Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars

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Big Hunks were one of our favorite candy bars growing up.  We love the creamy buttery taste loaded with peanuts.  Now you can make these delicious candy bars at home.  They actually taste better than the store bought ones!  Your family will love this “Blast from the Past”!!!!!

Serves: 72

Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars

These soft and chewy Big Hunks are better than the store bought and so easy to make!

3 hr, 15 Prep Time

15 minCook Time

3 hr, 30 Total Time

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Ingredients

  • 16 ounces peanuts (I used lightly salted)
  • 21 ounces Kraft Marshmallow Creme (3 jars)
  • 2 1/4 cups light corn syrup
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Grease a large cookie sheet with butter or shortening. Then spread the peanuts all over the greased cookie sheet. In a large mixing bowl put the marshmallow creme, and then set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan combine the corn syrup and sugar over medium high heat and stir constantly using a wooden spoon until it comes to a boil. Clip the candy thermometer on the side of the pan and heat it to 280 degrees F (soft crack stage). Do Not Stir During The Time It Reaches 280 degrees! (Trust me on this - do not stir while it's reaching the 280 degrees)
  3. Then remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes (do not stir during this time - let it set undisturbed).
  4. Without scraping sides of the pan, pour into the marshmallow cream bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Then add in the butter, vanilla, and salt and stir with wooden spoon until the butter is incorporated.
  5. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the peanuts. Let it set at room temperature until set, about 3 hours. You can put it in the fridge to set up faster. You can cut them up and wrap in waxed paper. After cutting them in squares we turned them upside down so you could see the side with the peanuts.
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https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/homemade-big-hunk-candy-bars/

Recipe adapted from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake

 

 

 

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Comment on this Recipe

43 Responses to “Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars”

  8. Jane
    My sister is the person that always makes the sweets for everyone you never know what you are gonna get when you go to her house so, am gonna send it to her and, another sister....Thank you, we all love these and, I like the one with gum drops too. ...Thank you again.
    June 2, 2015 at 11:24 pm
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  13. Steve
    I made this and it does taste pretty good. However, it took a long time to get to the soft crack temp, and then after 3 hrs it did not set up, so I froze it. I break off pieces when I want to eat some and they are good. However, it has a low melting point. If you take it out of freezer it will literally melt all the pieces together into a solid at just 75 degrees room temperature. Hold in hands and melts right away. Not sure if I did anything wrong, but it would be good if I did not have to leave it in the freezer until last second.
    June 15, 2015 at 2:39 pm
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    • Cyd
      Hi Maiya. We have only used marshmallow creme when making this recipe. I'm just going to show you this that I found on google - Marshmallow cream is a whipped, spreadable version of puffy marshmallows used in making fudge, frostings and other confections. Equivalents: 7 oz. jar, 2 1/8 cups Substitutions: For 1 cup marshmallow cream heat 16 large or 160 miniature marshmallows + 2 tsp corn syrup in the top of a double boiler. Not sure how it will all turn out but it sounds like it might work. Good luck! Keep us posted!
      July 23, 2015 at 11:01 pm
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  17. lori
    i love big hunk bars, love the nougat and prefer the ones without the candy bits so this one is great. i live in canada and we don't sell them here. now instead of getting friends to be my mules and bring it home for me i can try to make it myself. and i'll try the marshmallow diy also. another great recipe is take one jar of the marshmallow fluff, mix with one brick of philly cream cheese and wow instant fruit dip...so yummy and easy too!
    September 20, 2015 at 6:53 pm
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  18. Josh P
    These taste delicious, however, when left at room temperature, this melts to a taffy consistency which makes it difficult to handle, store and eat. I followed the temperature limits and all recipe instructions to a tee. Should I let the boiling mixture heat higher than 280 degrees? I would also recommend using a very large cookie sheet or even two. I used one 18x26 and mine were very thick and very hard to chop.
    October 1, 2015 at 10:25 am
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    • Cyd
      Ours went a little softer but not bad. We cut it up and wrapped it in waxed paper right after taking it out of the fridge and had no problems. You could try cooking it a little higher than 280 degrees and see if that helps. But we have only done it to 280 (soft crack stage). We have always made this in an 13 x 18 inch pan.
      October 8, 2015 at 12:31 pm
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  21. Donna Jaco
    These are fabulous! My sisters and I loved these as kids. I made them for my sister's birthday the other day and they taste exactly like the real thing, but better! Softer. I used lightly salted peanuts and they were perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
    December 15, 2015 at 8:33 am
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  22. Kristin
    Hi! Silly question, but....how the heck do you clean your pots after making this stuff? I put it directly in the sink with hot water and the syrup/sugar mixture completely sized in the pot and it's now hard as a rock :/ Any suggestions? Thanks for the great recipe!
    December 20, 2015 at 8:30 pm
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  26. Beeman
    I had the same problem as a couple of others had, that it got too soft at room temp. I made this for a supper at church and by the time we got around to eating it was melting off the sides of the serving platter. Next time I'll go higher than 280. I threw the whole batch out because anything, waxed paper or whatever, would stick so tightly that pieces of the paper had to be picked off. And, yes, my candy thermometer is accurate. I checked it.
    January 11, 2020 at 5:57 pm
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