Homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars
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Homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars are a delectable treat that combines the richness of peanut butter, the sweetness of light corn syrup and brown sugar, the crunch of crispy rice cereal, and the saltiness of roasted peanuts. With a perfect balance of sweet and salty, these bars are irresistibly delicious!
Salted Nut Roll Bars hold a special place in my stomach…I mean heart. They take me back to Sibley, Iowa where my mom grew up on a farm. My grandma was an avid baker and she always had a plate of goodies available for us when we would visit. Salted nut roll bars were often on that plate so I am thrilled to share this recipe with you. Let’s dive in a see just how to make these delicious treats!
Salted Nut Roll Bars Ingredients:
- Peanut butter chips – you can’t have a salted nut roll without peanut butter so these little chips serve that specific purpose. They provide creaminess and also flavor to the bar.
- Light corn syrup – one of the ingredients that provides sweetness and chewiness to the bar.
- Vanilla extract – pure vanilla enhances the flavors while also providing even more richness to this delectable bar!
- Butter – butter helps thin out the sauce for the peanuts and rice cereal while also giving it that irresistible richness.
- Peanuts – the star of the show, peanuts provide crunch, flavor and also the look of a salted nut roll.
- Rice cereal – the cereal helps soak up the peanut butter caramel while giving it texture.
Shortbread Crust Ingredients:
- All purpose flour – serves as the main ingredient in shortbread dough, providing structure and texture.
- Granulated sugar – purpose is to sweeten up the shortbread.
- Brown sugar – helps give the dough a little moisture while also providing a deep sweet flavor.
- Butter – helps bind the ingredients together, ensuring that the dough holds its shape and doesn’t crumble while baked. It also adds richness and depth to the overall bar.
- Vanilla Extract – vanilla is used in baked goods to enhance the ingredients flavor profile. It also provides its own floral aroma that pairs well in almost all baked goods.
- Salt – salt helps offset sweetness but also provides it’s own flavor. In this case, salty and sweet is the perfect flavor profile for this dessert bar.
You can’t go wrong with this list of ingredients. I assure you they will make the most delicious salted nut roll bar you’ve ever had!
How to make them:
To start this recipe, the shortbread crust has to be made first. Check out the simple steps below to prepare the crust for this recipe!
Once the crust is baked, set it aside and start on the filling. The best part!
Tips for success:
- Prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time and thoroughly read through the recipe before starting.
- Do not over mix the shortbread dough. Over mixing any kind of dough can make it tough.
- Quickly pour the topping ingredients over the marshmallows while it’s still hot – it will spread much easier.
- Let cool completely before cutting into the bars.
- Use parchment paper to easily remove the bars from the pan to cut. This is one of my favorite tricks!
- Use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation. The flavor is so much better.
Why you will love this recipe:
- Homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars are such a wonderful recipe to make year round. The recipe makes quite a few as the bars are very thick so they can be cut into smaller portion sizes!
- They’re nostalgic while also being a treat that is a bit unusual and unique! These bars will be remembered by all!
- They can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag.
I hope these Homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars bring you as much joy as they do to me! If you would like to check out more of my dessert bar recipes, head on over to my dessert bars page on the blog.
Homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars
Homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars combines the richness of peanut butter chips, the sweetness of light corn syrup and brown sugar, the crunch of crispy rice cereal and the savory saltiness of roasted peanuts all baked on top of a buttery shortbread crust.
Ingredients
- Shortbread Crust:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- Salted Nut Roll Topping:
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 2/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 oz package peanut butter chips
- 2 cups crisp rice cereal
- 2 cups salted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper so some of the parchment paper hangs over the sides.
- Shortbread crust - Using a stand-alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (hand-held mixer works, too), cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. Finally, slowly add flour and salt with mixer on low-speed just until dough forms on the paddle. Press dough into prepared baking dish and bake for 18 minutes.
- Immediately remove crust, add mini marshmallows evenly on top and place back into the oven for about 3 minute or until marshmallows puff up a little. Remove from oven; set aside.
- Prepare the nut roll topping by adding the corn syrup, butter, peanut butter chips and vanilla extract in a medium sauce pan. Place over medium-low heat and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in rice cereal and peanuts.
- Immediaately pour nut roll topping on top of the marshmallows and spread evenly with a non-stick spatula. Let cool completely before removing the bars from the pan and cutting. Enjoy!
Notes
Store bars in an airtight container for 3 days. Bars can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I cut these into medium-sized bars, but you can easily cut them smaller if needed.
