You can make your very own homemade butterfingers! This copycat version contains only 3 ingredients and does not require corn syrup. Can you guess the secret ingredient?!
Original recipe: November 2011 | Updated: October 2022
Why This Recipe Works
If you ask me what my favorite candy is, I will probably give you a dozen different answers. Rolos, Starburst, Dots, Twix and Butterfinger Candy Bars are all at the top of my list.
I’m not just a salad connoisseur, candy is also a personal specialty. I have 36 years of candy-eating experience and a mouth full of fillings to back that up. Plus, it’s in my genes. My dad loves candy even more than I do.
There was a greasy (delicious) little eatery on Main Street in our small Iowa town growing up where the entire town ate supper at least once a week.
Back then, they made “tornadoes,” which were the equivalent to a DQ blizzard. My dad would often go to Cliff’s to get me a Butterfinger Tornado, and perhaps a treat for himself.
Eventually we stopped having Cliff’s make our tornadoes, and my dad starting making them at home. I recall asking him to make me a lot of Butterfinger Tornadoes in the years that followed.
You can imagine my delighted surprise when I learned recently how easy it is to make Butterfinger candy bars at home and how much they taste like the real deal!
Homemade Butterfinger Ingredients
Ever wonder what’s in a butterfinger? Three simple ingredients, that’s all you need to make these delicious homemade candy bars.
- Candy corn (use up your leftover Halloween candy!)
- Creamy peanut butter
- Milk chocolate
How To Make Homemade Butterfingers
Step 1
Melt candy corn by placing it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, followed by 30-second bursts until the candy is melted. Stir until creamy.
Step 2
Add the peanut butter and stir until completely combined and creamy. Microwave the peanut butter mixture for 30 seconds longer, if necessary. Pour the mixture into a parchment paper lined 8×8 baking dish.
Allow to sit for an hour and a half, until it has cooled completely. Remove from pan and cut into 2×1-inch pieces using a sharp knife. Wipe excess crumbs off of the candy pieces.
Step 3
In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute, followed by 30-second intervals until it is smooth and creamy when stirred. Stab the bottoms of the candy pieces with a small fork.
Dip candies into the melted chocolate to coat completely, allowing excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. Carefully set on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and allow to cool to room temperature.
Once I had all of my candy bars made, I placed the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so they could set.
Recipe Notes
- Corn-on-the-cob skewers or toothpicks worked great for dipping the hardened peanut butter mixture into the chocolate.
- Add up to 1 cup of crushed corn flakes or rice krispies cereal to add crunch to the candy bars. This will add a touch of added flavor, too!
- Try replacing creamy with crunchy peanut butter for added crunchy texture.
Homemade Butterfinger Recipe Without Candy Corn
Using candy corn is ideal for best results, but if you can’t find or eat this ingredient replace it with 1 cup of maple syrup or honey. Bring it to a boil over medium heat on the stove top until it reaches 300 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to measure the temp!
Once the thermometer says 300 degrees, remove pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter. Pour into a parchment lined dish and follow the remaining instructions as directed below.
How To Store Homemade Butterfingers
Store in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature. If you leave them in the fridge, your bars will be more crispy, rather than chewy if left on the counter. They should be good for 3-5 days.
I’m warning you right now, it will be hard not to over-indulge. Have people available to share these with!
Candy Corn Desserts
If you have leftover candy corn on your hands, here are some more great options for using it up!
Fall Recipes
Fall is my favorite time of year – with bonfires, cool, crisp weather and ah-mazing foods that scream fall! Check out a few of my favorites to share with you.
- Best Pumpkin Bars
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Halloween Snack Mix
- Cinnamon Baked Apple Slices
- Apple Pie Jam
- Fall Potpourri
- Apple Pie Filling
Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!
Homemade Butterfinger Candy Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups candy corn
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 24 oz milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place the candy corn in a medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, followed by 30-second bursts until it is melted. Stir until creamy.
- Add the peanut butter and stir until completely combined. Pour mixture into a parchment-lined 8×8 baking dish. Allow to cool for an hour and a half. Remove from pan and cut into 2×1-inch pieces, using a sharp knife. Wipe excess crumbs from candy pieces.
- In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute, followed by 30-second bursts until it is smooth and creamy when stirred. Using a small fork, impale bottoms of candies and dip them into the melted chocolate. Coat completely.
- Set on wax paper-lined baking sheet for cooling. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes until set. Store in a sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Corn-on-the-cob skewers worked great for this. Dip candies into the melted chocolate to coat completely. Carefully set on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet and allow to cool.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature. If you leave them in the fridge, your bars will be more crispy, rather than chewy if left on the counter. They will be good for 3-5 days.
I am so going to make these….Dawn, you said to spread the candy corn/pb mixture over the chocolate and put back in freezer…..do you not dip the squares of candy corn mixture in the chocolate. If not, how exactly (amts. etc.) do you do the chocolate part? Thank you Megan for a delicious sounding recipe and you, too, Dawn for the secret crunch ingredient!
2 cups of toasted, chopped (very small) coconut is what works best in these for the crunchy taste and flavor of the Butterfingers.
I tested a whole lot of different things to find the right ingredient to make these taste and have the exact crunch of this favorite candy! But,,,, after you toast the coconut, it does reduce to 1&1/2 cups of coconut, but its still enough to make it just right!! If no one else has tried this, give it a try, you won't be sorry! Also, if I remember correctly, I think the ingredients on the Butterfinger bar does include coconut. =0) Make sure you mix the toasted coconut in with the freshly melted candy corn, fresh out of the micro (if you used that method) and mix well, then spread it evenly over your chocolate, put it back in the freezer (or fridge) which ever you prefer, until it's firm to add the top layer of chocolate. It's awesome! I have been getting requests from friends and family in other states already for their order for Christmas goodies! =0) This treat is definitely a winner!! Thanks for posting this!!! =0)
Hi Candy! Doing it now!!
Megan
Could you post this to your Facebook page so I can share it I love Clark bars but can't find them except at Halloween.
Stir in corn flakes cereal or maybe corn flakes crumbs into the peanut butter/candy corn mixture for crunch and texture.
I found out what it needed to give it that "butterfinger" crunch! I toasted 2 cups of coconut and pulverized it in a food processor (so not to get big pieced of coconut flakes in it.) an added it to the mixture of peanut butter and candy corn. It worked perfectly!! It's exactly like a Butterfinger candy bar, an it has the exact same crunch!! It was absolutely delicious! I just wish I had of known about this when my kids were still young! Hope that helps you ladies!! =0)
These were sooo good! They taste JUST like butterfingers, stickiness and all. They even have a little crispy bite to them, not soft like I was expecting! I have a bit of it left because I got to lazy to keep dipping, plan on using it on top of some brownies with the leftover Choc chips! 🙂
Always loved the Butterfinger! The bite into the soft outer layer into the hard interior…So good! I'm sure the candy is connected to the time you shared with your Dad…nice. Rich
Hi Zelda, I have always compared the taste of candy corn to the sugary gooey-ness in Baby Ruth candy bars. Unfortunately I don't know how else to achieve the flavor, though! Anyone else have ideas?
Megan
I would love to make these~what can I substitute for candy corn? What does it taste like maybe I will then know what to look for.
These were AMAZING! We keep them in the fridge and they are a bit crispy. Thank you so much for sharing. Out of season, I was able to find candy corn in those 50 cent packages that you can find circus peanuts in. 4-5 small bags was equal to 2.5 cups.
I bet a bit of finely crushed peanut brittle might give you the crunch you want! Mix some in along with the peanut butter and then sprinkle some over the top before you put the mix in the fridge. These are on the docket for next week. I'll try them both ways and let you know know they turn out!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candy_corn
Hi Meg, here's a link to what candy corn looks like. I don't know about substitutions, unfortunately!
this looks delicious , but I don't know what candy corn is; and can you get anything similar in Britain?
Times like these I need a LOVE button! I've always been a sucker for Butterfingers, I even have a secret stash hiding in the cupboard from my hubby! I can't wait to make these!!
Yup… definitely know what I'll be doing all weekend now =)
Wow these look amazing!!!!
OMG,,,,I love butterfingers, and crunch or not they look absolutely delicious! Is there a substitute for the candy corn?
I am a big, big fan of the DQ Butterfinger Blizzard. I cannot imagine having access to Butterfingers 24/7. Thanks for the recipe!
These are genius! I looove butterfinger. Your photos are lovely as well. Nice job!