These Salted Nut Roll Bars are the perfect combination of salty and sweet, chewy and crunchy. If you love the traditional Salted Nut Roll candy bar, you’re going to love this homemade copycat recipe! Dip the bars in caramel and chocolate like they do at the Minnesota State Fair, or enjoy them the plain ‘ol traditional way!
An Easy Salted Nut Roll Recipe
Another fun treat from my mom’s recipe box, you’re gonna love these fantastic Salted Nut Roll Bars!
My dad has always been a fan of the Salted Nut Roll candy bar (made by Pearson’s Candy Co right here in Minnesota!). So Mom’s been making this copycat recipe in the form of easy-to-make bars for many years. The bars are a fabulous contrast of salty & sweet, chewy & crunchy!
The bars’ flavor is incredibly similar to the original. But I have to admit that I like these homemade bars better than the original, simply because I like the marshmallows much more than the candy bar’s nougat center.
These bars are top-notch delicious plain. But I just had to share a caramel & chocolate dipped variation that we enjoy every year at the Minnesota State Fair – it’s now less than 2 weeks until opening day!
The vendor at the fair makes the most incredible homemade nut rolls – and of course, they’re served on a stick! They dip tender sweet nougat into caramel and then roll it in the traditional salty peanuts – OR cashews, pecans, or sliced almonds – you get to choose! Then they dip the whole thing in chocolate. It’s A-MAZ-ING!!
Going to the Minnesota State Fair? Be sure to check out our family’s Best Minnesota State Fair Food and Drink! And make my copycat recipes for the fair’s famous Fried Pickles and Blueberry Lemonade – SO GOOD!!
Enjoy Plain or Dipped In Caramel & Chocolate
A pan of salted nut rolls bars can be whipped up in about 15 minutes because the recipe is so darn simple.
And obviously, if you want to go the extra mile with the caramel & chocolate dip, it’s going to add some time to the clock. Many times I dip half the pan of bars and leave half plain. Or I simply drizzle the melty caramel and chocolate over the top of the pan of bars, let the caramel and chocolate set, and then cut into bars. It’s a simple cheater version that still gives the same flavors we love from the state fair!
What You’ll Need
If you want to make plain salted nut roll bars, you’ll only need the 5 ingredients shown in the first photo!
Salted Nut Roll Bars:
- Peanuts – Use dry roasted salted peanuts for the best crunchy, salty flavor and texture.
- Peanut butter chips
- Marshmallows – Mini marshmallows give you little pockets of gooey, chewy deliciousness in every bite!
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Butter
Optional Caramel Dip:
- Caramel squares – I use individually wrapped Kraft caramels.
- Butter
- Milk
Optional Chocolate Dip:
- Chocolate chips – Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite!
- Chocolate bark – Using both chocolate bark and great tasting chocolate chips gives you the best of both worlds >>> better chocolate flavor + a more stable chocolate coating.
How to Make Salted Nut Roll Bars
You won’t believe how incredibly easy it is to make this nut roll recipe!
Salted Nut Roll Bars:
- Add 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.
- Add marshmallows. Fold the marshmallows into melty PB mixture.
- Transfer PB marshmallow mixture. Then spread the peanut butter/marshmallow mixture over the peanuts.
- Add remaining peanuts. Sprinkle the rest of the peanuts over the top and press in a bit.
- Chill & cut. Place pan in fridge for an hour to firm up. Then cut into bars and enjoy plain – or go to the next steps for dipping in caramel & chocolate.
Optional Caramel Dip:
- Make caramel. In a bowl, microwave the caramels, butter, and milk, until smoothly melted. Transfer caramel to a mug or tall ramekin for dipping.
- Dip the bars. Dip the cut & chilled salted nut roll bars into the melted caramel and set on parchment paper-lined pan.
- Chill. Place pan of caramel-dipped bars in fridge to set. (Once set, you can trim away any excessive caramel pooling with a sharp knife, if desired.)
Optional Chocolate Dip:
- Melt chocolate. In a small bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and chocolate bark, until smoothly melted. Transfer chocolate to a mug or tall ramekin for dipping.
- Dip the bars. Dip the caramel-dipped salted nut roll bars into the chocolate, leaving a bit of the caramel showing and set on parchment paper.
- Chill. Place pan of caramel & chocolate dipped bars in the refrigerator to set.
If desired, sprinkle some sea salt flakes over the top of the dipped bars, right before you place the pan in the fridge for the final chill!
How to Store
Salted nut roll bars are soft, due to the puffy marshmallows. So I recommend storing these in the refrigerator. They’ll keep best for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container.
To freeze, add the bars to a freezer-safe container, separating any layers with parchment paper. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in refrigerator or on the counter before enjoying.
More Easy Bars to Make
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Monster Cookie Bars
- Lemon Heaven Bars
- Double Chocolate Marshmallow Rice Krispies Treats
Like this recipe? Save it to Pinterest!
Salted Nut Roll Bars
Ingredients
salted nut roll bars:
- 14 ounces dry roasted salted peanuts
- 10 ounces Reese’s peanut butter chips
- 1 can 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 bag 10 ounces miniature marshmallows
(optional) caramel dip (enough to dip half a pan of bars):
- 14 ounces individually wrapped Kraft caramels
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon milk
(optional) chocolate dip:
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips – I like Guittard
- 8 ounces chocolate almond bark roughly chopped
Instructions
- For the salted nut roll bars: Spread half the peanuts in a 9'' x 13'' pan.
- In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the peanut butter chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter.
- Once melted, add the marshmallows and quickly fold together. The goal is to still have the marshmallows intact, so don’t stir too much as it will break them up and cause them to melt into the peanut butter mixture. Spread this mixture evenly over the peanuts.
- Sprinkle remaining peanuts over the top and press in with the flat side of a spatula or large spoon. If you like the Salted Nut Roll candy bar, without the added caramel & chocolate, then you are done now. Just refrigerate for an hour to set.
- Cut into bars, whatever size you choose. Or to mimic the elongated candy bar shape, cut into 3'' x 1-1/2'' bars. From a short edge of the pan, cut 1-1/2'' rows, and then cut each row into 3 pieces. ENJOY!!
- For the caramel dip: Note that the nut roll bars should be thoroughly chilled before adding the caramel dip – I'd even suggest freezing the bars for about 1 hour before dipping. In a medium bowl, microwave the caramels, butter, and milk in 15-minute intervals, stirring the mixture between each interval. Take care to not let it scorch. Transfer caramel mixture to a small bowl with tall sides (or a mug, ramekin, jar etc.) that will allow the salted nut roll to be dipped into it sufficiently.
- Lay a piece of parchment paper (don’t use wax paper!) onto 2 cookie sheets or rimmed sheet pans.
- Dip the chilled cut bars halfway into the caramel. Use a spoon to aid the caramel covering, if needed. Let excess caramel run back into the bowl – then slide the bottom of the bar along the edge of the bowl, to remove excess caramel. Set on parchment paper and repeat with remaining bars. Place pan in the refrigerator to let caramel set. Once set, if the caramel has pooled around the base of the bar, you can easily trim the caramel with a sharp knife, if desired.
- For the chocolate dip: In a small bowl, gently microwave the chocolate chips and chocolate bark on low heat, in short intervals – take care to not let it scorch. Once the chocolates are a little more than halfway melted, just stir until they melt all the way. Let cool until just barely warm and transfer to another small bowl with tall sides for dipping.
- Now dip the chilled caramel-dipped salted nut roll bars into the chocolate, leaving a bit of the caramel showing. Shake off excess chocolate and slide the bottom of the fully dipped bar along the edge of the bowl, to remove excess chocolate. Set on parchment paper and repeat with remaining bars. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Place pan in the refrigerator to set.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
The vendor at the Minnesota State Fair with the awesome salted nut rolls!
This post was first published in 2011 and then updated in 2022.
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!!!
Thanks so much for linking up to my party! I featured your post in my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2011/great-ideas-8/
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! I’d like to invite you to share your recipe on Sweet Indulgences Sunday.
http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/09/sweet-indulgences-sunday-20.html
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!
I’m not sure who would like these better without chocolate because they look absolutely fantastic dipped! 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.
Following you on twitter and facebook! I’d love a follow back on GFC when you get a chance to swing by my blog!
I LOVE this idea– it looks delicious. And I’m uber-impressed that you made the salted caramel nut roll from scratch! Kudos to you :)
I’d love for you to link up to my Sweet Treats Party & Giveaway this weekend! Hope to see you there :)
Ashton
http://www.somethingswanky.com
Sweet Treats Thursday {thu-sun}
Thanks so much! Nice to hear from you, Ashton.
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!
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.