When I was a kid we used to have all-night Canasta marathons at my grandparent’s river cabin. My mom or aunt would make huge batches of these peanut butter crackers for all of us to snack on while we stayed up all night and played cards. A healthy family, we were not.
Fun? Absolutely. Healthy? Nope.
This past New Years Eve was spent in a warm cabin in freezing cold Asheville, North Carolina with Garrett. We let him watch one of the Star Wars movies for the first time, and I made us a batch of these toasted marshmallow peanut butter crackers from my childhood. He LOVEs these things and they are so simple to make. I assumed that everyone knew about them, but when I posted this picture on instagram turns out not everyone does! A few folks wanted the recipe, so today I’m sharing my secrets to the perfect little snack for a fun night with the family.
Toasted Peanut Butter Marshmallows Ingredients:
Peanut Butter
Marshmallows
Ritz or Saltine Crackers
Preheat oven to broil (about 500 degrees)
Start by smearing a dollop of peanut butter onto a Ritz or Saltine cracker. I use Ritz, my mom always used saltines. The important thing is that the salty side is down so you get a taste of it when you bite into this gooey goodness. I have no exact measurements here- just slather some PB on there. We like creamy for six year old mouths…. you can use crunchy. There are no rules here.
Top each one with a marshmallow (I like to face them with the flat end up so they brown evenly)
Pop them into the top rack of the oven and let them broil at 500 degrees until they are nice and brown on top.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WATCH THEM LIKE A HAWK. Do not step away and do something else or you will have a smoldering marshmallow mess on your hands. You can even keep the oven cracked and peek at them while they turn brown. It doesn’t take long—just a few minutes under the broiler and they brown up nicely. 
Serve with an ice cold glass of milk ( or get all sugar-rush crazy and go for some perfect homemade hot chocolate).
The hardest part of this recipe is keeping them on the plate long enough to take a decent blog picture. 
I realize this is not on anyone’s healthy diet plan, but sometimes you gotta cut loose and have a fun treat.
What better time for that than a cold winter’s night? Cheers, y’all!
Hi Beth, I just found your blog and just wanted to tell you how talented you are! Your are one crafty lady. You have certainly made your home your own style…beautiful. Greetings from the mountains of North Carolina near Asheville,
Thanks so very much!!
My grandmother used to make me these growing up & somehow I completely forgot about them. She used saltines & I’m about 99% sure she used honey too, even though my mom says she didn’t. But I do now & it makes them even better. Give them a try.
Oh my goodness! That was such a special snack for me and my brother when we were growing up. We used saltines peanut butter and mini marshmallows. Love those!
Oh my goodness!! I’m going to need to make these ASAP!!!! 🙂
Black coffee or hot dark cocoa plus these mallow goodness! Beth, you’re a whiz!!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
I couldn’t believe it when I saw these. My mom made these when I was growing up. They were just items that we always had on hand in the 60’s and 70’s. I just loved them then and I still do. Mine aren’t nearly as pretty as yours. They’re usually lopsided and oozing off the cracker. And I have to admit, I’ve never given any thought as to which side of the cracker is up or down. I do put the flat side of the marshmallow facing up though. Now I have a 17 year old and I’ve been making them her entire life and hopefully she will make them for her “little ones” someday. Or better yet, hopefully, I can make them for her little ones.
There was also a chocolate pudding (that’s what my mom called it anyway) that she made that my sister and I have been trying to duplicate for years with no luck. I asked my mom about it many times after she was older and she couldn’t remember what was in it. It was baked in the oven and also made from ingredients that were always on hand. I know it had cocoa powder, sugar, eggs and butter in it, but I don’t know what else. I had something very similar to it at the Southend Restaurant in Memphis once. I inquired about it and was told that an older lady from Mississippi made it. My mom was from Mississippi too. If there is a dish your mom makes that you really love, ask her now for the recipe. You might even have to create the recipe from her directions. That’s the problem with this pudding, there really wasn’t a recipe that was written down. It was one of those dishes that she dumped a little of this and a pinch of that in one pan and it came out tasting great.
Thank you for the memories.
I don’t remember that chocolate pudding recipe but it sounds delish! I’ll ask my mom if she knows. 🙂
Cut down on the calories by using less peanut butter (1/2) and cutting your marshmallows in half. Or use 2 mini marshmallows.
I still make these! I’m currently eating them NOW!!!