Clark Bar
A Clark Bar is a candy bar built around a dense, crunchy peanut butter flavored center coated in milk chocolate. The center isn't smooth peanut butter but a compressed, honeycomb-like crumble that snaps rather than chews, which is what separates it from softer peanut butter candy bars. It was first made in Pittsburgh in 1917 by the Clark Candy Company and is one of the older mass-market candy bars still in production.
Varieties
Clark Bar went through several ownership changes and a production gap: Necco (New England Confectionery Company) owned it until Necco's 2018 bankruptcy, after which Boyer Candy Company acquired the brand and relaunched it in 2019 with a slightly adjusted recipe. Boyer also sells Clark Bar Minis, individually wrapped bite-size versions sold in bags rather than single bars, which are more common in trick-or-treat candy mixes.
Buying tips
Look for it in the candy aisle of drugstores like Rite Aid and CVS, at Cracker Barrel gift shops, and at regional grocery chains in the Northeast and Midwest, where it has stronger distribution. If a local store doesn't carry it, Boyer Candy Company (the current maker) sells boxes directly online, which is the most reliable source outside its core regional markets.
Substitutes
Butterfinger, chopped — 1:1 by weight
The closest match in texture and flavor: a flaky, crunchy peanut butter center under chocolate coating. Slightly more orange in color and a bit flakier than a Clark Bar's crumble.
5th Avenue bar, chopped — 1:1 by weight
Has a similar crunchy peanut butter core, though the coating is a bit thicker and the peanut flavor is more pronounced.
Reese's Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups, chopped — 1:1 by weight
Softer and less crumbly than a true Clark Bar center, but works fine in recipes where the candy gets folded into batter or ice cream.
Crushed peanut brittle mixed with mini chocolate chips — about 3 parts brittle to 1 part chocolate chips by volume
A homemade stand-in for baking use only; it won't hold together in one piece like a candy bar but mimics the crunch and sweetness when mixed into cookie dough or brownie batter.
Storage
Store unopened in a cool, dry pantry below about 70°F. Heat softens the chocolate coating and can cause it to bloom (a dull gray-white surface) even though the candy is still safe to eat. Refrigeration keeps it firm in hot weather, but let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating so the crunch center isn't rock-hard and the chocolate isn't chalky.
How to use
Chop or crush and fold into blondie or brownie batter before baking, sprinkle over vanilla or chocolate ice cream, blend into a milkshake, or layer into a no-bake candy bar pie with whipped cream and a graham cracker crust. It can also be melted lightly on top of warm cookies right out of the oven for a crackled candy topping.
What it pairs with
Pairs well with vanilla ice cream, plain cheesecake, and dark roast coffee, since the sweetness of the coating and crunch center benefits from a plainer, less sweet base.
Nutrition
A standard-size Clark Bar runs around 220 to 240 calories with roughly 12 grams of fat and 25 to 27 grams of sugar. It contains a small amount of protein from the peanuts in the crunch center, but it's a sugar-forward candy, not a meaningful protein source.
FAQ
What is the difference between a Clark Bar and a Butterfinger?
Both use a crunchy peanut butter center in chocolate coating, but a Clark Bar's center is denser and less flaky than Butterfinger's, and the peanut flavor in a Clark Bar is milder and slightly toastier.
Did Clark Bar stop being made at some point?
Production paused briefly in 2018 after Necco, its longtime manufacturer, filed for bankruptcy and shut down. Boyer Candy Company bought the brand and resumed production in 2019.
Is a Clark Bar gluten-free?
No, current Clark Bar formulations contain wheat-based ingredients in the crunch center, so it is not labeled or safe as gluten-free.
Can Clark Bars be melted for a recipe?
They can be melted, but the crunch center doesn't melt smoothly like plain chocolate; chopping and folding pieces into batter or topping works better than trying to melt a whole bar into a sauce.
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