For me, Halloween is pretty much as good as it gets. Think about it: on what other day of the year is it completely acceptable to take free candy from the homes of strangers? In the world of yummy confections, the holiday is basically a gold mine. This is especially true for a dessert lover like me. With the promise of candy as far as the eye can see, Halloween provides us with not only a much-needed stash of snacks, but also an endless array of ingredients for a festive dessert.

The recipe below was created from the best of my personal Halloween stash. By the end of Halloweekend, I had amassed an exorbitant quantity of chocolaty treats and had conveniently sealed them away in my dorm room. At first, this setup was a dream come true, but it wasn’t long before it began to overwhelm me. Because I had such a diverse assortment of candy at my disposal, I was faced with a difficult decision each time I got a craving for sweets. After experiencing this dilemma one too many times, I decided that I would ease my mind by combining my favorite treats into a unified dessert.

These Peanut Buttery Pop Mallow Bars have many wonderful attributes. Made with a base of peanut butter, marshmallow, butter, sweetened condensed milk, and popcorn, they have both salty and sweet undertones that are able to satisfy most flavor cravings. Because this scrumptious base has the ability to complement practically any chocolate candy, the dish is also extremely versatile and can be adapted to include whatever goodies you might have in your personal trove of Halloween candy.

To top it all off, the preparation process is ridiculously quick and fuss-free, making the recipe perfect for dorm living. So if you find yourself lost amidst your mound of holiday treats, please don’t stress. The solution is simple. Make these Peanut Buttery Pop Mallow bars, and treat yourself to all your treats.

Ingredients

1 bag of marshmallows (can be substituted with a jar of Fluff)

1 1/2 cup mixture of your favorite candies

1 10. oz bag peanut butter chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

4 tbsp. butter

1 3.5 oz. bag popcorn

Directions

1. Mix approximately 1/2 of the popcorn and 1/2 of the candy mixture in a small bowl. Lay mixture on the bottom of a pan.

2. Melt peanut butter chips and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture is melted, add sweetened condensed milk.

3. Put marshmallows or fluff in a large bowl, and add the melted peanut butter chips and milk mixture. Combine until marshmallows are fully coated. Spread mixture over the top of the popcorn and candy.

4. Distribute the remaining popcorn and candy over the marshmallow mixture. To properly combine, press ingredients into the marshmallows.

5. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, cut into bars (or take with your hands), and enjoy!