You know that soft, pillowy candy you’d find in your grandma’s candy dish around the holidays? That’s what these Chewy Marshmallow Nut Bars taste like. Buttery and sweet with little bites of gumdrops tucked inside.
I discovered this nougat recipe a few years back when I was trying to put together a Christmas candy spread without losing my whole weekend. Four ingredients. That’s all it takes.
My kids go wild for these. My oldest picks out all the red gumdrops and my youngest eats only the green ones, so it works out. They just call them “the squishy bars.”
These are the kind of holiday baking treats we love to make when we want a huge variety at the candy table. We pile it high with cookies and homemade Christmas candy. These homemade candy bars add a burst of bright colors.
I remembered my aunt making something similar to this. She said it came over from the “old country” when her ancestors crossed the ocean for a new life. If that story is true, we’re just grateful they brought some of the tastes of their old life with them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
When you do your holiday baking, these will add some color and joy to your spread.
- Only four ingredients: Mini marshmallows, butter, white chocolate chips, and gumdrops. That’s the whole list.
- No baking required: You don’t even need to turn on your oven. Everything melts on the stove and sets up overnight.
- Perfect for gifting: Slice them into bars, bag them up in cellophane, and you’ve got a homemade gift that people actually want to get.
- Great for a crowd: One batch makes plenty, and you can double it if you need more.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
There are tons of ways to make changes to this nougat recipe to make it even better. Or to make a lot of different types of homemade candy bars.
- Mini marshmallows: Full-size marshmallows work too, just cut them up first. They melt the same way. It just takes a few seconds longer.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted both work fine here. Salted adds a tiny bit of contrast to all that sweetness, which I actually prefer.
- Red and green gumdrops: You can use any color gumdrops you want. The red and green are just for that Christmas candy look. Swap in spice drops if you want a different flavor.
- White chocolate chips: Milk chocolate or dark chocolate both work as a swap. The white chocolate keeps things light and creamy, but a milk chocolate version is pretty great too. You’ll get a different look but same texture.
Tips for Success
A few things that’ll make your nougat recipe turn out just right.
- Use a serrated knife for slicing: It grabs onto the candy better than a smooth blade and won’t crush the bars.
- Run the knife under hot water first: Dry it off well. A warm blade cuts through the nougat so much cleaner.
- Wipe the knife between cuts: A damp paper towel works. This keeps each slice looking neat instead of ragged.
- A little nonstick spray on the blade helps too: Keeps the sticky marshmallow dessert from clinging to the metal.
- Don’t overmix when you fold in the gumdrops: Just stir until they’re spread through the mixture. That’s plenty.
Storage and Reheating
Keep your bars in an airtight container at room temperature as long as it’s not hot or humid where you are. They hold up well on a counter for a few days.
If you want them to last longer, pop the container in the fridge. They’ll stay fresh for up to a week that way. The texture gets a little firmer when cold, but some people prefer that.
These aren’t really a reheating kind of treat. They’re meant to be eaten at room temp or slightly chilled. Just pull them out the fridge about ten minutes before you want to eat them if you stored them cold.
Serving Suggestions
Slice them into small squares and set them out on a platter with other holiday baking cakes and other treats. They look really pretty next to fudge and peanut brittle.
Bag them up in cellophane with a ribbon for easy neighbor gifts or stocking stuffers. My sister does this every year and people love it. They also pair well with a cup of hot cocoa or coffee after dinner.
FAQs
Can I use milk chocolate in place of white chocolate?
Yes and you’ll love it. Milk chocolate gives you a richer, darker nougat recipe. Dark chocolate works just as well. You can even mix chocolates if you’re making more than one batch of Christmas candy to see which one you like best.
Can I make a double batch?
Yes, and you totally should! You might need to work in batches since your double boiler bowl can only hold so much. Just melt two rounds and press them into a bigger dish.
Notes
My aunt used to make what she called gumdrop nougat. She said this Christmas candy recipe was passed down from her ancestors who came here from the old country. It’s a staple in her holiday baking recipe collection.
Chewy Marshmallow Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 2 bags Mini marshmallows
- 2 bags White chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted butter melted
- 1 ½ cups Red and green gumdrops
Instructions
- Use a sharp pair of kitchen shears or a non-stick knife to cut all of the red and green gumdrop candies cleanly in half, then set them aside in a small bowl. Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square baking dish with a large sheet of parchment paper, ensuring the excess paper hangs up and over the outer edges to act as handles later.
- Bring a medium saucepan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water to a steady boil on your stovetop, then lower the burner to maintain a gentle simmer. Place a large, completely dry, heat-proof glass or stainless steel bowl directly on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler, making absolutely sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the bubbling water below.
- Drop the melted unsalted butter, both bags of mini marshmallows, and both bags of white chocolate chips directly into the heat-proof bowl over the indirect steam. Stir the ingredients continuously with a heat-resistant silicone spatula for 5 to 7 minutes as the steam gently coaxes the chocolate lipids and marshmallow gelatin to break down, melding them into a completely smooth, thick, and uniform white paste before pulling the bowl entirely off the stove.
- Let the hot white chocolate matrix cool on the counter for 3 to 4 minutes until it is warm to the touch but no longer scalding, then gently fold the halved colorful gumdrops into the mixture until they are evenly speckled throughout. Waiting for this brief cooling window is crucial because dumping gelatin-based gumdrops directly into a boiling hot sugar mixture will cause the candies to melt, bleed their artificial food dyes, and turn your clean white nougat into a muddy, streaky mess.
- Scrape the sticky gumdrop nougat directly into your prepared parchment-lined baking dish, using a second piece of lightly oiled parchment paper pressed firmly flat against the top surface to smoothly push and level the dense mixture into the corners.
- Remove the top parchment sheet and leave the pan undisturbed on the counter overnight to allow the melted gelatin and cocoa fats to fully recrystallize and firm up into a chewy, resilient sliceable candy block.
- Firmly grasp the overhanging edges of the parchment paper handles and lift the set nougat block straight out of the baking dish onto a sturdy cutting board.
- Run a long, serrated kitchen knife under hot tap water for 15 seconds, dry the blade completely on a clean towel, and slice the nougat into uniform, bite-sized bars. Wipe the blade clean and re-warm it under hot water between every single cut to cleanly slice through the sticky marshmallows and dense chocolate without tearing the edges.
