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Delicious Homemade PayDay Candy Bars are both salty and sweet, taste just like the real thing, & are SO easy to make!
If you love candy bars as much as I do you will LOVE these homemade payday candy bars. They are chewy and delish. For more homemade candy, try Homemade Reese’s, and Caramel Candy.
Homemade is better!
Contrary to popular opinion, PayDays are actually one of my favorite candy bars! I know it’s not a super common one compared to Snickers or Kit Kat, but I just love the combination of salty and sweet!
Although it’s quick and convenient to pick up a candy bar at the grocery checkout line, sometimes homemade versions of candy bars are just BETTER! There is something to making it from scratch without any of the “extra” ingredients in manufactured products.
Good news, this homemade version is honestly so simple, it’s totally worth the little bit of effort for that homemade taste!
Making Homemade Payday Bars
PEANUTS. Pour half your peanuts into a greased 11×7 pan and spread so they cover the bottom.
FILLING. In a small pan melt butter and chips until well combined. Add condensed milk and marshmallows and stir until all mixed. Pour over peanut mixture.
TOPPING. Top with remaining peanuts and let cool (refrigerate if desired).
recipe tips
- Microwave Melting Method: You can use a microwave safe bowl to warm the butter and peanut butter chips in 30 second intervals. Just take the bowl out every 30 seconds and stir it to make sure nothing is sticking and/or burning. After it is successfully melted mix in the sweetened condensed milk and marshmallows.
- Peanuts: Using roasted peanuts gives the payday candy bar more crunch and a little bit more flavor.
- Pan Size: If you only have a 9×13 pan your candy bars will just be a bit thinner and may need less time to cool and solidify.
Wrap them to share! Delivering homemade candies to others can be a little tricky. Just make sure that whatever you wrap it in doesn’t stick to the candy. Wrapping it in parchment paper and then other wrappings allow for the candy to not stick, but also look nice.
Storing info
STORE homemade paydays in an air-tight and sealed container in a cool and dry place. You can store them in the fridge, or if it is cool outside keeping them on the kitchen counter should be fine too. You can keep them for up to a week before the bars get hard and inedible.
Typically you shouldn’t FREEZE caramel based candy bars because they become rock solid and don’t defrost very well. We also recommend not freezing these homemade candy bars
For more easy homemade treats, try:
- White Chocolate Reese’s Fudge
- White Chocolate M&M Popcorn
- Reese’s Pieces Puppy Chow
- Pecan Pralines
- Chocolate Caramel Rice Krispie Treats
- Salted Peanut Chews
Homemade PayDay Candy Bar Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups salted peanuts
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 cups peanut butter chips
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Pour half your peanuts into a greased 11×7 pan and spread so they cover the bottom.
- In a small pan melt butter and chips until well combined. Add condensed milk and marshmallows and stir until all mixed.
- Pour over peanut mixture.
- Top with remaining peanuts and let cool (refrigerate if desired).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
cant wait to get these made these are my husbands and mine too favorites
Oh good! Let me know how they turn out! I would love to hear! 🙂
This might be one of the best things I’ve ever made. Soooooo good! Made a small batch, thanks for the serving adjuster provided. Absolutely divine!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!
OMG! I can’t believe how spot on this tastes like the actual candy bar! We have a wonderful nun that used to be at our church and she is recovering from covid 19. Payday is her favorite candy bar and I’m going to make a batch for her as soon as she’s feeling 100%! Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome! That would be a nice treat! Hope she gets better soon!
Made these this week for the first time. Didn’t set up. Have been in the fridge over 24 hours and still not set up. Taste good but very sticky and messy.
First time making these, and I tasted a little bit of the mixture, omg it’s so good. If I would of known how simple this was I could just of been making these instead of buying store bought ones. For this time, they are being put in holiday baked goods gifts for friends and family. Thank you so much for posting this awesome and very simple recipe!
You are so welcome!! I had no idea either! Thank you so much!
Could you use marshmallow fluff instead of mini marshmallows and condensed milk?
I personally haven’t tried, so I can’t say for sure.
what would cause the payday candy bars to not set up. Not cooked long enough or cooked to long
Thanks
They should have..did you try refrigerating them? It just needs to cook until all melted, then poured over.
Can this be made without the Marshmallow
The marshmallows help it all stick together. I haven’t left them out, so not sure how they would turn out, without them.
OMGOSH, Delicious! And so easy and fast to make!
SOme posts read tHat theirs didn’t set-Up, so i was sure to follow directions to a t. I used real butter, and slowly added the sweetened condensed milk while constantly stirring. Took no time at all. Bars started to set-up while on the counter, but put them in fridge and about a half an hour later they were COmplete and ready to cut into pieces.
P.s. i used a lot more peanuts than required!! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I’m glad I found iT!!
I am glad you found it, too!! Happy you shared that & that you liked them!! Thank you so much!!
I had the same problem that a lot of the others had, mine did not set up, I put them in the freezer for about 2 or more hours, then I took them out of the freezer and put them on the counter, I was going to cut them but when I came out about a half hours later, they had melted all over my counter, I had to scrape them off of the counter into a dish, they are very tasty, so we have just been eating them out of the dish, with a spoon, but I have to leave them in the frige