I love the textures of this candy bar. The creaminess of the marshmallow and butter mixed with the crunch of the peanuts. Makes for the perfect salty and sweet snack!
When I make these, they honestly do not last long AT ALL! I have to make them up a day before if I am bringing them to an event or they will all disappear. My kids say it’s magic, but we all know better, though I may be a culprit as well. 😉
Recipe Ingredient Notes
To make Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars, you will need the following ingredients:
- Peanuts
- Kraft Marshmallow Creme
- Light corn syrup
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Butter
- Salt
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to make Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars
- 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.
- 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 290 degrees F (soft crack stage). Do Not Stir During The Time It Reaches 290 degrees! (Trust me on this – do not stir while it’s reaching the 290 degrees)
- Then remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes (do not stir during this time – let it set undisturbed).
- 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.
- 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.
Storing and Other Tips
These store best in an airtight container in the fridge. You could pull them out about 15 minutes before serving.
You can also wrap them individually in waxed paper for serving or gift giving.
Be sure to not stir the mix while it is rising to the 290 degrees otherwise they will not turn out properly!
Enjoy More Delicious Copycat Candy Recipes
Making homemade candy makes us feel less guilty about our sweet tooth. Check out our comprehensive collection of candy recipes here.
- Easy Divinity
- Homemade Reese’s Eggs
- Mickey Oreo Cookie Pops
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Hearts (Homemade Reese’s)
- Valentine’s Thin Mints
- Twix Bars
Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars
Ingredients
- 16 ounces peanuts, (I used lightly salted)
- 3 (7 ounce) jars Kraft Marshmallow Creme
- 2¼ cups light corn syrup
- 2¼ cups sugar
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla
- 6 Tablespoons butter, slightly melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 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.
- 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 290 degrees F (soft crack stage). Do Not Stir During The Time It Reaches 290 degrees! (Trust me on this – do not stir while it's reaching the 290 degrees)
- Then remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes (do not stir during this time – let it set undisturbed).
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.Recipe adapted from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake
I used to eat Big Hunk candy bars when I was little. Your candy bar actually looks better.
http://askmelissaanything.blogspot.com/
Thiis looks delicious!! I love candy without chocolate!
Taylor
http://tspoonfulofsugar.com
These look great! A question about the peanuts…do they need to be raw? I know with peanut brittle they have to be raw so they don’t burn in the candy mixture. Just want to be sure.
Ooh! I love Big Hunks, but since I found out I am allergic to peanuts, I haven’t been able to eat them 🙁 Now I can make them and substitute cashews or some other yummy nut. Thank you! Can’t wait to try these.
You could also add in chopped gum drops and then it tastes like those delicious white nougat candies that are in Brachs Pick a Mix!
These don’t have to be raw because you don’t cook them with the candy mixture. The peanuts are spread out in the cookie sheet then you pour the white nougat over the top.
I used to make these when my divinity didn’t set up. Lol.
Thank you!! I loved Big Hunk, haven’t had one in ages! Now I can, whenever I feel like it!
These sound wonderful, but I’m curious why you don’t scrape the sides of the pan as you pour the hot syrup into the marshmallow cream. Does that not leave a real mess in the pan to be cleaned out?
As soon as you stir it or scrape the pan it sets up. Just use what pours out of the pan, which is most of the nougat.
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.
A question about the temperature. I live about 4500 feet above sea level. Should I adjust the temperature for the candy thermometer?
Do adjustments need to be made due to high humidity
What size jar of marshmallow cream?
i can hardly weight to make this recipe —i’m not good at using the candy thermometer but i guess i’ll have to with this recipe —i lost a lot of fillings with the big hunk
best to you and thaks
collette
Marshmallow cream comes in 7 ounce jars. So you need 3 jars to get 21 ounces.
We have only made this here at our home, which is quite dry.
We are at 4800 feet above sea level when we made this recipe post. You should be fine.
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.
My son is allergic to food dye (which is in marshmallow creme) but not in some marshmallows. Do you think substituting melted marshmallows would work in place of the creme? Thanks!
Thank you for the delicious Big Hunk recipe. It will become a family favorite.
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!
I made the marshmallow creme. perfecto. don’t have to buy it anymore and it makes a lot more than a 7oz jar!
oh I love those candies
WOW!!!
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!
Could you tell me approximately how long it takes to reach 280 degrees? Thank you!
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 18×26 and mine were very thick and very hard to chop.
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.
It’s hard to say by minutes because every stove top heats up differently. Here is a simple test if you don’t have a candy thermometer.
Soft Crack
270°F ? 290°F / 135°C ? 145°C
Drop a teaspoon of syrup into cold water. At the soft crack stage, it separates into hard thread but they are not brittle. When removed from the water these threads cannot be formed into a ball but will bend slightly before they break
Hope this helps!!
What is the best way to store this, and how long will it keep?
They store best in an airtight container in the frigde. You could pull them out about 15 minutes before serving for a party or sneak a piece or two all day long!
just like everyone else I LOVED Big Hunk bars. Thanks so much.
anything with marshmallows!!!
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!
Hi Donna!! So glad that your sister liked them! 🙂
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!
I’ve made this before and I absolutely love it. I will make more this Christmas.
Thanks for taking the time to comment on the Homemade Big Hunk Candy Bars. They are perfect for the holidays. Merry Christmas!
I love Big Hunk.. bought them in California. Oklahoma I’m in Missouri and you can’t find them here. So I order them. But now I can make them when I start craving them. Thanks for sharing
How do you store these? Can you vacuum seal these and store in fridge or freezer
We didn’t store them for long because we ate them. Store them in an airtight container. They store great in the fridge, so I’m sure the freezer will work great too.
Ooh pretzels would be good.
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.
What can I use instead of butter to make these vegan?
I love, love, love Big Hunks so I’ll have to try this. I noticed several people commented that their recipe was soft and that they only cooked it to 280 on candy thermometer, but your recipe says 290. That may be why theirs was softer. 10 degrees makes a difference.
So so yummy! Thank you! How long do these typically stay good for? Can I save some for a couple weeks?
Place them in an airtight container and put in the fridge. They should be fine for a week or so.
I’ve loved big Hunks for years. But they are now even better. You should try MICROWAVING a piece of one for about 20 seconds. Then eat it.
That sounds delicious!! We’ll definitely try it!
I just made these! So DELICIOUS. Just like the original except better because they’re softer & fresh. Made them with vegan butter and they turned out perfect. Thanks for an incredible recipe.
Hi Amanda. I’m so glad you liked them. We love a good Big Hunk Candy Bar.
This recipe was spot on! My parents loved them. Asked when I’ll be making them again. This is a keeper. Can’t wait to check out your other recipes. 🙂
I do love these, but omg their so sticky. I have to freeze them and as soon as they thaw their super sticky again. Any suggestions?
They are a sticky candy. But you could try boiling it just a little longer.
You can’t make these vegan, even with a vegan margarine. Marshmallow creme contains egg whites, and egg whites in some form or another are required when making nougat. I’ve seen recipes for vegan nougat that contain aquafaba (bean liquid), but I’ve never tried any of them.
We have made these Big Hunk candy bars a few times now. We love them!! Thank you for sharing. https://sweeterwithsugar.com
I just made this and my nougat wont set completely and stays real sticky. What did I do wrong.
You could try boiling it for just a little longer when it reaches 290 degrees to see if that would help it set up better.
Are you sure soft crack temp is 190*?
Soft crack stage occurs at 270-290 degrees F.
I live this recipe! Thanks a bunch for ] posting it!
I really like this recipe! I would like to know if it can be cut in half?
Very tasty, but pouring that marshmallow over peanuts harder than expected. Also had to set overnight before I could try to cut into strips and then into pieces. But still very tasty. A indication of the size of pan to use could have been helpful. My pan to big and I had some of the nougat without the peanuts. But still very tasty.
These can be a little tricky and you have to work fast!
Yes this recipe can be cut in half.
This turned out great. I used clear vanilla extract instead of the regular kind and the color of the candy was a bright white like the marshmallow crème. It looked and tasted great.
Made this twice now very delicious taste just like the original candy everyone loves it can’t keep it at home they all want to take it home thank you for sharing
So glad you liked it! Nothing like childhood memories of a Big Hunk Candy bar!!
We made this a couple of years ago and I put some of the wrapped bars in my winter coat. We moved to a new home and 7 years later it was cold enough to wear that winter coat again. To my delight, I found a delicious surprise in the pockets ! They were a bit hard, BUT still DELICIOUS ! I just sucked on them
Thank you ! We are now making them again, and I promise they won’t be around for 7 years this time ! Thank you
That is amazing!!
These are SO good! I highly recommend! People ask me to make them ALL the time. Apparently I have more patience than they do. 😂
2 suggestions: silicone molds and buy candy wrappers from Amazon. They save so much time!
They haven’t fully set yet (I’m sure they will!) but I wanted to review now because of the incredible instructions. I was a little intimidated, as I’m fairly new to any candy making. I appreciated the thorough directions! Side note: I actually cut this recipe into 1/3 and it turned out fantastic. It covered about 2/3 of a classic (small-ish) cookie sheet.
Thank you Megan!!
This is not a Big Hunk recipe.
Butter and Marshmallow Creme is not in the candy. It’s basically egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and a touch of vanilla and peanuts. You can add a bit of coconut oil for extra chewiness.
This is just our version of a similar candy that we enjoy. Feel free to make whichever recipe you enjoy most!
Made these for a bday gift for my Mom as she loves the store version. I think these may be better! Just delicious! Thank you for another fantastic recipe.
The mixture seized up when I added to my fluff. Pretty disappointed.
So sorry that happened, Beth. I’m not sure what could have happened there
My husband is a giant fan of Big Hunk, and recently we feel like maybe they changed the recipe? They taste more like a hard divinity and too crumbly. I wanted to make some for him for Father’s Day, so I did a Google search and this recipe pops up. I was so happy! The recipe is well written and easy to follow! These are better than store bought, hands down. The nougat comes out so soft and not rock hard like some of the candy bars do. I used dry roasted peanuts and we loved them. This is the best recipe! You absolutely nailed it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Omitting the peanuts, can you pour it into the cookie sheet, top with a peanut butter filling, then roll it?
Not many recipes come out right every time. Not many recipes taste is what it promises. This Big Hunl recipe is exactly like an old recipe Big Hunk! I have now made it at least a dozen times now and it comes out everytime! Now this is by no means a cheap version of the big hunk bar, but it is now the only way you can have the real taste of a Big Hunk!
These were fun and pretty easy to make with my limited candy skills. I ran into trouble with the pan size. You listed “sheet pan (half sheet)” so I prepped half of a cookie sheet pan. I didn’t know by “sheet pan” you meant lunch lady sized. LOL We scrambled for another pan and made it work though the thickness was not uniform. Next time I’ll start with a 17”x12” pan. They tasted great but didn’t set up as firm as I thought. Pretty sure that wamy candy thermometers fault. Ok, my fault, but I’ll get it next time. Love Six Sisters recipes!!
I have been making this recipe for awhile…. My friends and family love it. I add peanuts to the
top so there are peanuts everywhere !! Thank you for sharing… It is the best
I just made these and can’t wait for them to finish setting up in the fridge. Just a tip for the messy pot if you do have a hard mess that isn’t coming out. I put water in my pot and put it back on the stove to boil. I was able to clean the hard chunks off with the spoon quite easily then.