Candies, crispy bar with peanut butter filling

This candy bar layers thin, crisped rice or wafer sheets with a smooth peanut butter filling, then coats the whole thing in a chocolate-flavored shell. The contrast is the point: a light, airy crunch gives way to a dense, salty-sweet peanut center, which is why these bars show up in lunchboxes, vending machines, and as an afternoon pick-me-up alongside coffee or a glass of milk. Because the wafer core is dry and the filling is fat-based, the bar holds its shape at room temperature and doesn't require refrigeration, unlike bars built around soft caramel or marshmallow. Peanut butter candy bars are usually eaten straight from the wrapper rather than used as a cooking ingredient, though crushed pieces occasionally turn up as a topping for ice cream or a stir-in for no-bake dessert bars.

Keep the bars in a cool, dry pantry; heat softens the chocolate coating and can cause the peanut butter filling to separate or the wafer to turn soft and stale. At 542 calories per 100 g, with 31.3 g of fat and 40.3 g of sugar, this is a dessert-category item best treated as an occasional treat portion rather than a meal component. What sets it apart from most candy is a genuine protein contribution from the peanut butter, at 19% DV per 100 g, along with 18% DV vitamin E and smaller amounts of fiber and magnesium, all typical of peanuts. If you're watching sodium, note it also carries 264 mg per 100 g, mostly from the salted peanut filling.