Butterscotch Peanut Bars are a sweet, chewy cookie bar that almost qualifies as candy. The buttery cookie base is crowned with salted peanuts coated in butterscotch. These shiny bars are a delicious treat for party platters and cookie exchanges, as well as for filling care packages with tempting snacks.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe for Peanut Bars is adapted from one that appeared in the St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper food section in an article about great care package baked goods. This sturdy bar cookie, is delicious and stays fresh for shipping.
With a beautiful shine, chewy butterscotch, crunchy peanuts, and a buttery crust, these treats are impressive on party platters and for cookie exchanges!
Butterscotch Peanut Bars stay chewy for about a week, but are unlikely to stick around that long. These tempting bars disappear quickly! Luckily, they are quick and easy to make, just in case you need another batch!
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Add flour and salt and mix well.
- Press dough in an even layer onto the bottom of a foil or parchment paper lined pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with peanuts. Press the peanuts gently onto the crust.
- In a large saucepan, add the chips, corn syrup, butter and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring continually, just until chips and butter are completely melted.
- Pour the topping over the prepared crust and gently spread the top of the bars with a spatula. Don’t worry about covering every tiny spot, as the topping will fill in while baking.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or until topping is golden brown and bubbly around the edges.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.
Tips
- The flavor difference between butterscotch and caramel, is due to the kind of sugar used. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar. Caramel is made with white granulated sugar.
- If you aren’t a fan of butterscotch, Butterscotch Peanut Bars can be made as Caramel Peanut Bars too. Ghirardelli now makes caramel chips which can be substituted for the butterscotch chips in this recipe.
- In order to achieve the shiny surface with a chewy texture, it is essential to follow the instructions for baking time and temperature. Baking too long will make the topping too hard to bite into.
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Butterscotch Peanut Bars
Ingredients
Cookie base
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups salted peanuts or another favorite nut
Topping
- 1 package butterscotch chips or caramel chips
- ½ cup light corn syrup or golden syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with parchment or non-stick aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350° F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar.
- Add flour and salt and mix well.
- Press the dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan.
- Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and sprinkle with peanuts. Press the peanuts gently onto the crust.
- In a large saucepan, add the chips, corn syrup, butter and water.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring continually, just until chips and butter are completely melted.
- Pour the topping over the prepared crust and gently spread the topping with a spatula. Don’t worry about covering every tiny spot, as the topping will fill in while baking.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes or until topping is bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven.
- Cool completely in the pan.
- Remove from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into bars.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
Nutrition
First Published: November 11, 2017. Last Updated: July 24, 2022. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
Deb Schier
Would these be one to send in a box to our soldiers? If so best way to pack and mail?
Thank you.
Wendy Sondov
Hi, Deb. These bars do travel well in cool/cold weather, and I have sent them in military care packages. When I sent them, I didn't have a vacuum sealer so I just followed the wrapping method indicated in the notes of the recipe, wrapping each bar in plastic wrap , then stacking them in a freezer weight ziplock bag. A vacuum sealer would definitely keep them fresher until they arrive. I would still wrap each one individually in plastic wrap before vacuum sealing to keep the bars from sticking to each other and for easier sharing and storing once the vacuum sealed bag is opened. Happy baking!
April J Harris
These look amazing, Wendy! Pinning and will be sharing! Thank you so much for all your support of the Hearth and Soul Link Party this year! Happy New Year to you and yours!
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
They look absolutely yummy and so neatly presented!
saltandserenity
Butterscotch and peanuts! What a great combo. So happy that you figured out the puzzle and now we can benefit from your many hours baking cookies!!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Cindy! Rough job, all that cookie baking....but someone has to do it! 😉
Carlee
Hooray for persistence and enough knowledge to fix the problem. They look worth the effort, that is for sure!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Carlee! I love how shiny and pretty these bars are and the flavor was worth waiting for. Luckily, they are super easy to make!
Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert
This is one outstanding recipe Wendy! Thank you so much for sharing - it's just what I was looking for 🙂 Pinning and sharing!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Tricia! I was determined to make this one work... too good to give up on! Thanks so much for sharing!
Shannon Ketchum
These look amazing and difficult but the recipe looks really easy. I will be adding this recipe to my holiday baking this year.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Shannon! The recipe is super easy. You don't even need a mixer. The butterscotch chips make the topping simple as well. Enjoy! 🙂