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    Home » Recipes » Cookies & Bars

    Confetti Squares

    Published: Nov 8, 2022

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    Confetti Squares - Butterscotch, Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Bars - are a staple of any Manitoba holiday spread. Easy to make, quick to disappear!

    Originally posted May 13, 2011. Updated 11/8/2022

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch peanut butter confetti squares.

    Quick and easy recipe post for today: Confetti Bars!

    When I first posted this recipe, I’d been dealing with a sick husband the past couple of days.

    While shopping for "sick" groceries (stuff we didn't have on hand, that are good to have around for illness - OJ, chicken soup, yogurt, etc), somehow I started thinking about confetti bars.

    Yeah, I have no idea either. My brain sometimes makes completely bizarre leaps like that.

    Anyway, confetti bars.

    At the time, I hadn’t had them in a long time. They definitely weren't the ubiquitous party / holiday treat there - we were still in Minnesota - that they are here (now that I’m back home).

    With the holiday season coming, I figure it’s the right time of year to update this easy dessert recipe!

    What are Confetti Bars?

    Confetti bars are a fun little confection made of colourful marshmallows encased in a kind of butterscotch-peanut butter quick, creamy fudge.

    You may know them by a different name - I’ve seen them called butterscotch confetti squares, peanut butter butterscotch marshmallow bars, butterscotch marshmallow squares, butterscotch peanut butter marshmallow squares, confetti bars, and peanut butter confetti squares.

    Whatever you call them, you can't go to a Canadian potluck, Christmas dinner, baby shower, or wedding social without coming across these no bake treats!

    In my family, this no bake bar Noelles, my aunt's Sauerkraut Balls, and Dill Dip were basically foundational for any holiday get together.

    I'm not taking any credit for this recipe itself, as it's one that you just learn as a kid, and pretty much everyone knows.

    You know, aside from most of the Minnesota locals that I know!

    Are these tasty treats a Canadian thing? Prairies-specific?

    I don't know.

    Whatever they are, they take like 2 minutes to make, and are super addictive - which you’ll see on your very first bite!

    Definitely a case of "The whole being greater than the sum of its parts"!

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch confetti squares.

    Ingredients

    These butterscotch marshmallow bars are incredibly easy to make, involve very few ingredients, and require no special techniques or even baking.

    You will need:

    Butterscotch Chips
    Creamy Peanut Butter
    Butter
    Mini Marshmallows (Ideally Rainbow Marshmallows)

    Coloured mini marshmallows, butterscotch chips, peanut butter. and a stick of butter on a stove top.

    Variations

    - While Rainbow marshmallows are traditional (and prettier!), you can definitely use plain mini marshmallows if you prefer, or if you can’t find the rainbow ones.

    - For chocolate confetti squares, you can swap the butterscotch chips out for chocolate chips.

    I prefer Milk Chocolate Chips, but Dark Chocolate Chips - or even White Chocolate Chips - also work.

    - While peanut butter is traditional, you can swap it out for other nut or nut-adjacent butters.

    As an example, sunflower seed butter would make this accessible to those who have peanut allergies.

    A white plate is stacked with Confetti Bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with butterscotch fudge.

    How to Make Confetti Squares

    The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is a quick pictorial walk through.

    1. Measure the first 3 ingredients into a large, microwave safe bowl.

    2. Melt butter, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips together.

    3. Stir everything until smooth.

    A 5 part image showing the peanut butter, butter. and butterscotch chips being melted in a bowl until smooth.

    4. Add marshmallows to the melted butterscotch and peanut butter mixture, stir to coat

    A 2 part image showing the marshmallows being stirred into the melted butterscotch mixture.

    5. Spread into a prepared pan.

    The confetti bar mixture being spread in a lined baking pan.

    6. Chill until set.

    7. Cut and serve!

    A 2 part image showing the brick of butterscotch squares removed from the pan and cut into smaller bars.

    Some Helpful Tips

    Be sure to prepare your baking pan before you start making the squares.

    Butter or pan spray works fine, but I usually prefer to line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper or wax paper. This way, I can lift the whole thing out and cut into bars much more easily.

    Spraying the pan with pan spray before lining it helps the parchment stick to the pan.

    A 5 part image showing the pan being lined with parchment paper.

    On the subject of pans, you can use an 8 x 8" square pan for nice, thick bars, or a 9 x 13" baking pan for thinner bars.

    Both variations are pictured in this post.

    *****

    Be careful when melting your butterscotch chips - you don’t want them to burn.

    I’ll usually put them in the microwave for 45-60 seconds to start, stir well, then go in 20-30 second bursts from there.

    I usually stop microwaving it before it’s actually all melted, and stir the remaining bits of chips until they melt and everything is smooth.

    Not only does this help prevent burning, it helps cool it down a bit - which helps the final texture!

    *****
    If you prefer, you can melt the ingredients over low heat - medium heat if you’re really careful - on a stove top.

    *****

    While it’s not 100% necessary, I like to let the mixture cool for a few minutes before adding the marshmallows.

    This lets it thicken up slightly, and makes it less likely to melt or shrink the marshmallows.

    *****

    While this will set at room temperature, it will go a LOT faster in the fridge.

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch peanut butter confetti squares.

    More Canadian Comfort Food!

    Whether you’re a Canadian in the US or not, we could all use some comfort food these days. Here are some Canadian Favourites!

    Back Bacon / Canadian Bacon
    Beep
    Canadian Popcorn Seasoning Recipes
    Clodhoppers
    Dill Pickle Dip
    Doughnut Holes - Timbits!
    French Canadian Pea Soup
    Halifax Meat Paste Egg Rolls
    Homemade Deep N Delicious Cake
    Homemade Wunderbars
    How to Make Peameal Bacon and Back Bacon
    Maple Butter Tarts
    Montreal Bagels
    Persians Recipe
    Poutine, My Way!
    Puffed Wheat Squares
    Tiger Tail Ice Cream

    Looking for even more Canadian recipes? Check out our full Canadian Recipes list!

    Cover image for the "More Than Poutine" cookbook.

    This recipe is one of many fantastic Canadian recipes in my cookbook, "More Than Poutine: Favourite Foods from my Home and Native Land”.

    "More than Poutine" is a Canadian cookbook like no other - written by a Canadian living away, it includes both traditional home cooking recipes, as well as accurate homemade versions of many of the snacks, sauces, convenience foods, and other food items that are hard to come by outside of Canada!

    Order your copy here on this site, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller!

    Close up view of butterscotch fudge squares, loaded with rainbow marshmallows.

    Share the Love!

    Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

    Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

    Finally, if you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and/or a comment below, and maybe even sharing this post on social media!

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch peanut butter confetti squares.

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch peanut butter confetti squares.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    4.79 from 14 votes

    Confetti Squares

    These butterscotch peanut butter bars are a staple at any Manitoba holiday spread... quick to come together, and even quicker to disappear!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cooling Time1 hour hr
    Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: Canadian, Holiday, potluck
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Servings: 16 - one 8" x 8" Tray
    Calories: 206kcal
    Author: Marie Porter

    Equipment

    9 x 13 Baking Dish OR
    8 inch square glass dish

    Ingredients

    • 1 Package Butterscotch Chips
    • 1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
    • ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
    • 1 Small Bag Rainbow Mini Marshmallows

    Instructions

    • In a glass bowl, heat butterscotch chips, peanut butter, and butter.
      I like to microwave it for a minute or so, until the chips are about half melted. Stir until everything is melted, combined, and smooth.
    • Add in mini marshmallows, stir until all are evenly coated. Use between ½ and 1 small bag of them, depending on your tastes.
      I usually use about ⅔ of a bag, but used a whole bag for this batch (as pictured). Sometimes you want more of the “fudge” part, sometimes you want more marshmallows.
      These bars are NOT a hard science 🙂
    • When marshmallows are coated, spread mixture into a lightly greased pan.
      (I used 8″ x 8″ for 2″ thick bars, 9″ x 13″ is a popular size to use for thinner bars.) Chill until set.
    • Slice up and serve!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch confetti squares.

    A small plate stacked high with butterscotch confetti squares.

    Older Photos

    A white plate is stacked with Confetti Bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with butterscotch fudge.

    Close up view of butterscotch fudge squares, loaded with rainbow marshmallows.

    Close up view of marshmallow butterscotch bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with a butterscotch and peanut butter fudge.

    A white plate is stacked with Confetti Bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with butterscotch fudge.

    Close up view of marshmallow butterscotch bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with a butterscotch and peanut butter fudge.

    Close up view of marshmallow butterscotch bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with a butterscotch and peanut butter fudge.

    A white plate is stacked with Confetti Bars - rainbow marshmallows held together with butterscotch fudge.

    Close up view of butterscotch fudge squares, loaded with rainbow marshmallows.

    Related posts:

    Close up view of a plate of 3 layered bars. The bottom layer looks like a brownie, the middle is a thick pink buttercream with bits of cherry visible, and the top is a smooth chocolate ganache. Cherry Nanaimo Bars A plate of swirled meringue cookies in shades of pink, white, and green. Peppermint Swirl Meringue Cookies A plate of Creme de Menthe Nanaimo Bars - a 3 layered bar. The top and bottom layers are chocolate, and the middle layer is a green buttercream. They are on a green plate, garnished with a sprig of fresh mint. Creme de Menthe Nanaimo Bars A plate of brightly colored cookies done up in a variety of themes - Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc. Cookie Decorating
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mon

      August 21, 2011 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      I have been looking for this recipe for ever, thanks! Tastes just like home! I'm a Canadian transplanted to Arizona. It's so nice to have some taste of home.

      Thanks!

      Reply
    2. Heather

      November 04, 2011 at 1:16 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely a Canadian thing. Grew up in Saskatchewan, where they were always to be found wherever people brought baking, but it's been harder than I thought to find a recipe, and the only recipes I've found have been on Canadian sites (is it a prairies thing?) does anyone know how to do the chocolate ones - do you just use chocolate chips instead of butterscotch?

      Reply
      • admin

        November 04, 2011 at 2:33 pm

        Yep - just use milk or dark chocolate chips in place of butterscotch. I'll add an extra tablespoon of butter in with it if using dark chocolate, but that's about all!

        Reply
    3. Kari

      October 17, 2012 at 1:35 am

      5 stars
      Finally!! Oh goodness in have been a searching for this for a so long. I also am a Canadian now living in Arizona and wow I could never describe this enough to anyone to get the recipe and I can not wait to make this for my kiddos. I am so glad I finally came across this.

      Reply
    4. Shannon W

      December 20, 2012 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Could be a prairie thing - I grew up with them in BC, but my Grandma was from Manitoba and they were one of her FAVOURITE. My mom always rolled them into a log shape covered while warm & rolled them in coconut and then made thin slices when it was cool. Definitely the same recipe though. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    5. Mandi

      November 08, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      These look absolutely magical

      Reply
    6. Bev

      November 08, 2022 at 4:02 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and easy to make. I might try making them with almond butter.

      Reply
    7. Sheila A

      November 08, 2022 at 4:59 pm

      I've never heard of these in TX, but they look pretty tasty! Will have to try it.

      Reply
    8. Jen

      November 08, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      Do these freeze okay? They seem like something that would be nice to pre-make for Christmas cookie swaps.

      Reply
      • Marie Porter

        November 08, 2022 at 6:25 pm

        They do!

        I haven't frozen them as an adult (we have ZERO CHILL when these are in the house), but as a kid they'd make a bunch, cut them up, and freeze them.

        I remember they either tasted good right out of the freezer, or they thawed quickly? There wasn't much wait, either way.

        Reply
    9. Paul Fleckenstein

      February 25, 2023 at 9:43 pm

      The only colored marshmallows I can find are fruit-flavored. Is that what you use?

      Reply
      • Marie Porter

        February 26, 2023 at 5:15 am

        Yes!

        Reply

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    Marie Porter


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