Sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy—all in one easy little bar. Who would have thought a bag of Fritos could make such a delicious dessert?
I first made these Peanut Butter Frito Bars for a Memorial Day gathering at our daughter’s lake place. It’s a wonderful place to test a recipe because we usually have three generations together, including a gaggle of teenagers. These bars got at least ten thumbs up!
They take just a handful of ingredients and no baking. Make them for a picnic, a potluck, or a weekend at the lake—but be prepared for people to come back and “even up” the pan.
The toffee bits are optional. One time, we left them off because we thought the bars might be too sweet. What were we thinking? Skip toffee? What a silly idea!
Here are some more of our family's favorite lake weekend recipes- great for picnics, potlucks, and church basement gatherings, too!
Gather the ingredients before you begin. Use chocolate chips or chocolate almond bark for the drizzle.
Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan and spread the Fritos evenly over the bottom.
Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, cooking just until the sugar dissolves. Don’t overcook it, or the bars can become hard.
Here’s a little trick: spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before measuring the corn syrup. It slides right out! I do the same thing when I measure the peanut butter.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Pour it over the Fritos, then sprinkle on the toffee bits while it's still warm.
Melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the bars. I like to melt it in a zip-top bag in the microwave, using short intervals and gently mashing the bag between intervals. Snip off a corner and squeeze the chocolate over the top. Easy cleanup!
Now comes the hard part: let the peanut butter frito bars cool completely before cutting them.
You can also make these as drop cookies. Spoon the mixture onto wax paper or a silicone mat and drizzle with chocolate.
Sprinkles are fun if you want to dress them up. You can also leave off the chocolate drizzle, especially if you’re taking them to a picnic on a hot day.
I did some research to be sure and discovered that Fritos Original Corn Chips, Lightly Salted Corn Chips, Scoops, and Doritos are all gluten-free! You will need to crush Doritos or Scoops a little, but either would work well in this recipe!
Fritos are a gluten-free option, which is exciting news for anyone who must be mindful of gluten in their diet! How fun to find such a delicious option that everyone can enjoy!
Frito bars are sweet, salty, chewy, peanut buttery, and absolutely delicious! No baking! How's that for awesome?
Why did my Frito bars turn out hard?
The sugar-and-corn-syrup mixture may have cooked too long. Bring it to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then remove it from the heat and add the peanut butter.
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
You sure can! Smooth or crunchy peanut butter works, so use whichever you like.
Do Frito bars need refrigeration?
No. Cover them tightly and store them at room temperature. You can refrigerate them if you prefer them chilled or want the chocolate to firm up.
Can I leave off the chocolate or toffee bits?
Yes. Both are optional, although I’m awfully fond of the toffee bits!
What dessert do you tote along to a picnic or a potluck? Here are some of our favorite bar cookies that are quick and easy to make:
Easy Cake Mix Lemon Bars -One bowl, one spoon. Easy and fast lemon bars that melt in your mouth.
Easiest Coconut Bar Cookies Ever - Fast, easy coconut bar cookies made with cake mix and add-ins. Delicious!
Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars - A quick, easy, healthy snack made with just three ingredients: honey, peanut butter, and Cheerios cereal.
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Love, GB (Betty Streff)
Real food. Real kitchen. Real easy.
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I made these and they are hard as a brick, I followed the recipe to a tee! Wondering what I did wrong!
Oh, I’m so sorry yours turned out hard — I know how disappointing that must have been. 😥 I'm so sad! I went back and added a little note to the instructions, because these bars can set up too firm if the sugar mixture cooks even a minute or two too long. It really just needs to come to a gentle boil, then off the heat. The corn syrup helps keep the texture chewy, and the peanut butter helps keep it soft, so that’s an important part too. Thank you for letting me know — I always want to make sure my recipes work beautifully in your kitchen, not just mine. I hope you’ll give them another try, because when they set up just right, they’re salty-sweet, chewy perfection!