You know those peanut butter cornflake bars that were at literally every church potluck, school bake sale, and grandma’s kitchen growing up? Oeey gooey, crunchy, chocolate on top – basically just peanut butter and corn syrup holding cornflakes together? Yeah. Those.
I loved them. But I’m not making them with corn syrup anymore, and honestly, this version is so much better – and it actually has some nutritional value now, which feels like a win.
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What Makes This Version Different
The original recipe relies on corn syrup as the binder and sweetener. It works, but it’s basically liquid sugar with zero redeeming qualities. For this version I swapped it for a combination of pure maple syrup and raw honey, which gives you real sweetness with actual minerals and antioxidants behind it – not just empty calories.
Then I added two scoops of Equip Prime Protein salted caramel protein powder (code ASHLEYG for a discount), which takes these from “dessert bar” to something I can actually feel good about eating as a snack or even post-workout. The salted caramel flavor is honestly perfect here – it leans into the sweetness without being artificial. (Some recipes call for butterscotch chips, and so this was my way of leaning into the flavor. The salted caramel flavor was INSANEEEEE).
The other thing I’m picky about is the cornflakes. Most cornflakes have a whole ingredient list of garbage – added sugar, weird vitamins sprayed on, natural flavors, the works. I recently discovered The Real Cereal Co when I was perusing the cereal aisle at my local Albertsons. The ingredient list blew me away!! The cornflakes ingredient list is literally just corn grits and salt. That’s it. Game changer. And they’re soooo good. I need to reach out to them to see if I can get a discount code (mainly for myself because WOW! And just a FYI: this is not sponsored).
A Few Tips Before You Start
Don’t walk away from the stove. The peanut butter, maple syrup, and honey mixture comes together fast, and the moment it starts to bubble is the moment you pull it off the heat. If it overcooks it’ll get too thick to fold in the cornflakes properly.
Melt your chocolate separately. I tried pressing chips directly onto the hot bars and spreading them, but mine cooled too fast and it was a mess. Just melt the chips, pour, and spread. Takes an extra two minutes and gives you a much cleaner top layer. You can add a tiny bit of coconut oil to the chocolate if you want it thinner and shinier.
Grease your spatula. This mixture is sticky. A quick spray or swipe of coconut oil on your spatula makes pressing the bars down into the pan so much easier.
Ingredients
(See recipe card below)
These keep on the counter for a few days (if they even last that long) or in the fridge for up to a week, I think they taste best when you let them come to room temperature so they are softer and more ooey gooey. My kids couldn’t handle how good these were and just kept thanking me over and over saying “Thank you mom, you’re the best mama ever!” So, um, yeah, that is basically a five-star review in my house and we were all stoked.
Ingredients
Method
- Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly grease a spatula – this will make pressing the bars down so much easier.
- Add 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup raw honey, and 1/2 cup salted caramel equip protein powder (about 2 scoops, use code ASHLEYG for a discount) to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture starts to bubble, then immediately remove from heat. Don’t walk away – once it bubbles you’re done.
- Fold in 3 cups clean cornflakes (I use The Clean Cereal Co – just corn grits and salt!!). Work quickly before the mixture starts to cool.
- Transfer the mixture to your lined baking dish and press down firmly and evenly with your greased spatula. Get it as flat and compact as you can.
- Melt 1/2 cups sugar-free chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until smooth. Optional: Add in 1 teaspoon coconut oil for smoother chocolate that spreads easier.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the bars and spread evenly. Transfer to the fridge and let set completely before cutting into bars.
- Top with flaky sea salt
Notes
The key to these is not walking away from the stove – as soon as the mixture bubbles, pull it off the heat. If you let it go too long it’ll get too thick to mix in the cornflakes easily. For the chocolate layer, melting the chips separately and pouring them on (rather than trying to spread chips directly) gives you a much cleaner top layer. Store in the fridge for up to a week – they firm up beautifully cold.
Let them come to room temperature before eating for the BEST ooey gooey consistency.
