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–+ servings
Three old fashioned peanut squares stacked.

Old Fashioned Peanut Squares

Erika Marucci
Old fashioned peanut squares are a classic treat made with a soft, buttery shortbread crust with a sweet butterscotch filling mixed with crunchy peanuts. The sweet and nutty flavor is irresistible! 
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 16 minutes
Chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 26 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 15 squares
Calories 342 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Base

  • 1½ cups All purpose flour
  • ¾ cups Butter - unsalted, room temperature
  • ¾ cups Brown sugar

For the Filling

  • 6 ounces Butterscotch chips
  • ¼ cups Maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons Water
  • 2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
  • 2 cups Peanuts (chopped or left whole)

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl mix together the flour, butter and brown sugar. Press the mix into the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Take the pan out of the oven and let the shortbread crust cool for about 10 minutes.
  • In another medium bowl add the chips, maple syrup and oil and melt everything together on a bain-marie.
  • Add peanuts to the melted mixture (chop the peanuts if you prefer smaller pieces) and pour it over the base. Bake for 6 minutes. Let it cool, freeze for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Store these old fashioned peanut butter squares in an airtight container or slice them into slices separating the layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking and place them in the freezer. They will last up to 3 months.
If you find that your shortbread crust needs  to be cooked for longer, bake it for an extra 5-10 minutes and the second bake an extra 5-10 minutes. Mine cooked at 10 minutes and 6 minutes, but ovens are different so you might need some extra baking time for yours.
The butterscotch topping isn't very thick, so keeping it in the freezer is a good idea, but you can replace the maple syrup with corn syrup for a thicker butterscotch topping.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 133mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 295IUCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg
Keyword bars, peanut bars, peanut squares
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