These fast, easy, no-bake bars are a hybrid of some of my favorite bars, which include peanut butter, marshmallows, cereal and are held together with a brown sugar-caramel sauce that’s made in the micro in 1 bowl. They’re dense, wonderfully soft, with plenty of chewiness and texture and you can really sink your teeth into them. There’s no butter in the recipe, but you won’t miss it because the bars are rich and very buttery tasting.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time2 minutesmins
Additional Time1 hourhr53 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs
Course: Bars & Blondies
Keyword: bars, cereal, cereal bars, desserts, marshmallows, no-bake bars, Peanut Butter, peanut butter recipes, Special K, special k bars
Calories: 288kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1heaping cup creamy peanut butteruse Jif, Skippy, or similar; do not use natural or homemade peanut butter
½cuplight corn syruplight colored, not lite
½cupgranulated sugar
¼cuplight brown sugarpacked
1tablespoonvanilla extract
3 ½cupsSpecial K cerealCorn Flakes may be subsituted, or use about 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
about 5 ounces marshmallowshalf of one standard bag; I used large but mini are ideal
Instructions
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 and marshmallows. The marshmallows will melt to some extent, but not fully.
Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula, and smooth the top.
Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for about 2 hours or until set, before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.
Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.