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It only took me a year but I managed to do it: I made a copycat Peanut Butter Mountain Bar! These are *gasp* better than a peanut butter cup!

Peanut Butter Mountain Bars  in a white bowl with title

My daughter is all about the Rainbow Loom right now. Every time we go shopping she begs for new rubber band colors. Last week she bought green, blue, and white (before she’d only had girl colors) and she made Mel a bracelet. And he’s worn it every single day. At night, when he brushes his teeth, I see it peeking out of his sweater.

I’m sorry, but is there anything sexier than a man wearing a rainbow loom bracelet his daughter made him? Probably not much….except maybe Peanut Butter Mountain Bars.

Now if I was as good of a mom as he is a dad, I’d remember to wear my bracelet every day. #momfail

Oh well, at least Jordan loves me for my treats! 😉

Peanut Butter Mountain Bars  in a white bowl

Last year I made my mom a copycat Mountain Bar. It’s a candy made in Tacoma, Washington by the people who make Almond Roca. You used to be able to get it along the West Coast, but I never find it anymore. My uncle lived in Tacoma when I was growing up, so when he’d come to visit every summer he’d bring us boxes and boxes of the “seconds” from the factory. He’d bring the original flavor (a sweet vanilla cream) and he’d bring my favorite…peanut butter.

Now, I’m totally going out on a limb here and saying that these copycats are better than a peanut butter cup. And I totally think they are. I even think they’re better than the original mountain bars.

The Peanut Butter Mountain Bars were really, really good…but the peanut butter could be a little dry. When I made my copycats, I made the peanut butter more smooth. And it’s amazing.

What sets these apart from regular peanut butter cups (or buckeyes or any other PB&C candy) is that the top coating of chocolate has chopped peanuts in it. It adds crunch, texture, and WOW to the candy.

These are perfect for a Valentine gift for your PB loving sweetheart. They’re perfect for a birthday gift, Christmas, or because tomorrow is Monday.

Even if you’ve never heard of a Mountain Bar before, you’re going to LOVE these.

Peanut Butter Mountain Bars  in a white bowl with title

My husband actually ate one of them (!!!!) and loved it. That makes me almost as happy as him wearing his rainbow loom. 🙂

Peanut Butter Mountain Bars in a white bowl with title

Peanut Butter Mountain Bars

3.79 from 74 votes
Easy peanut butter candy like a Reese's Peanut Butter cup but with peanuts in the chocolate.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 20 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces chocolate Candiquik or Almond Bark or Candy Melts
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts
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Instructions

  • Beat melted butter, peanut butter, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric or hand mixer. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until mixture comes together.
  • You should be able to form balls of candy that hold together.
  • Drop tablespoon sized balls onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Chill while you prepare the chocolate.
  • When ready to make candy, line a new cookie sheet with wax paper. Melt your chocolate according to package directions. If it’s cold in your kitchen, it might be helpful to line an electric griddle with an old kitchen towel on low heat (about 200°F) and place the bowl of melted candy on top. It keeps the candy warm for you.
  • Place 1 teaspoon of chocolate evenly spaced on the prepared cookie sheet, one for each ball of candy you made. Spread it slightly. Place a rolled ball of candy in the center of each teaspoon of chocolate.
  • Mix the chopped peanuts into the remaining chocolate. Cover each ball of candy with 1-2 teaspoons of the peanutty chocolate. Use your spoon to spread it so that the chocolate top meets the bottom under the ball, to seal. Chill to harden.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 55mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Click here to see more PEANUT BUTTER recipes!

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Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bark (would be great with Valentine sprinkles!)

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Sweets from friends:
Galactic Crunch by The Domestic Rebel
Orange Julius Fudge by Shugary Sweets
Hostess Cupcakes by Something Swanky

Last Updated on May 13, 2020



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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79 Comments

  1. Really great candy. Typically called bonbons or buckeyes. I preferred the rustic look. I did add 2 T peanut butter powder to kick up the peanut butter flavor.

  2. I find it easier to just dunk the bottom of each ball in chocolate and chill instead of putting it on the parchment first. Much easier to get the sides covered this way.

  3. omg when i was a kid and my parents would take us from Vancouver down the washington coast to go camping the first stop across the border was for a selection of mounain bars for the trip. My dad loved the coconut and mine was the Peanut Butter. Thx for the recipe.

  4. I have this exact same recipe that I’ve had for YEARS, and don’t remember where I got it, but it’s the same idea, same ingredients. I call mine Peanut Butter Truffles, and make them every Christmas. My son-in-law gets his “own” batch because he loves them so much. They are a bit time consuming to make, chilling the peanut butter, making the peanut butter balls, chilling them again, then dipping in the chocolate, then chilling the chocolate covered balls in a freezer-sturdy container. But they are definitely worth it!

  5. OMG! I’m so excited. In elementary school, ahem, 40 years ago, we sold Peanut Butter Mountain bars as fundraisers. I remember my grandparents buying a whole box each time to keep in their pantry for us. Loved them – haven’t had them since. I might just make these tonight!! Thank you!!

  6. These are ridiculously expensive to have shipped to the east coast. Hoping that these two recipes are pretty close, my gram was from Olympia and introduced us all to these little gems. Thank you so much for concocting this recipe!

  7. We are huge Reese’s fans (actually, huge fans of anything chocolate & PB), and these did not disappoint. They are amazing!! We ate the entire batch in a twelve hour span, with my husband asking if I would make more. Thank you for the awesome recipe!!