Crack in a Pan
Delicious layers of soft, chewy, and crunchy .... this Crack in a Pan dessert bars recipe is fun to make and eat! With each bite being a burst of textures and flavors, I am sure you and your guests will find them completely addictive!
Servings 32 bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter 1 stick, melted
- 13.5 ounces box yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- 10 ounce mini marshmallows need 3-4 cups
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup peanuts optional
- 3 cups rice crisps cereal
- 1 cup mini M&Ms or more
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the yellow cake mix, melted butter, and egg.
- Spread the cake mix onto a lightly greased 10x15-inch jelly roll pan in a thin layer.
- Bake the cake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until the edges are a light brown color and the center is set.
- Spread a single layer of mini marshmallows across the baked 'cookie' bottom. Bake for 2-3 minutes until the marshmallows are puffed and spread/melted together. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely.
- In a medium saucepan, melt together the corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter over medium heat just until it comes to a boil and the sugar dissolves entirely. Then mix in the cereal and peanuts.
- Spread the cereal mixture on top of the cooled, melted marshmallows. Then sprinkle and press in M&M candies on top. Cut to size. (I would recommend smaller servings because the bars are rich. Then there's always the option to have more than one and share the love.) Enjoy!
Notes
Store Crack in a Pan in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Crack in a Pan is best served immediately because it starts to dry out quickly. The cookie bottom crumbles, and the marshmallow becomes tacky. Nobody wants that!