Well lookie here.
Ten years ago, if someone had told me I’d spend my days in the kitchen melting peanut butter and butter together over a hot stove, I would have laughed — and probably reacted with disbelief. Yet here I was, stirring an enormous pot of peanut butter and feeling oddly content about it.
At one point I wanted nothing more than to sit by a bay window (which I don’t have), spoon handfuls of this warm, silky mixture straight into my mouth, and stare out at the deep blue horizon. It was a simple, silly craving I couldn’t easily ignore.
This recipe isn’t normally my go-to — when I melt things, I usually reach for brown butter and crisped rice cereal. But when a reader named Jenn emailed this idea, it lodged in my head: so simple, so few ingredients, so tempting. I tend to favor chocolate-heavy desserts, yet these peanut butter marshmallow squares kept calling my name.
Jenn mentioned she made them at the café where she worked and they disappeared fast. She might also have warned me that they’re perfect comfort food for moments when you want to indulge in nostalgia or die-hard TV feelings — the kind of treats you turn to after rewatching an old show and feeling oddly emotional about it.
This is a recipe for serious peanut butter lovers. If you adore peanut butter in all its forms, these bars will feel extraordinary. I almost swapped the butterscotch chips for chocolate but stopped myself — this is unabashedly peanut-butter-forward and that’s exactly the point.
These bars are intensely rich and densely peanut-butter flavored, yet they manage to feel light thanks to the marshmallows folded in. The combination is surprisingly balanced: decadent, airy in parts, and utterly moreish.
My partner isn’t a fan of peanut butter in desserts, so after one cautious taste he declared them mine — which suited me just fine. No sharing required.
No Bake Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Makes one 9×13 pan
Ingredients:
- 2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 (11-ounce) bag butterscotch morsels
- 2 (10.5-ounce) bags mini marshmallows
Instructions:
- Place a large pot over low heat. Add the peanut butter, butter, and butterscotch chips. Stir constantly until everything is melted and smooth — this can take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Fold in the mini marshmallows until they are evenly coated; some may melt, which is fine and helps bind the mixture.
- Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray and press the mixture evenly into the pan.
- Allow the squares to set at room temperature for a few hours, or refrigerate until firm. They are especially enjoyable chilled.
These peanut butter marshmallow squares are simple, fast, and deeply satisfying. If you love peanut butter, they deliver a rich, nostalgic bite that’s impossible to resist. Enjoy!