Candy Corn Cereal Bars

Almost a month after Halloween, I still had leftover candy corn hanging out in the cabinet...so here's how I used up the last of it!

Candy Corn Cereal Bars
(adapted from this recipe)

1 box of yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter - room temperature
3 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup lite karo corn syrup
1/4 cup Splenda sugar blend
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar blend
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Peter Pan Whipped)
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 cups crushed Honey Chex
1 cup pretzel pieces (broken into pieces, not crushed)
1 cup peanuts
1 1/2 cups candy corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix on a medium speed until a thick mixture develops.  Press this into the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

During this 15 minutes, make the topping.  Over a medium heat, combine the karo syrup and both sugars.  Bring to a slight boil and remove from heat to add the vanilla and peanut butter.  Stir well.  Once mixed, place back on the burner at the lowest heat level.  You do not want to continue cooking it, but it needs to stay warm.

When the crust is done, sprinkle the marshmallows on top and put back in the oven for 2 minutes or until marshmallows begin to puff.  Remove from oven.

While the marshmallows are puffing, add the crushed Honey Chex, pretzel pieces, peanuts, and candy corn to the mixture waiting on the stove top.  Mix all of this in until it's evenly coated.  Immediately after the puffed marshmallows are removed from the oven, spread this coated mixture into the pan.

 
Let cool completely & cut into squares!