Salted Nut Roll Bars are a copy cat recipe for the famous Salted Nut Roll candy bar. Buttery bottom, marshmallow center, topped with a peanut buttery, caramelly, sweet & salty peanut filled top layer that will make you swoon!

What is YOUR favorite candy bar? Mine has always and forever been a Salted Nut Roll, making this Salted Nut Roll Bars one of my favorite recipes!

For the longest time, I assumed you could buy a Salted Nut Roll Candy Bar anywhere – but that just isn’t true I guess?

Sometimes I even have a hard time getting them here. I play a little game with myself at the supermarket.

As I walk toward the checkout, I tell myself, “if they have a Salted Nut Roll, you can treat yourself to a candy bar – if not you’re outta luck!”

It always makes finding one even more fun! (even better when it’s a King Size!)

The Salted Nut Roll Candy Bar

Salted Nut Rolls have been around for a long time! Since 1933, in fact. They are made by Pearson’s Candy in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Pearson’s released this new product during the time of the Great Depression. It’s always been reasonably priced, in those days, they were only 5 cents!

It was a way to give even the tightly clutched purse strings a way to indulge a bit.

Isn’t a Salted Nut Roll and a Payday candy bar the same?

It’s a common misconception that these two candy bars are “the same.” My daughter’s boyfriend would have told you that a Payday was his favorite candy bar — until of course, I introduced him to the Salted Nut Roll.

A Payday candy bar has the same sweet & salty thing going on with the peanuts and peanut butter with the caramel, but what it lacks is the nougat in the center that the Salted Nut Roll has.

“Is that what that white stuff is in the middle of a Salted Nut Roll?” Yep! Nougat. That nougat center is a game-changer! It makes the Salted Nut Roll not only a little bit sweeter, it makes it softer and chewier.

a little sweet and salty love from my kitchen

The BEST Salted Nut Roll Bar Recipe

I have been making these salted nut roll squares for years and years. Pre-Kids even — which totally dates me, but that’s okay. I got this recipe from a girl I worked with back in 1993.

She brought them to an office pot-luck and I was hooked!

I have tried recipes from others and this is the one that I always go back to. It turned out perfectly every time, and they are always one of the first things to disappear from my cookie platters at Christmastime.

How do homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars differ from the actual candy bar?

The flavor is really similar. Pearson’s Candy will tell you that nobody has ever gotten it exactly right, though, no matter how many have tried.

These peanut roll candy bars are made with a marshmallow center. The actual candy bar, as I mentioned earlier is nougat.

Both have a caramel and peanut butter sweet chewiness to them, and the salted nuts give it that perfect saltiness.

How to Make Salted Nut Roll Bars

There are three layers to these nutty marshmallowy bars. The bottom is a mixture of butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mixing these ingredients together makes your buttery crust layer.

Once the crust is baked, it’s topped with miniature marshmallows and those are melted for the center.

The top consists of butter, peanut butter chips, vanilla, Karo syrup, Rice Krispies, and salted peanuts.

Mix the crust ingredients together, and press into a foil lined 9×13 baking dish. Bake. Top with mini marshmallows. Bake.

In a saucepan, melt together butter, vanilla, peanut butter chips and Karo syrup until smooth. Add in peanuts.

Stir in Rice Krispies. Press this mixture evenly over the top of the marshmallows.

Cut into squares when cool.

Love them?? PIN them!!

You’ll be so sad if you can’t find the recipe for these Salted Nut Roll Bars when you want to make them! Make sure to save them to your favorite Pinterest board before you go!

Copy Cat Recipes are the BEST! Here are a couple of other copy candy bar recipes of mine:

Homemade Whatchamacallit Bars

Homemade Twix Bars

Or these Homemade Peppermint Patties from Life Currents, or this recipe for Honeycomb that mimic Cadbury Crunchie Bars from England, made by House of Nash Eats.

These Salted Nut Rolls Bars can be super fun around Halloweentime, too. Add in some candy corn and Make Candy Corn Salted Nut Roll Bars. They are really cute and festive.

Salted Nut Roll Bars - copy cat candy bar recipe

Let’s get to this delicious Salted Nut Roll Bar recipe!!

Yield: 9x13

Salted Nutroll Bars

Name: Salted Nutroll Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour; 2/3 cup brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 stick of salted butter (1/2 cup); 2 egg yolks; 3 cups miniature marshmallows; 2/3 cup light corn syrup; 1/4 cup butter (half of a stick); 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1 - 10 oz bag of peanut butter chips; 2 cups of Rice Krispies; 2 cups salted and roasted peanuts

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick of salted butter (1/2 cup)
2 egg yolks

Topping

3 cups miniature marshmallows
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter (half of a stick)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 10 oz bag of peanut butter chips
2 cups of Rice Krispies
2 cups salted and roasted peanuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil, and spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare the crust: Cream together butter, brown sugar and vanilla. Add in egg yolks. Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Press crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Top with 3 cups miniature marshmallows and bake for 3 minutes more. Cool.
Place corn syrup, butter, vanilla and peanut butter chips in a saucepan over low heat stir until melted and smooth. Stir in Rice Krispies and peanuts.
Spread over the top of the marshmallows.
Cool. Cut into squares.

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9x13 Pyrex Baking Dish with a Lid

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 267Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 223mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 4g

Nutrition isn't guaranteed accurate.

This recipe was originally posted on February 9, 2012. It was updated to improve user experience and reposted on May 26, 2020.

If you make this recipe, I’d love to know! Snap a picture, share the photo on social media with the hashtag #AnAffairFromTheHeart – I’d love to see what you made! – Michaela

Comments

Teena Mary says

February 12, 2012 at 11:01 pm

Looks so yum!! If you are willing, you can share this recipe & other romantic recipes with my ongoing-”Valentine’s Day Event”(till Feb 20th)

- Michaela says
  
  February 13, 2012 at 3:21 am
  
  Thank you!! Will do!! 🙂
  
Joan@chocolateandmore says

February 16, 2012 at 3:03 am

Michaela, it’s a good thing I randomly stalk you and your blog or I might have missed these. Hubby loves those nut bars! Can’t wait to surprise him with yours!

- Michaela says
  
  February 20, 2012 at 5:16 pm
  
  They are yummy!! <3 Thanks for “stalking me!!”
  
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says

February 3, 2015 at 2:16 pm

These look like such a yummy treat! I bet my kids would love them!

Drea L. says

July 7, 2019 at 11:22 am

Reminds me of my childhood. We would always get nut rolls when we traveled. I’m excited to make these myself.

Rachel says

May 27, 2020 at 12:48 pm

Wow I’ve always had Payday’s but these salted nut roll bars are so good! These are my new fave! And I didn’t realize the candy bar had been around since 1933. So cool!

Kathryn says

May 27, 2020 at 1:47 pm

LOL I love the game you play with yourself at the grocery store! This is a brilliant strategy, and I can’t wait to make these!

kim says

May 27, 2020 at 2:41 pm

These were fabulous! So very delicious and easy too! Will definitely be making again!

Beth Pierce says

May 27, 2020 at 2:45 pm

These are so tasty! My husband loves these! I do too! Thanks!

Jere Cassidy says

May 27, 2020 at 4:28 pm

I don’t know if I have seen a Salted Nut Roll but who care know that I have your recipe to make my own. I can see why you would treat yourself to this goodie.

Capri says

May 27, 2020 at 8:04 pm

I am so in love with these bars! All the ingredients come together so perfectly!

Jill says

May 28, 2020 at 6:30 pm

It’s hard to beat the sweet and salty combination. I’ll be trying these for sure.

Anita says

May 28, 2020 at 9:52 pm

These are so good and they were a hit with my kids. Thanks for sharing. And it was a nice little project for the kids to fill their free time. 🙂

Krissy Allori says

May 28, 2020 at 9:54 pm

Oh my goodness, these look amazing! I am going to make these this weekend. My husband will be so happy!

Biana says

May 28, 2020 at 10:10 pm

These bars look amazing! I know what I will be making next time I am baking.

Irina says

May 28, 2020 at 10:14 pm

I love thee adorable bars! We made them this morning, and all of them are gone. My family is asking for more… Yummy and delicious!