The Old-Fashioned Candy My Grandma Always Made for Christmas

The Salted Nut Roll candy bar was invented in 1933 by Pearson’s Candy Company. Since then, there have been many renditions, as well as homemade versions written in church and community cookbooks.

The homemade version I grew up eating was a layered bar made with cake mix, marshmallows, and a mixture of peanuts and Rice Krispies with melted butterscotch chips. The butterscotch chips made the bar less peanut-y than the actual candy bar, but they were what my grandma (who made these for us) had on hand most of the time—and I love them this way. Other recipes use peanut butter chips, so feel free to experiment.

Dessert in Less Than 20 minutes

This recipe couldn’t be any easier. Simply combine a box of yellow cake mix with melted butter and an egg. Press the dough into a baking pan and bake it. To make the creamy center, sprinkle marshmallows over the warm crust and bake until melted (no need to spread them).

For the nutty layer on top, melt butterscotch chips with corn syrup and butter in a saucepan. Stir crispy rice cereal and peanuts into the butterscotch mixture until coated. While everything is still warm (this is important), dollop the nut mixture on top of the melted marshmallow in an even layer. Let them cool and enjoy!

Tips for Making Salted Nut Roll Bars

• Have your ingredients ready: This recipe moves quickly so have all of your ingredients measured out before you begin. Doing this will help you assemble the bars while the marshmallows are still warm in step five.
• Switch out the butterscotch: Peanut butter chips can be substituted for butterscotch chips if desired. Or experiment and use a combination!

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