READY IN 2½ hrs

Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Bars

Read Reviews (7)

"Prize-Winning Recipe 2008! Love crunchy caramel-peanut butter candy bars? Try these indulgent cookies to satisfy cravings." — Betty Crocker®

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
In large bowl, beat all filling ingredients except powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until well blended (filling will be thick). Press filling over cookie base. Refrigerate while preparing caramel layer.
In 2-quart saucepan, heat caramels and 2 tablespoons water over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted. Stir in peanuts. Spread evenly over filling. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until caramel layer is firm.
In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once, until melted. Spread evenly over caramel layer. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until chocolate is set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 45 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 30 mins

Footnotes

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):
No change.
Success:
Skip the cooking spray, and instead line the pan with quick-release foil for easy cleanup and removal of bars from the pan.
2008 © and ®/TM of General Mills

Reviews More Reviews

Sep 15, 2008

Very rich. Similar to a snickers candy bar. Instead of the cookie mix, I just used my usual peanut butter recipe and used probably 3/4 of it in the bottom of the pan. The last step, skip the extra dirty dishes and just sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel when it is still hot. Wait for the chips to melt - maybe 60 sec or so. Then spread them with a knife.

—sarajo614

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Jan 02, 2009

These were sooooo good...too good! I am glad I gave most of these away because I would of ate the whole pan of them. These will blow anyones diet!

—KARAMIA2

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7 Ratings

Dec 17, 2008

This recipe is tasty but we found some changes could be made. The middle layer with the corn syrup was way too sweet. There was just too much icing sugar. Next time I try it, I'll probably only use 2 cups or so of icing sugar. It should be more than enough.

—RICHARDVOYAGEUR

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Dec 01, 2008

These were wonderful - like a snickers bar, but better. I was hoping that they would be terrible, because they were kind of a pain to make (all of those layers), but my family is going to insist that I make them again. With respect to mixing the karo/peanut butter layer, my nice KitchenAid stand mixer was able to handle the job, but I'm not sure this concoction could be mixed with a hand-held mixer. I used lightly-salted peanuts instead of unsalted.

—Lizzie G.

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Nov 05, 2008

Yum!! Thanks Betty Crocker!!! Holy Moly! Am I in Heaven?

—ZESTYGIRL30

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Sep 01, 2008

Although I haven't made these myself, they are the best!!! A friend made them and I just had to get the recipe from her. Everyone at the party gobbled them and asked for more!

—Rebecca Joy

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Mar 19, 2009

I'm still in the process of making these wonderful desserts. There is no doubt in my mind that they will be amazing...but, my electric mixer is taking a heavy beating. The reason for my break is that my hand held is getting dangerously hot and I'm afraid it may cause an electrical fire. If you are wanting to try this recipe, I recommend that you have a counter top mixer for step 2. If you are using a hand held you will be mixing for a very long time before you get the consistency you want!

—fri3dpickl3s

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Nutrition

Calories
271 kcal
14%

Carbohydrates
39.8 g
13%

Cholesterol
11 mg
4%

Fat
11.6 g
18%

Fiber
0.9 g
4%

Protein
4.2 g
8%

Sodium
131 mg
5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Peanut Butter Cookie Candy Bars

Serving Size: 1/36 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 36
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 271
Calories from Fat: 104

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11.6g 18 %
Saturated Fat 3.7g 18 %
Cholesterol 11mg 4 %
Sodium 131mg 5 %
** Potassium 110mg 3 %
Total Carbohydrates 39.8g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 4 %
Protein 4.2g 8 %
Sugars 31g
** Vitamin A 1 %
** Vitamin C < 1 %
** Calcium 5 %
** Iron 4 %
** Thiamin 4 %
** Niacin 13 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
** Magnesium 7 %
** Folate 7 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.