Homemade Butterfingers Recipe

Last Updated on March 25, 2024 by Share My Kitchen

A homemade Butterfingers recipe? Oh yes, please!

If you’re like me, a Butterfinger bar is one of the only candies where you can absolutely eat the entire thing without feeling sick to your stomach.

Butterfinger candy bars have one of the greatest names in American snack food history. They’re a peanut butter nougat covered in creamy milk chocolate and sprinkled with a “crunchy peanut butter coating.”

I mean, It’s just a perfect combo of peanut butter and chocolate together.

Ingredients for Your Homemade Butterfingers Recipe

The chocolatey coating is definitely more chocolatey. And, well, that’s already enticing enough.

These are the ingredients for you need to get that scrumptious candy:

Corn Syrup
Sugar
Peanuts

Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel and Palm Oil)
Peanut Flour
Nonfat Milk

And less than 2% of:

Cocoa
Milk

Salt
Yellow Corn Flour
Soy Lecithin

Natural Flavor
Annatto Color

Using Candy Corn

These candy bars or candy bites were made with candy corn because it already contains the right amount of corn syrup to sugar them.

Candy corn, however, is not vegan or vegetarian because it contains some gelatin and honey.

This is why you will also learn how to make them with corn syrup and granulated sugar.

Although they won’t be as orangey as a real Butterfinger or a Butterfinger recipe made with candy corn, they will still be vegetarian. And they will definitely be delicious.

Homemade Butterfingers Recipe – Frequently Asked Questions

Are butterfingers gluten-free?

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, regular Butterfinger bars can be made gluten-free. However, “…only in fun-size, singles and share packs (Butterfinger Bits, Butterfinger Minis, and Butterfinger Cups as well as special holiday-shaped Butterfinger items) are not considered gluten-free.”

If you are Celiac or have a gluten allergy, be cautious.

These copycat Butterfinger bars can be gluten-free if you’re careful about the ingredients you are using.

Here’s how to make them without one sneaky ingredient, which you will get in the recipe.

Are these candy bars difficult to make?

This recipe would be classified as intermediate to advanced.

It is not “very” easy to make, so you need to be careful when working with molten sugar. If your children are young, this is not the recipe for them to make. You can try making them with teenagers.

You can allow younger children to dip the candies into chocolate. However, keep them away from the kitchen, or at least at a distance while you make the centers.

Also, keep your pets away from the stove while you are boiling sugar. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

TIP 1: When working with molten sugar, keep a bowl full of very cold water nearby so that you can quickly immerse your fingers or hands in it if you get any sugar on them.

No matter what you do, you should never put your finger in your mouth. It will only result in a burnt finger and a burnt mouth.

TIP 2: A regular fork will do the job, unless you are making lots of specialty chocolates. You don’t need fancy chocolate-dipping forks unless they are essential.

What can I possibly do wrong?

One, you could burn yourself. The candy corn mixture will be cooked to just above 300°F. And you need to stir in some thick peanut butter. So, be careful when handling your ingredients.

After mixing in the peanut butter, scrape the molten candy onto the Silpat. Then, fold it over to knead it through the Silpat.

You might consider an oven mitt to assist you with kneading through the Silpat. Especially if you don’t have a high tolerance for heat.

It is possible to cook the candy too hot and cause it to caramelize, which is not something you want.

You might also not heat it enough to ensure that your candy doesn’t become crispy and crunchy.

You can only do that if you have an instant thermometer or candy thermometer. This will allow you to monitor the temperature and determine when peanut butter should be added to the pot.

A candy thermometer that is clipped to the pot’s side might not give the correct temperature because the candy is usually cooler towards the sides. It might not also be accurate if the molten candy is not deep enough.

This candy contains only 8 oz. So, you can either double the amount or tip the pan for a good reading using the clip-on thermometer.

TIP: Keep lavender oil in your kitchen for any burns. This is a common technique used by glass artists when they make beads, which can reach temperatures up to 1000°.

Do I need to temper chocolate for this recipe?

No. You could use couverture and temper it, but tempering can be finicky, and kitchens have different conditions. So, this recipe caters to all kitchens and uses chocolate for coating.

The chocolate still sets up shiny, just like tempered chocolate. However, it does not require any special skills except the ability to wait until the chocolate has set fully. This can take several hours, if not longer.

What’s the secret? Refined coconut oil. This formula: use 10% of the chocolate’s weight in oil. For 10 oz chocolate, you will need 1 ounce of oil.

Get a kitchen scale if you don’t already have one. It will make your life so much easier. You’ll be so happy.

Homemade Butterfingers Recipe – How to Make

Butterfingers will take approximately 30 minutes. This does not, however, include cooling time, dipping time, or the time it takes for the coating chocolates to set up. So, please, plan accordingly.

Get Corn Flakes Ready
Place and spread out your cornflakes in the center of a Silpat-lined half-sheet pan. Place the pan near the stove.
Mix Up Your “Dry” Ingredients
Combine the peanut butter, milk powder, and cocoa powder. You also need to place the bowl near the stove.

Cook the Candy
Add water and candy corn to the pan. Over medium heat, heat the candy corn until it has melted. You can then raise the heat and cook the candy to 290°F. Next, add the molasses and continue cooking the candy until it reaches 305°F.
Stir all ingredients together.
When the candy reaches 305°F, immediately take it out from the heat and add the peanut butter mixture. To reduce your risk of burning yourself, use a long-handled wooden spoon.
Pour candy out onto prepared Silpat.
Scrape the candy onto the Silpat lined with cornflakes. To incorporate the corn flakes, fold the candy using the Silpat.

Roll and fold the candy.
You can fold the candy in thirds as the candy cools. This is similar to folding a letter. To avoid burning yourself, repeat this process several times with the Silpat to help you. You can roll the candy out and fold it without the Silpat as the candy continues to cool. However, it will still be very hot, so be careful.
Score, Cool, and Dip. Done!
Give the candy one final roll, about 1/3 of an inch. Score the candy using a pizza wheel about halfway through. You can also make any shape you want. After cooling, cut the candies into pieces and dip them in the chocolate coating. Then, let them harden.

Homemade Butterfingers Recipe Card

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CENTERS

1/2 cup corn flakes cereal, lightly crushed

8 oz peanut butter, I use Smucker’s Natural
2 teaspoons cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons dry milk powder

8 oz candy corn
2 oz water
2 teaspoons molasses, I use Grandma’s

FOR THE COATING CHOCOLATE

8 oz milk chocolate chips, I use Ghirardelli
8 oz 60% bittersweet chocolate chips, I use Ghirardelli
1.6 oz refined coconut oil

HOMEMADE BUTTERFINGERS RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CENTERS

Spread the corn flakes in the middle of a half-sheet-sized Silpat. Then, set it aside conveniently next to the stove.
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, milk powder, and cocoa powder. Place the bowl next to the stove.
Pour and combine the water and candy corn in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat and smash the candies down using the heat-resistant side of the spatula, until they are smooth.

Turn up the heat to medium or medium-high and bring it to a boil. Cook the mixture until it reaches 290°F.
Next, add the molasses into the pan and swirl it around to distribute it. Cook the candy until it reaches 305°F.
Remove the pan from the heat immediately and scoop the peanut butter mixture into your candy. Take care when you stir, and do it until it is completely incorporated.

Then, scrape the candy onto the corn-flaked Silpat. Use the Silpat (and a glove, if needed) to fold the candy with the cornflakes together so that it looks layered. Then, fold the candy, press it out (with the Silpat folded over it), and fold it with the Silpat.
After a few minutes, the candy will become firm. You can then use a rolling pin directly on the candy to roll it out to about 1/-inch. Then, fold the candy in thirds, like you are making puff pastry. Keep rolling and folding the candy until it is stiff but not too hard. However, err on the side of “too soft” instead of “too hard”, or you won’t be able to store your candy.
The candy should be rolled one more time until it measures 1/3-inch or so. You can score the candy with a metal pizza cutter, or a bench knife, about halfway to three-quarters of the way through. You can make them into squares or traditional bar shapes. Or you can make them into any shape you prefer.

Let the candy cool completely. Then, break apart the score marks.

TO DIP IN CHOCOLATE

Melt the coconut oil and two types of chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts. Between each pulse, you need to stir. And stir until chocolate is mostly melted.
Line a half-sheet pan or two with Silpat. Set aside but keep them close.

Remove any candy crumbs that may remain in your centers. Then, place 5-6 pieces into the melted, but not super hot, chocolate.
Turn them over with a candy fork or a regular fork to coat them properly. To even out and remove the excess chocolate, grab one with the tines of the fork and tap it against the rim of the bowl. Make sure that the candy is facing up. The bottoms of the candy are flat, while the tops are slightly curved from the scoring. To cool completely, place each dipped and drained center on Silpat. This can take several hours.
One dip is enough, but you can double-dip if you like more chocolate. Then, reheat the chocolate and dip and drain the candies for a second time. Let these cool. You can also drizzle some more melted chocolate over the candies. Although this is optional, it looks great.

Then, store, uncovered, in a dry place to let it cool or set for at least a few hours or overnight. You can put the tray in the microwave, but don’t forget they’re there. It’s a great place to store it in, particularly if you have kids or animals who might try to get to them. Again, don’t forget where you stored them.
You can package them in any way you like. Put them in cello bags, small candy boxes, or just put them on a plate. You can also either share or keep them to yourself. No one will judge you.
The crunchy Butterfinger candy bars can stay crunchy for up to a week or two, depending on the humidity. However, they will soon be gone before losing their crunchiness.

HOMEMADE BUTTERFINGERS RECIPE NOTES

You can substitute sugar, corn syrup, and water if you don’t want to use candy corn for the base of these Butterfinger candy bars.

Use:

4.5 oz of light corn syrup

3.5 oz of granulated sugar
2 oz of water.

Mix well, cover the pan with a lid, and bring to a boil.

Let the mixture boil for about a minute or two to dissolve any sugar crystals off the sides of the pan. Then, continue the recipe as written.

Although the candy won’t have an orange hue, it will taste nearly identical. It will also be vegetarian. These candies will be vegan if you use vegan chocolate as the coating.

That’s all folks! Although they may not be as crispy as the original, they are still deliciously crunchy. Enjoy the copycat homemade Butterfingers recipe candy bars!

Take care and have a wonderful day.