These bars are a hybrid of some of my favorite bars.
No-bake, Chewy, Gooey, Caramely, with Peanut Butter, Special K, Cereal, Marshmallows.
And they’re so good. And so easy.
Ever since I made the Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars, I’ve been thinking about how to remake them in a slightly new way.
These bars are based heavily on those, but instead of using Rice Krispies, I used Special K. You could also use Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, or a similar vegan or gluten-free cereal.
Instead of topping them with chocolate-peanut butter swirls, I stirred in marshmallows. I love marshmallows in bars because they lend so much gooey-and-chewy texture.
Plus, marshmallows are more well-behaved in the Caribbean heat and don’t melt everywhere like chocolate.
No-bake bars like these are always nice so you don’t have to heat up your house, especially this time of year.
And they’re made in one bowl in the microwave, and take less than 5 minutes to stir together. Usually it’s the fast and easy recipes people seem to make anyway, and you can add this one to the Fast and Easy list.
There’s no butter in the recipe, but you’d never guess it because they’re exceedingly buttery-tasting and rich.
The microwave-made sauce drenches the cereal in a sweet, brown sugary, caramel-vanilla, peanut buttery syrup and holds the bars together.
I love bars that I can really sink my teeth into, and these deliver.
They’re dense, wonderfully soft, with tons of chewiness and texture from the cereal and marshmallows.
Peanut butter has a way of making everything taste so good and decadent.
Even Special K.
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No-Bake Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cereal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter, use Jif, Skippy, or similar; do not use natural or homemade peanut butter
- 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 Special K cereal, Corn Flakes may be subsituted, or use about 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- about 5 ounces marshmallows, half 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.
- Adapted from Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Related Recipes:
Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars (no-bake, vegan, GF)
Peanut Chewy Payday Bars (almost no-bake)
Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars
Double Chocolate Caramel Corn & Cocoa Rice Krispies Candy Bars
Nutella and Peanut Butter Graham Bars with Chocolate Frosting
Browned Butter Rice Krispies Treats – The best RKTs I have ever had. Double the butter and it’s browned, for great flavor and soft, buttery, chewy bars
No-Bake Nutter Butter Special K Bars
Peanut Butter Caramel Twix Bars (almost no-bake)
Nutella-Swirled Peanut Butter Chip Blondies
Biscoff Marshmallow Chocolate Bars
Marshmallow Caramel Oreo Cookie S’Mores Bars
Thanks for the entries in the 3-Piece Baking Set and Gluten-Free Dough Giveaway and the $100 My Sweet Muffin Giveaway
What’s your favorite no-bake or fast and easy dessert?
Ahhh Averie! I love that you combined 3 of my favorite things- peanut butter, marshmallows and convenience! Lol ;) I’m in love with no-bake bars and they’re especially good when they’re dense and chewy like these. I’ve been wanting to experiment with no-bake bars lately….just haven’t gotten around with it. I’m thinking something with oats/oat flour and almond butter as the main components. Maybe a little coconut oil too ;) I’ll let you know if I get a chance to make these! Happy Sunday!
https://www.averiecooks.com/2012/10/sunflower-seed-butter-granola-bars-with-chocolate-drizzle.html What you just described reminds me of those, and there are other bars linked within that post too. SFSButter rather than AB but same idea!
So mouth watering, Averie! I love how you take those extra steps like cutting squares of parchment paper for each bar :)
Lately I’ve been making an easy dessert in the food processor of banana ice cream with frozen banana, peanut butter, bits of chopped TJ’s dark chocolate, and some vanilla extract.
I do it b/c it looks nice but really, b/c things melt here in the heat and I don’t want the gooey stuff melting and sticking to my wood table. In San Diego it’s not an issue but here in Aruba, hot, humid, sticky city :) But thanks for noticing (b/c it’s a total pain and does take time! lol) Your easy dessert sounds wonderful!
I love how much you love peanut butter. And no bake – even better! Thanks for these!
Since these bars are made with Special K that means they’re healthy, right? So it’s okay to enjoy several… :D
I love your hybrid creations!
These look quite delicious too me. And no baking – perfect!
You had me at “peanut butter”, “marshmallow” and “no bake”. In other words, the entire thing! Delicious!
no bake bars are my favorite to make. So easy to come together too!
I love trying new no bake bars. What a good idea to use Special K cereal!
Oh goodness! I have all of the ingredients to make these right now. These are going to be pretty dangerous to have around, but I’m betting they’re totally worth it! thank you for sharing :)
TOTALLY worth it! Loved them! Enjoy :) LMK how they turn out!
I love this spin on the special K-Bar!! Special K- BArs are my family favorite and these look like they could compete! WOW oh wow! I love all that gooeyness on top and the peanut butter. YUM!!
I know you have a recipe for them, too! My Special K bar recipe is from 2010 so I figured it could use a little updating. Then again, it was my grandma’s recipe from like 1960 and has served us very well :)
Cereal bars like this are the best! I’m so happy you made these – they sound delicious!
Something very similar to these is actually on the menu for this morning. I love peanut butter no bake treats like this and adding marshmallows was a great idea!
Your morning sounds like it’s off to a great start!
Gawd, I love reading the phrase “do not use natural or homemade peanut butter.”
Almost as much as “does not contain raisins.”
There are times for natural PB and then there are times for Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan. They are like glue and work WONDERS here whereas natural is like a soft oil slick and not really ideal :)
I love a gooey bar–and no bake cereal bars and cheesecake taste good any time of year, but especially in the summer. My most frequently made fast summer dessert is throwing frozen stuff into the vita for instant sorbets or ice cream. Hmmm….I think a little coconut milk ice cream or banana soft serve might be good on top of these too!
Funny I am just getting ready to make a version of banana softserve. I haven’t quite decided what’s going into the blender yet though!
I love bar like this. They are honestly the one thing I eat by my self because I am too ashamed to admit I still love them at 21… Eh.. more for me.
PB and marshmallow? Heaven in a portable snack!
You’re never too old for bars like these! They are just so good!
These look so amazing! I love that you added the marshmallows. That totally takes these into over-the-top awesomeness! :)
Thanks and I agree with the over the top part :)