This chewy candy combines peanut butter, cornflakes, corn syrup, sugar, and a hunk of butter. The sweet cornflake candy clusters are hard to resist.
It wasn't until after I married that I learned of this yummy treat. My sweet mother-in-law often made this chewy candy and shared the recipe with me. I've learned a few tricks to make the candy turn out perfectly every time.
I made the candy quite frequently when my kids were young, and it is still a favorite of my son and two granddaughters. Of course, the hubby and I love it, too. I just stirred up a batch this week when we had a family meal and I took photos for you.
Peanut Butter Cornflake Candy Recipe
The crunchy cornflakes and the chewy, sweet, peanut butter fudge-like coating were made for each other!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cups cornflakes (measure before crushing) , crushed,
Directions:
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Combine sugar and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan
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Set the burner to medium and bring the sugar and syrup to a roiling boil, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute after it starts boiling.
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Remove from heat and add peanut butter and butter. Stir to combine.
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Pour over crushed cornflakes and stir until thoroughly mixed
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Drop by spoon onto waxed or parchment paper or roll into balls
I enjoy making this recipe because I get to scrape the pan!
It's kind of like eating cookie dough, but better. I love peanut butter fudge, which the corn syrup, sugar, peanut butter, and butter mixture tastes like. It's so good and especially sweet.
Cornflake candy is a big hit at our family gatherings. The kids love finding the bite-sized candy in their lunch boxes, too. Make a batch today!
Tips for making cornflake candy
Cornflakes
Measure out the 6 cups of cornflakes and then crush them. Do not add 6 cups of crushed cornflakes to the recipe. I crush the cornflakes with my hands. You might prefer to put the cornflakes in a plastic bag and crush them that way. I've had cornflake candy where the cornflakes were still in large pieces, and they were good, too. The taste was a little different.
Boiling the mixture
Once the syrup and sugar mixture comes to a boil, boil for about a minute. If the mixture is cooked too long, the candy will be hard or brittle when it sets. It is almost impossible to undercook it, so I usually turn off the heat after it starts boiling because my burner stays hot forever. Then, after a minute, I remove the pan from the burner and pour the mixture over the cornflakes.
The butter is key
Adding a small hunk of stick butter keeps the candy from becoming hard when it is set. I usually don't measure the butter; I just cut a piece from the stick. This makes the candy chewy instead of brittle. A lot of recipes do not call for butter, but I think it is an important addition because it keeps the candy creamy and smooth.
Storing the candy
Even though the candy is not sticky to hold in your hand and eat it the pieces will stick to each other and become a big hunk of candy of piled on top of each other on a plate. At least that is what I have found.
I usually layer the candy on a paper plate, add a piece of parchment paper between the layers, and then wrap it all with plastic wrap. It may not be pretty, but it works.
Peanut Butter Cornflake Candy
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 cups cornflakes, measure then crush the cornflakes
Instructions
- Combine sugar and corn syrup in heavy saucepan
- Set the burner to medium and bring the sugar and syrup to a roiling boil, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute after it starts boiling.
- Remove from heat and add peanut butter and butter. Stir to combine.
- Pour over crushed cornflakes and stir until fully mixed
- Drop by spoon onto waxed or parchment paper or roll into balls
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.
