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, that looks all kinds of good!
Thank you, Viv – hope you’re having a great weekend!
Oh yum!!! These are making my mouth water early in the morning!
Hello! Just stopping by to let you know that your recipe was one of the top recipes last week on Sweet Indulgences Sunday. Hope you’ll join us again this week.
Thanks, Kim!!
I am so going to try this recipe. My husband loves salted nut rolls and so do I. Thank you for sharing.
perfect snack!!!
My word, these look great!
I am totally going to make this… have never seen them at the fair but I love a Pay Day type candy bar! Yum!
They’re addictive, watch out! :)
These look so tasty and I love how easy they are to make!
Thanks, Naomi!!
These look amazing!!! Love!
Thanks much, Maria!
Yum! My favorite thing at the MN State Fair this year was watching The Prairie Home Companion Show w/ Garrison Keillor and treat-wise I’d have to say I’m a good old fashion cotton candy lover! ~Chris Ann
Thanks – wonderful to hear from you, Chris Ann! (And…oh my gosh, people…check out the velvet pumpkins in LoveFeast Table’s shop – they’re GORGEOUS!!)
This looks so yummy. It is almost State Fair time in the Carolinas and we always have yummy things like this too. Yours looks terrific. Come visit us this week. We have some wonderful apple recipes.
So nice to hear from you – thanks! Have fun at the fair!!
that looks so good i wish i was there right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi, Owen – I wish you were here, too! I saved some in the freezer for Grandpa & Grandma K., because Grandpa LOVES salted nut rolls!
Wow…YUM!!! I used to love the nut rolls that you buy at the store…I’m sure I’d totally love these!!
Thanks, Kirsten. The salted nut roll bars are fabulous on their own, but dipped in caramel & chocolate…oh my!
This is going on my gotta try list most definitely – pinned it too! I would love it if you linked it up at my blog party, Makin’ You Crave Monday, over at MrsHappyHomemaker.com!
Dad says he can taste them just by looking at them. Yum!
Hatti was just saying today that she wished she could have just one more. I told her I put a few in the freezer for when you visit in a couple weeks. There’s one with Dad’s name on it. :)
Ooooooh My Goodness. These sound amazing!
Thanks, Mary – nice to hear from you!
Oh my those look intensely good!
Thanks, Sylvie. They really are crazy good. I had so much fun making them, too – I was very sticky!
Wow do these look good! My husband wants me to replicate the sweet corn ice cream, but he hasn’t seen this. :) Payday candy bars were my favorite until I discovered the Nut Roll here in Minnesota. Great post!
I have yet to try the sweet corn ice cream, but saw that Debra of Smith Bites recently posted a recipe for it: http://www.smithbites.com/2011/08/sweet-corn-ice-cream-wcaramel-corn/ – it definitely looks intriguing! Hope you get a chance to make both the ice cream and the salted nut rolls!
Ive never heard of a nut roll! im guessing they arnt a big thing here in the UK, oh how we are missing out it seems :) these look absolutely divine, so so inventive and i am SO going to be trying them out hopefully sooner rather than later!
Hi Sasha – I’m realizing, since posting this, that the Salted Nut Roll is a very Midwestern US thing. I do hope you can find the ingredients to make this. They’re super simple, chewy, crunchy, and delicious!
What a gorgeous little treat, I’ll remember these for the next kids picnic!
Thanks, Julie!