🥜🍫😍 These No-Bake Cornflake Peanut Butter Bars are rich, chewy, and packed with nutty chocolate flavor. They’re an easy, one-bowl no-bake treat that both kids and adults will love.
Best Ever Cornflake Bars
If you love soft, dense, and very chewy peanut butter bars made with cornflakes, this recipe delivers. The texture is satisfyingly chewy and the flavor is intensely peanut-buttery and chocolatey.
These bars come together in about 15 minutes in one bowl, and peanut butter is used three times in the recipe: in the base, in the melted chocolate topping, and swirled on top.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These chocolate peanut butter cornflake bars use simple ingredients you likely already have:
- Creamy peanut butter (avoid runny natural varieties; commercial no-stir brands work best).
- Light corn syrup (light colored). Honey or agave may be subbed but will change the flavor.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract.
- Cornflake cereal (Cornflakes give the intended texture; Rice Krispies or Special K could be substituted).
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips (bittersweet or dark also work).
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full directions.
How to Make Cornflake Bars
Quick overview of the process — full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card:
- Prepare the bars: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Heat until melted, stir in vanilla, then fold in cornflakes. Press the mixture into a foil-lined 8×8-inch pan and smooth the top.
- Make the chocolate-peanut butter topping: Melt chocolate chips with about 1/4 cup peanut butter until smooth. Pour over the pressed bars and smooth gently.
- Warm 1/4 cup peanut butter and drizzle it over the chocolate. Swirl with a toothpick or knife to create a marbled pattern. Chill until fully set, then lift out using the foil overhang and slice.
Make the Marble Swirl Atop the Bars
For the marbled look:
- Drizzle the warmed peanut butter in five wide, evenly spaced parallel lines across the pan.
- Rotate the pan 90 degrees and drag a toothpick through the lines in evenly spaced strokes to create the marble effect.
Double the Recipe
To make a larger batch, double all ingredients and use a 9×13-inch pan. The method remains the same.
No-Bake Cornflake Peanut Butter Bars
Equipment
- 1 (8 inch) square pan
- 2 large microwave-safe bowls
Ingredients
Bars
- 1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter (don’t use natural or homemade)
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup (light colored)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups corn flakes cereal
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Topping
- 1/2 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1/4 heaping cup creamy peanut butter, melted with the chocolate
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, for swirling on top
Instructions
Bars
- Line an 8-inch square pan with foil leaving an overhang and spray lightly with cooking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the peanut butter, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Heat on high for 1 minute to melt, then stir. Return to the microwave for 1 more minute if needed.
- Stir in the vanilla, then fold in the corn flakes until evenly coated.
- Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Set aside.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Topping
- In a microwave-safe bowl combine the chocolate chips and the heaping 1/4 cup peanut butter. Heat on high for 1 minute, stir, then heat in 10–15 second bursts until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the pressed bars and smooth lightly.
- Heat 1/4 cup peanut butter in a small bowl about 30 seconds until pourable. Drizzle evenly over the chocolate and swirl lightly with a toothpick or knife to create a marbled pattern.
- Cover the pan with foil (to protect from fridge odors) and chill for at least 2–3 hours, or until the chocolate layer is fully set. Lift out using the foil overhang and slice to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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More No-Bake Peanut Butter Desserts
Try other no-bake peanut butter recipes for quick, crowd-pleasing treats:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Bars — easy no-bake fudge bars that balance chocolate and peanut butter.
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles — creamy peanut butter centers coated in white chocolate for a fast no-bake confection.
Ritz Cookies (No-Bake Christmas Cookies) — unbelievably easy no-bake cookies for parties and holiday trays.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls — classic no-bake peanut butter balls coated in chocolate, salty and sweet.
Buckeye Fudge — an easy, no-cook peanut butter fudge with a smooth chocolate topping.
Loaded Christmas Puppy Chow — a fast, no-bake sweet and salty snack loaded with chocolate, peanut butter, candies, and pretzels.
