Peanut Butter Yuckies

Don’t let the name fool you. My Dad came up with the “Yuckies” part when my siblings and I were small to try and trick us into letting him eat the whole batch by himself. It never worked, we devoured them, right down to the last crumb. As the Bard wrote: “A peanut butter cornflake treat by any other name would taste as sweet!” Peanut Butter “Yuckies” are a classic no-bake treat that every peanut butter lover will go crazy over. They’re quick and easy to throw together (no oven needed!), and perfect for potlucks, picnics, road trips, game-time snacks, or whenever the craving strikes! Which might happen often, just to warn you, because these bad boys are addicting. So go whip these cookies up, throw some sandwiches in a picnic basket, and hit the road! It’s time to savor summer.

I remember my Dad would often make a double batch of these for church youth activities as a youth leader, and us kids (who were still too young to attend the activity), would smell the warm peanut butter and bolt for the kitchen hoping for a piece. Unfortunately, aside from a nibble from the spoon or mixing bowl, we were usually out of luck. He would whisk that pan of tantalizing goodness right out of the house, leaving us, with mouths still watering, in a state of shock and disappointment over the unfairness of life. I would always utter a silent but fervent prayer for leftovers, but perhaps my faith was lacking (I knew how good these things were, after all), because that pan rarely failed to come home empty. Fortunately, Dad loved his kids at least as much as his youth group, so he’d make a family-only batch once in a while to make it up to us. And of course it worked, because it’s impossible not to forgive the person who hands you a plate of these Peanut Butter Delights. Or Yuckies. Or whatever you want to call them.

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Peanut butter cornflake treats can be made in bar form, as in the photos here, or in drop-cookie form on a parchment-lined baking sheet (if you promise to work fast). Or you could just dump the bowl out onto a piece of parchment paper and tell everyone to go to town. (But don’t ever use wax paper because the hot mixture will melt the wax and you’ll end up with the opposite of non-stick!) You can gussy these up with chocolate chips or a variety of mix-ins, or keep them simple and just enjoy their pure peanut-buttery perfection.

Here’s the recipe:

Peanut Butter Yuckies:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup (or substitute honey, for a richer flavor)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3-4 cups cornflakes cereal (I like to use 3 cups cornflakes and 1 cup roughly chopped salted peanuts)

Optional: other toppings or mix-ins as desired, such as chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chopped peanuts, etc. (Make sure the total amount of cereal + mix-ins does not exceed 4 cups. Toppings don’t count for this.)

Generously butter a 9×9 baking dish if you plan to slice and serve the bars straight from the pan, or line the dish with parchment paper with a 2-inch overhang for an easy lift-and-slice removal option. (For drop-style cookies, line a baking sheet with parchment paper instead.)

Next, pour the cornflakes and/or nuts into a large bowl.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar and corn syrup or honey. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar, then remove from heat (you don’t want to overcook the sugar or you’ll end up with peanut butter rocks). Immediately add the peanut butter and stir until smooth.

Pour hot mixture over the cornflakes and gently fold it in, repeating until the cereal has been evenly coated.

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Scoop cereal mixture into the prepared pan, using a spatula to gently press and flatten them into the pan. Top with chocolate chips or other toppings, if using, then set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. (It may be the longest 30 minutes of your life, but if you try to cut them while they’re still warm, they will fall apart.) To store, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, or keep bars/cookies in an airtight container or bag. In theory, they will keep for a few days, but they always vanish long before that.