Peanut Chewy Payday Bars are a three-layered bar full of that resembles a Payday candy bar, but better – thanks to the gooey marshmallows that are sandwiched in the middle layer.
Normally I don’t like nuts in my desserts.
But I made an exception for these.
I love peanuts on their own and have to resist the urge to polish off a jar in a sitting and they are my favorite nut to blend for homemade nut butter. But there is something about having big, chunky, hard bits of nuts in desserts when I’m expecting something soft, comforting, and squishy that’s usually a dealbreaker.
But the peanuts work in these bars, which resemble a Payday candy bar. I like these much better than Payday bars because of the three distinct layers, especially the fluffy layer of marshmallows, absent from Payday bars.
Overall, the bars aren’t an overly sweet treat and are perfect for those who enjoy salty ‘n sweet combinations. There are three layers, but they’re easy and the bars can be made from start to finish in a half hour. Although there’s a very brief amount of baking, the recipe feels more no-bake than baked, and the recipe can be kept vegan and gluten-free quite easily.
Make the crust by combining six tablespoons of softened butter with flour and brown sugar and stir to incorporate the butter. The softer the butter is, the easier this will be. Don’t be alarmed if the mixture looks quite crumbly, sandy, and dry.
Transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan, and absolutely line the pan to make your life much easier. Press the crumbs down with your fingertips and then really pack it down using the back of a spoon or press down on it with the bottom of a drinking glass, helping it get nice and smooth.
Bake the crust for about ten to twelve minutes, or just until it has barely set and still pale and golden. If it’s slightly under-baked, that’s fine because the pan is going back into the oven.
Sprinkle three cups of marshmallows over the buttery crust and return the pan to the oven for about five minutes, or just long enough to soften and begin to melt the marshmallows. Keep a watchful eye on the marshmallows and remove the pan from the oven before the marshmallows start toasting and browning because these aren’t s’mores.
The final layer is a mixture of melted peanut butter, butter, and corn syrup, that’s stirred together before adding a splash of vanilla and one-and-a-half cups of both crispy rice cereal and roasted salted peanuts. Stir the cereal and peanuts into the warm and sticky peanut buttery broth and then pour it over the marshmallows.
These bars need to set up for at least four to six hours before slicing them. I made them at night and sliced into them the next morning and you could probably speed up the process by putting the pan into the refrigerator.
I love the diverse layers and flavors going on, from sweet and gooey to salty and crunchy. Each is notable and distinct. The buttery crust resembles a shortbread crust, crispy and firm without being dry or too sweet.
The marshmallow filling is the perfect squishy and sweet complement to the crust, providing plenty of oozing, cloud-like softness. Too often marshmallows get lost in layered bars because they are squished and flattened by the weight of the subsequent layers. I planned around that unfortunate phenomenon and used an ample amount of marshmallows so this layer would really stand out and be thick, puffy, and voluptuous.
The final layer is for peanut and peanut butter fanatics, and reminds me of a Payday candy bar. The melted peanut butter, butter, and corn syrup creates a beautiful brown sauce that’s both sweet with a touch of savory. The salty peanuts and crispy rice cereal added help soak up saucy peanut butter mixture and after the bars set up, there’s an abundance of crunchy and crispy texture, along with chewy and gooey.
I got over my issue with nuts in desserts as I sank my teeth into one of these babies.
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Peanut Chewy Payday Bars
A three-layered bar full of that resembles a Payday candy bar, but better - thanks to the gooey marshmallows that are sandwiched in the middle layer. The melted marshmallows are flanked by a buttery shortbread-style crust and topped with a mixture of peanut butter, peanuts, and crispy rice cereal. Sweet and gooey meets salty and crunchy with an abundance of peanut butter, peanuts, and plenty of chewy texture. Although there are three layers, the bars can be made from start to finish in a half hour, and can be kept both vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (three-quarters of one stick)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
For the Filling
- 3 cups miniature marshmallows
- For the Topping
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 tablespoons, half of one stick)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups peanuts (I use Oh Nuts Roasted Salted Peanuts
- 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies](http://www.ricekrispies.com) cereal (or [vegan and gluten-free cereal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang (you must line your pan), spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- For the Crust - In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Keep working the butter into the flour and brown sugar and transfer the sandy and crumbly mixture into the prepared pan. Press mixture down firmly with fingertips, and then pack it down with the bottom of a drinking glass or back of a spoon. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until crust has set and pale in color; don't worry if it's a bit under-baked as pan will be going back into the oven in the next step.
- For the Filling - Evenly sprinkle the marshmallows over the crust and bake for about 5 minutes or until they have begun to melt and before they start browning (we aren't making s'mores); set pan aside.
- For the Topping- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute; stir to combine. Add the vanilla and stir to combine. Add the peanuts and cereal and stir to combine. Pour mixture over the marshmallows, smoothing it lightly with a spatula to create an even flat layer. Set pan aside to cool for at least 4 hours before slicing, or overnight; refrigerating the bars can be used to expedite the cooling process. Slice bars by lifting them out using the foil overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Recipe may be kept vegan by replacing the butter with margarine or Earth Balance, by using vegan marshmallows, and using a vegan cereal.Recipe may be kept gluten-free by using a gluten free flour blend for the crust and and using gluten free cereal of your choice. Take care all ingredients used are suitable for your dietary needs.
Related Recipes:
Combos Pretzel and Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Bars (No-Bake) – Ironically I made these here the last time I was in Aruba and they’re another salty ‘n sweet bar, using Combos pretzels and are full of peanut butter flavor along with generously drizzled semi-sweet melted chocolate. No-bake, fast, and easy
Pretzel Peanut Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles (No-Bake) – Peanut butter cookie dough that’s spiked with pretzels and peanuts, and the little dough balls are dipped and coated with chocolate for an easy no-bake sweet and salty treat
Cinnamon Sugar Chocolate Pretzels (no-bake, vegan, GF) – These can be made from start to finish in ten minutes in the microwave and who can say no to chocolate-covered pretzels with sprinkles. Perfect at the last minute for parties or for a couch night in front of the tv
Chocolate Saltine Toffee – This has many different names, including Christmas Crack and Saltine Toffee, but chances are you’ve had it at least once in the past from a holiday dessert platter. It’s an old-time recipe and has recently become popular on Pinterest. I’ve had so many people write to me telling me they used to eat it as a child and are grateful to now have a recipe so they can make it. It’s crack-like in it’s addictive nature
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites (vegan, GF)- Fast, no-bake, and no mixer required for these peanut butter cookie dough bites with chocolate chips woven into the dough and a finishing chocolate drizzle
Vanilla Cake Batter and White Chocolate Chip Caramel Corn – I adore caramel corn, cake batter, white chocolate, and vanilla. They’re all rolled up into one salty ‘n sweet snack. Easy-to-make and perfect to set out for holiday parties
Peanut Butter Chex Mix, aka “Puppy Chow” (vegan, GF) – A classic snack that I never tire of and it can be made and successfully frozen in gallon-sized Ziplocks and doled out as desired
White Chocolate Vanilla Peanut Butter Puppy Chow (GF) – A twist on the above, using white chocolate and a favorite anytime sweet snack with a hint of savory from the peanut butter
Do you like nuts in desserts? Salty ‘n sweet combos? Payday bars?
As a general rule, I am not a nuts-in-desserts person, at all. But I made an exception for these.I definitely have more of a sweet tooth than a salty palate, but here in Aruba with the heat and constant sweating, salty foods taste extra good. And of course, the peanut butter and marshmallows don’t hurt.
As a kid, I never got into Payday bars as much as Snickers bars because Payday bars don’t have chocolate or nougat, and now I have a homemade and amped-up version.
The winner of the Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Sampler Giveaway is Brandon @ Kitchen Konfidence
Hi Averie, can vegetable oil be used in the topping mixture instead of butter? And do these bars taste better cold or room temp? Thanks
Use butter, room temp. Enjoy!
Hi! These look lovely and I want to make them for Easter but am wondering it just says 1/3 light corn syrup. Is that 1/3 cup or? Please let me know! Thanks so much!
Hi Crissy, yes, it’s 1/3 cup and I updated the post. Thanks!
Thank you!!! :-)
The payday bars look so delicious. I’ll be trying them this weekend.
I wanted to say thank you for having the “print” feature as an option for your recipes. Makes things SO much easier.
95% of my recipes have it. Those from about 2010 and earlier don’t, but the majority do. Enjoy the bars!
My husband is so in love with these! Thank you for the recipe. I use homemade honey roasted peanuts. I do however have trouble spreading the topping over the marshmallows. The marshmallow layer becomes uneven and squished to the top layer in some spots. The end result is still delicious. How do you get yours to look so pretty and keep the marshmallow where it belongs?
How do you get yours to look so pretty and keep the marshmallow where it belongs? = taking my time and being super, super soft, gentle and careful :)
Glad you & your hubs love the recipe!
Lovely recipes. Thank you so much.
OMG. I need this! o.O
You NAILED it with the sweet and salty combo on the payday bars. I never really liked nuts in my desserts either until the past couple weeks when I started loving them! I can’t wait to get back to my kitchen post holidays.
So excited to make these this week! I would like to use homemade marshmallow fluff instead of the marshmallows. Do you think this will work?
Yes I’m sure it will! Just keep an eye on it when they’re baking to make sure it doesn’t run/spread/splooge/burn and you’ll be set! LMK how they turn out for you! :)
These are fantastic bars!
I looooove marshmallow
Pinned!
I do like nuts in desserts and sweet and salty combos … but I don’t know what Payday bars are :-)
They’re sort of like what I made – I linked to them in the post. But now I won’t ever have to buy them again – I can just make these!
Averie, you are amazing. These bars are amazing. If I made them, I’d inhale the entire pan all by myself because I love peanuts, I love rice krispies squares and I love salty-sweet combos. You’ve put them all together into one gorgeous, tantalizing dish. And your photos are so beautiful!
Nancy your comment is so sweet – thank you! I wish I could share the batch with you :)
Great recipe but marshmallows aren’t vegetarian!!
Actually, the ones I linked to in the post are not only vegetarian, they’re vegan
http://www.chicagoveganfoods.com/dandies_vegan_marshmallows/
Cheers! :)
These bars look pretty darn good :) I feel like the Payday is a candy bar that I love, but always forget about. Each Halloween, I’ll discover a Payday in a pile of candy and exclaim, “Ooo, a Payday!”
I look through my daughter’s Halloween stash and pick out a few hidden gems every year, like Baby Ruth and Payday. Once a year, they’re awesome :)
I am so happy you made an exception…I love payday bars…we make these for Christmas every year specifically for me…now I can’t wait to try your recipe this year!
wow- these look delicious! love the marshmallow in the middle!
OMG! This is so perfect. I was looking to put together a gift basket for my Dad as a thank you for taking care of our dog while we were out of town. I was planning on including some Pay Days and Pecan Logs (his absolute fave!!) but I will just make him a pan of these instead!
Thanks for the awesome recipe.
If you try them, LMK how you and your dad like them!
I’m with you Averie, but these definitely look worth making an exception for! LOVE that perfect little marshamallow layer!
Ok , I really shouldn’t look at your blog so late b/c then I feel hungry again. I haven’t had a Payday in a long time! I love nuts in my baked goods but not in my cooking. Especially when the nuts are toasted first. Yum!
Those bars are a real treat! I can see myself having a few of those (made with walnuts though: don’t eat peanuts) after my workouts! :)
That’s one of the best uses of peanuts I have ever seen! Like you, I don’t go for nuts in baked goods unless it’s part of a topping or coating, but these are the exception to my rule! :) my mom, she loves to pick the nuts out of cookies, brownies, ice cream, etc., and leave the rest! Gah!!
Thanks for saying it’s one of the best uses of peanuts – and your mom cracks me up :)
I am bookmarking this recipe! I honestly don’t know if I have ever had a Payday bar, but you sold me with your description of peanut buttery, marshmallow goodness!
Well I like these better than Payday bars and thanks for the bookmark – hope you try them!
Oh. My. God. Averie! Paydays are my favorite! These…I have no words. I’m SO making them.
Well if you do, please LMK how you like them!
this is so crazy, i literally just dug into a stash of these that my aunt made for jason and i..she brought them to us when she visited and gave me her recipe that’s really similar to this! so awesome :)
Ok that’s crazy b/c honestly, I didn’t even ‘adapt’ this from anything. I went along just kind of ad-libbing based on what I had on hand, what my hot Aruba kitchen was capable of :) or what I was capable of in it – and this is what came out the other end!
I love Paydays and when I saw the name of these bars I was so excited. Seeing the bars themselves, I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and make them. These just look so good :)
Ok well if you try them, LMK how it goes!
Wanted to let you know I just posted my version of these on my blog. http://piesandplots.net/gingerbread-marshmallow-biscoff-bars/ I’d love if you would take a look. They are so yummy! Thanks for the recipe :)
Saw them and thanks for making them! (and commented while you must have been sending this!)
OMG girl!
I am a lover of Payday
I have to try these.
Super good recipe my dear.
I have been trying to figure out how to make a “nougat-like” recipe for years….
There’s a way to make nougat – if you google homemade snickers, they nougat-layer will pop up. I just took the easy way out and used marshmallows :)
oh my … these look like heaven in every bite! I love the layers of this bar!
I’m not a fan of nutty desserts either, but I do Love Rice Krispie treats (and peanut butter!). These look so chewy, and pulley, and sticky, and irresistible, I doubt that I’d mind the peanuts. That marshmallow filling is too tempting. :D
The top layer is like the crunchiest most texture filled PB-infused RKTreat ever!
These look like a peanut butter lover’s dream!
I love love love all things peanut, and these chewy payday bars would not last very long around me!!!
I don’t like nuts in cakes or cupcakes but these bars are irresistible! I have quite a few peanut fans here that would absolutely love this!
Paydays are my favorite. I love salty peanuts with anything sweet! I don’t know if I can make them though because I’m pretty sure I’ll eat the whole pan!
Which is why I ALWAYS bake in 8×8 pans, never 9×13 if at all possible. Small batches are my friend :)
Those look so good! I do like nuts in my desserts, except brownies, those need to be left alone.
These look so good Avery! Especially because we can’t get PayDay bars here in Canada.
These look really delicious, Avery! I can’t wait to try them!
I haven’t had a PayDay bar since I was probably in elementary school! I absolutely LOVED them growing up. What a great recipe!
How did you know I go weak in the knees for PayDays? They’re one of my favorites and my dad hoards them like they’re going out of style :) these chewy bars are our dreams come true into one adorable, delicious square of happiness. LOVE.
I think I recall seeing Payday bars worked into something on your site before? Or somehow I knew you loved them – and dare I say, these are way better than Paydays b/c of the MARSHMALLOWS! :)
I know you aren’t the biggest fan of nuts in your baked goods, granolas, etc. But I am a nutty freak! I love crunchy nuts in cookies, muffins, bars, granola etc. I think they may be one of the only differences we have when it comes to this stuff! Paydays are a weakness of mine. I literally ahve the urge to buy one everytime I’m at the drugstore. They are so simple, and yet so perfect. I’ve never thought to take the same flavor concept and make it myself though. DUH. Why not? I’m so glad you made these Averie. And they are so simple! I tend to make my treats at night and then shoot them the next day as well. I do my best baking in the evening anyway! The sweet/salty, all the layers, the marshmallow – I think you made these just for me. That last picture, real close up, before the recipe – Love that shot!
There is no possible way I can make desserts in the a.m., let it cool reallllly well so I can slice it properly, and then get it set up for a photo shoot while the lighting still looks good. Too much pressure. For some no-bake-ish recipes, fine. But not for something baked. Plus, if for some reason the recipe doesnt work out and I need it, at least I knew about that before I went to bed so I can re-group. Not the next morning :)
And I was thinking when I made these, this is SO Sally! I know you love your nuts in recipes, especially peanuts & PB, and so consider them my gift to you :) I wish I could send you some!
My team at work is holding a “12 Dessert Bars of Christmas” next Friday – This is going on the list as a potential dessert to bring. My only hesitation is that I LOVE LOVE LOVE peanuts and peanut butter so it might not actually make it into work ;)
how fun Averie! You are TOO creative for words
Looks like the real thing, but I bet WAY better!
I’m not a nuts-in-my-baked goods kinda gal either but these almost look like granola bars…so totally acceptable! Love that there’s a marshmallow filling!!
Come to think of it, they do have an almost granola-bar vibe to it, especially because they’re not super sweet, sort of what you’d imagine from a granola bar. Good call!
Hey girl! Hope you’re having warm and sunny weather in Aruba. It rained again last night, but luckily it was a gentle rain. I can’t believe how you come up with all these unique combinations. You definitely have a gift for creating unique and delicious flavor combinations. I think I’m all creative by throwing dark chocolate chips in something that calls for semi-sweet chips :)
Anyway, I installed ZipList and may give it a try today. I’m not sure how its going to work on my blog since I have the whole step-by-step thing going on. It looked weird when I threw it in the middle of the post, so I’m doing what you did and throwing it at the end of the post. Are you still happy with ZipList?
Jackie
Thanks for saying I have a gift! That’s so sweet!
And yes, I am still happy with ziplist, love it actually – more so when I see it on other blogs b/c I can just ‘add recipe’ to my virtual recipe box and that of everything else, has been the best thing about ziplist in general, not even just on my site!
Thanks for making an exception. They all look amazing.
Mmm what a fabulous bar recipe!
I am definitely more of a salty snack person than sweet. I loved when Take 5 candy bars first came out, the combination of pretzels and chocolate and peanut butter, yummy! At Christmas time I make a super simple treat using pretzels, rolos and pecans. Salty and sweet perfection.
If you’re a salty snack person then these are RIGHT up your alley!
You’re killing me over here. I always loved Paydays. Love peanuts, almonds, cashews, you name it. YUM. This is my kind of dessert ;-)
What I know about you, yes this is SO you! And very easily vegan/GF, too!
okay, these look out of this world!
Come to think of it, I don’t I’ve ever eaten a Payday bar! But I do love peanut desserts, and anything sweet ‘n salty is a-okay in my book. These look so delicious.
Just skip the real Payday bars and cut straight to these — those don’t have the marshmallow or buttery crust :)
I always favored snickers, butterfingers and Reese’s as a kid–I don’t think I even tried PayDays until my early 20’s (but once I did, I wondered what took me so long). I love layered bars with different things going on–especially when they are on a shortbread/cookie crust. The filling and topping made me think “deconstructed rice krispie treats”, which I think is cool because I’ve never tried to do it myself but I’ve seen quite a bit of it in cooking competitions in the past few years.
The filling is sort of deconstructed RKTreats-style and if you like Paydays you would LOVE these! They are…better :) The shortbread crust and the layer or marshmallows are nice additions!
I love PayDay bars and these look delicious Averie! The photos are mouth watering!!!
Thanks, Aimee. It was 90F here in my house yesterday with the Caribbean sun shining in the window and both me and the bars were having a warm photo session :)
Wow, really? No nuts in desserts? Oh my word, it’s one of my favorite things to add to desserts… all that CRUNCH!
Normally not a whole-nut person. Ground, yes. But not whole. Crazy but true!
As a kid I would have turned my nose up at nuts in a dessert, but now I like them! Especially pecans…..mmm. I love the top layer of these bars–the krispies with peanuts. Looks great!
The top layer is sort of like the most peanutty-packed version of a RKTreats bar I could ever imagine with the krispies + peanuts!
Thos bars look fantastic! I love sweets with nuts. And I love the name, although I’ve never heard of payday bars as I don’t think it’s something we have here in Australia.
It could definitely be an American thing….candy bars can be pretty country-specific but if you follow the link I included in the post you can see what they look like. Who knows, you may even have something similar in Australia!