This homemade Salted Nut Roll Bars recipe offers the perfect combination of sweet and salty, chewy and crunchy. If you love the traditional Salted Nut Roll candy bar, you’re going to love this easy homemade copycat recipe!
This Salted Nut Roll Bars recipe is another fun treat from my mom’s recipe box (Mint Chocolate Brownies, Fudgy Brownies, and Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies are a few more of her famous recipes!) The bars are a fabulous contrast of sweet & salty, chewy & crunchy – and they’re so crazy easy to make!
Why These Nut Roll Bars Are the Perfect Sweet & Salty Treat
My dad has always been a fan of the classic Salted Nut Roll candy bar (made by Pearson’s Candy Co right here in Minnesota!), so it’s only fitting that Mom has this bars recipe in her collection. I also must mention – if you go to the Minnesota State Fair, look for the vendor that makes homemade nut rolls (served on a stick, of course). They dip tender sweet nougat into caramel and then roll it in your choice of traditional salty peanuts — or cashews, pecans, or sliced almonds. Then they dip the whole thing in chocolate. It’s A-MAZ-ING!
- Like the original, BUT BETTER! The flavor of these bars is incredibly similar to the original candy bar. But I have to admit that I like these homemade bars better than the original, simply because I’m such a big fan of Marshmallows. I like the marshmallows more than the candy bar’s nougat center.
- Easy to make. I can whip up a pan of salted nut roll bars in about 15 minutes because the recipe is so darn simple.
- Only 5 ingredients. It doesn’t get much simpler than this!
- Versatile. We make this recipe all year ’round because the bars fit nicely into any casual gathering. They’re also great on a Christmas treats platter – in which case, I usually cut them a bit smaller.
Enjoy!
If you’re curious to find the the vendor at the Minnesota State Fair that sells their homemade version of the Salted Nut Roll candy bar, scroll down to the bottom of this post for a photo of their trailer. And be sure to check out our family’s Best Minnesota State Fair Food and Drink and my copycat recipes for the fair’s famous Fried Pickles and Blueberry Lemonade!
What You’ll Need
Here’s the short list of ingredients for these salted nut roll bars. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Peanuts – Use dry roasted salted peanuts for the best crunchy, salty flavor and texture.
- Condensed milk – Be sure to pick up a can of sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk, which is unsweetened.
- Peanut butter baking chips – I use Reese’s peanut butter baking chips.
- Butter – Unsalted butter adds a touch of rich flavor and texture to the sweet peanut butter mixture.
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows give you little pockets of gooey, chewy deliciousness in every bite!
How to Make Salted Nut Roll Bars
You won’t believe how incredibly easy it is to make this nut roll recipe!
- Layer the peanuts. Spread half the peanuts in a 9×13 pan.
- Make peanut butter mixture. In a saucepan, melt the peanut butter chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Let the mixture cool a bit; you want it just lightly warm, not piping hot.
- Add marshmallows. Fold the marshmallows into the melty peanut butter mixture.
- Add the marshmallow mixture over the nuts. Spread the peanut butter/marshmallow mixture over the peanuts.
- Finish with the remaining peanuts. Sprinkle the rest of the peanuts over the top and press in a bit.
- Cool and cut. Let the salted nut roll bars cool to room temperature, or place the pan in the fridge for an hour to firm up. Cut into bars and enjoy.
Tips for the Best Salted Nut Rolls (+ two Variation Ideas)
I’ve got a few pointers for this salted nut roll recipe that’ll help you make the perfect bars!
- Don’t overheat the peanut butter mixture. When melting the peanut butter chips with the sweetened condensed milk and butter in the saucepan, stir continuously to keep the bottom from scorching – and remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as everything is almost combined and melted. Then keep stirring until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Keep the marshmallows intact. The goal here is to have pockets of gooey whole marshmallows, as you see in these pictures. Two things will help you achieve this. First, make sure to let the peanut butter mixture cool until it’s lightly warm, yet still very stirrable. If the mixture is too hot, the marshmallows will melt when you stir them in. And second, when you add the marshmallows to the warm peanut butter mixture, fold gently to evenly combine, taking care to not “mash” the marshmallows and break them up.
- Use your favorite nuts. You can swap the peanuts for cashews, pecans, or sliced almonds…just like they do at the MN State Fair! I just recommend that you use roasted & salted nuts, for the best flavor and texture. You could also use a mixture of nuts.
- Dip them in chocolate. For a chocolate-dipped Minnesota State Fair vibe, gently melt equal parts chocolate almond bark and semisweet chocolate chips. Then dip the salted nut roll bars into the chocolate, and let set on parchment paper.
How to Store
- Room temperature. Salted nut roll bars set up to a firm yet soft texture, due to the puffy marshmallows. You can store the bars at room temperature, in the covered pan or another airtight container, for up to 4 days at cool room temperature.
- Refrigerator: The bars keep really well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer: These bars freeze exceptionally well. Add the bars to a freezer-safe container, separating any layers with parchment paper if desired. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in refrigerator or on the counter before enjoying.
More Easy Bars to Make
Salted Nut Roll Bars
Ingredients
- 16 ounces salted dry roasted peanuts
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ounces Reese's peanut butter baking chips
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Spread half the peanuts evenly in bottom of a 9" x 13" pan. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over low/medium-low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter chips, and butter. Stirring continuously, pull saucepan from heat when everything is nearly all combined, and continue to stir off the heat until smooth. Take care to not let the mixture get too hot or scorch.
- Important: Let peanut butter mixture cool for awhile, until lightly warm, yet still very stirrable. Then add marshmallows and fold to evenly combine. The goal is to keep the marshmallows intact and not have them melt, so take care to not mash them.
- Spread peanut butter/marshmallow mixture into an even layer over peanuts in pan.
- Sprinkle remaining peanuts evenly over the top, and press into an even layer with a spatula.
- Let cool to room temperature, or place in the refrigerator to set. Then cut into bars and serve. These freeze really well.
- Love this recipe? Please leave a Stars Rating and a Comment below! Thank you so much! – Brenda
Notes
Nutrition Information:
The Minnesota State Fair Nut Rolls Vendor
If you want to seek out the vendor at the Minnesota State Fair and snag an awesome nut roll on a stick, this is what the trailer looks like!
Mmmmm…SO GOOD!!
This post was first published in 2011 and then updated in 2025.
oh, yum! i love nuts and i remember this candy from my childhood. i live in germany and there is nothing like this anywhere – but now i have this on my to-do list!
I do hope you can find the ingredients for these bars. So nice to hear from you, Jennifer!
Brenda these sound fantastic!!!
Have a great holiday weekend.
Thanks bunches, Cheryl – always lovely to hear from you. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Brenda… this recipe is wonderful!!! I have yet to make it to the fair. Isnt that crazy?? Sending you lots of love and blessings today!
I almost can’t believe you haven’t been to the fair – you NEED to get there! I can feel your love – always so nice to hear from you, Amanda.
Mmmmmmm, I can practically taste them. I’ve never been to the MN. Maybe next year, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Thanks for stopping by sweet tooth Friday!
The MN State Fair is definitely worth crossing the border for, Allison! :)
My favorite candy bar! I cannot wait to try these. Just beautiful!
Thank you – I hope you like them!
I love everything about these! They look delicious! I’m definitely putting these on my to-do list for my holiday treat baskets. I love them!
Thank you so much, Kim. What a great idea for holiday treats!!
These look like pure perfection.
Thanks, Jackie!
This is so exciting :D I grew up in MN and when I moved to Tennessee it took me months to find Payday Bars which are like Nut Rolls (although I think Nut Rolls are a lot better).
Can’t wait to make these! They look so so good :)
Stopping by from Sweet Tooth Friday!
I always thought everyone knew about Salted Nut Rolls and could pick one up whenever they pleased, and am just starting to realize it isn’t so. This recipe for the basic bars is so easy to make (the dipping part obviously takes more effort) – I hope you enjoy them.
Headed out with the grand-kids today to attend our local town fair. It’s country and it’s fun but nothing on the scale of your state fairs! However, the animal barns are always one of the favourite places the kids like to visit. We don’t have these delicious looking treats at our fairs so it’s great that you shared your *upgraded* version. Maybe I’ll will try to make some, if they turn out maybe I’ll rent a booth and sell them at our local fair next year. LOL :)
Great post Brenda!
I hope you had fun at the fair with your grandkids. Did you scope out the perfect spot for your booth next year? I KNOW you would be a hit with your beautiful cookies!
ooh my mouth is watering reading this post! I’ve never seen this recipe in the UK before but I have spotted all of the ingredients for sale on Amazon so I must try it one day! Kitty x
Fun to hear from you, Kitty! It’s so hard to think about these ingredients not being easily accessible (horrors!!) – I do hope you’re able to make these some day!
My state fair growing up (in Michigan) didn’t sell these, but I wish they would have!
Hi, Katie – thank you so much. It’s always nice to hear from you.
Yowza! These look amazing! And who doesn’t want things dipped in caramel??? That’s just.. well… wrong! Can’t wait to make these!
Thanks, Erin. That caramel really brings it all together. So delicious!
I LOVE this idea– it looks delicious. And I’m uber-impressed that you made the salted nut roll from scratch! Kudos to you :)
Thanks so much! Nice to hear from you, Ashton.
Yumtastic!! Nothing better than a salty sweet combo…plus, nuts and chocolate are GOOD for you, yes? :)
Nuts and chocolate are DEFINITELY good for you! Thanks, Erin – so nice to hear from you.
I love, love, love peanuts! These nut roll bars look so tasty, I want one. And yes, fairs are always fun! I think my towns equivalent is Broomfield Days, but that only lasts a day. It’s still super fun though :)
Thanks, Becca – so nice to hear from you. Best wishes in your baking adventures!
So impressive. I love state fairs and all the treats. I really want to go to one now!
Thank you, Christina!
Love that you added these homemade nut rolls to a stick…looks amazing!
Thank you so much, Marla – have a great Labor Day weekend!
As we were leaving the fair Wednesday night…after savoring the salted nut roll…I was determined to find a recipe for them! Hallelujah…here you are! Thanks Farmgirl!
Let me know what you think, Sara. So nice to hear from you!
Oh my gosh I checked your blog at the PERFECT timing!!! My goodness these look delicious!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Star! Great to hear from you again.
Wow – yummy. I think these might win the next blogger bake off :) will be making these soon – and with a stick just because i hate to see the state fair go! we look forward to it all year long also!
Hi Amanda – guess I should have started on these a few weeks ago and competed! Great to hear from you, thanks. Have a super weekend.