Nut/raw cookie dough balls are right up there too.
if it turns out badly, well, it’s only a mug full of ingredients <-- that is such a great attitude and I wish more people thought that way about recipes in general! Mine are always on the small-ish batch spectrum of things and sometimes people will write with very detailed what if I do this type questions and will it work or won't it, and I always say...try it, you have nothing to lose other than maybe $3 bucks worth of ingredients! Tulips. GREAT comparison and I can totally see that too :) I want spring/summer all year!
One can never have too many variations on delectable themes! Case in point? Deviled eggs (with horseradish and crisp crumb topping!): https://www.scrumptiousgruel.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/you-an-never-have-too-many/
I have never made deviled eggs! That’s crazy you have lots of versions and I’ve never attempted! I should change that!
Cereal, peanut butter, and chocolate… you really can’t go wrong there! ;) Sounds amazing and I love how you actually created a swirl design in the topping! So neat!
Thanks, Heather! I like to jazz things up when possible :)
I can tell how chewy those bars are from the photos, and I am all for easy no-bake desserts. Pinned. I tend to make adaptions from a vegan cookie base of mine over and over because it just works, and it’s nice to know you can go into something and likely have it turn out every time. However it sure takes some work to get to those base recipes, and it looks like you’ve got a winner here!
Thanks for pinning and having that one go to base (especially for cookies!) is awesome. What cookie base is it? Having a vegan cookie base that you know works every time is like gold!
It’s the base used in these cookies https://katyskitchen.ca/chocolate-coconut-cookies/ and again in these https://katyskitchen.ca/thin-crispy-granola-cookies/. Minor modifications made for both but the ratios are always the same and I’m always happy with the result. Took me months to find the right ratios but yes, once you have it it’s like gold!
After you left that comment I went to your cookies page and stalked about 5 recipes and figured it had to be those coconut choc cookies! I guessed correctly :) Thanks for the info that the base always works. There’s lots of recipes in vegan cookbooks for cookies that sometimes work and sometimes, well, don’t. In cookbooks no less!