Chocolate and peanut butter is one of my all-time favorite combinations. So when a friend reminded me of this easy confection, I decided to add it to this year's holiday spread.
It really is one of the easiest I've made.
Seriously.
The recipe is nothing new — I've seen pyramids of this confection on dessert tables at holiday gatherings for as long as I can remember, but I'd not made them myself until recently.
Some recipes call these bars. Others call it fudge. But neither of those is quite right to me. This treat is really too rich (and sweet) to serve as a bar. It's best cut into small squares like fudge. Yet it isn't really fudge. The simple combination of chocolate chips, peanut butter and marshmallows is rich like fudge, but it's also airy and chewy, thanks to the unmelted marshmallows.
So I settled on calling it candy.
The recipe happens to be gluten-free, making it a safe option for those with Celiac disease and wheat allergy.
It's also an easy recipe to make with little ones, especially if you use the microwave instead of the stovetop. I haven't made this recipe in the microwave — mine isn't quite big enough to accommodate that big of a bowl — but it would work to melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips in 30-second increments, stirring between each addition.
3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Marshmallow Candy
- 1 generous cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 (10-ounce) bag miniature marshmallows
Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the peanut butter and chocolate chips over very low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. If necessary, remove pan from the heat, to keep the chocolate from burning. You want to heat the mixture just enough to melt the chocolate.
When the mixture is completely smooth, add the marshmallows and stir until completely coated. Spread mixture into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. Using the parchment overhang as handles, remove candy from pan and cut into small squares.
Store in an airtight container.