Peanut Butter Candy Squares

Four ingredients, no baking, and they taste like a peanut butter Rice Krispie treat’s fancier cousin. Toasted rice cereal gets folded into a melted mix of marshmallow creme, butter, and peanut butter, then pressed into a pan and cooled into chewy, crunchy squares.

Toasting the rice cereal for 10 minutes in the oven before mixing is the detail that makes these stand out. Raw cereal goes soggy fast once the marshmallow hits it. Toasted cereal stays crisp longer and adds a nuttier, more caramelized flavor that pairs naturally with the peanut butter.

The marshmallow-peanut butter mixture melts in a double boiler, not directly over heat. This matters. Direct heat scorches marshmallow and makes the peanut butter grainy. The gentle, indirect steam heat keeps everything smooth and pourable.

Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the foil-lined pan. Loose packing means crumbly squares that fall apart when you try to cut them. Let them cool completely before cutting. Warm candy sticks to the knife and tears instead of slicing clean.

Kitchen Tips

• Line the pan with foil and butter it. You can lift the entire slab out of the pan for easy, clean cutting.
• Work quickly once the cereal and marshmallow mixture are combined. It starts to set as it cools.
• Use creamy peanut butter, not chunky. Chunky breaks the smooth texture of the candy and makes the squares harder to press flat.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature. They keep for about a week.

Variations

• Drizzle melted chocolate over the top after pressing for a chocolate-peanut butter version.
• Swap rice cereal for Cheerios or Chex for a different cereal crunch.
• Stir in mini chocolate chips or chopped peanuts before pressing into the pan.