Snickers Bars made from scratch with creamy caramel, easy nougat, peanuts and chocolate. Make a whole pan of your favorite candy bar to share!
How to make Snickers Bars
Line a 9×13 pan (or quarter baking sheet like I used) with parchment paper. Make space in your freezer for the pan. You will be putting it in the freezer and pulling it back out several times.
First you make the bottom chocolate layer, then the nougat layer, then the caramel layer, then the top chocolate layer.
You can have several steps going on at once. I get my chocolate chips + peanut butter together in a bowl, ready to be melted and spread onto the bottom of the pan. I’ve also got my caramel bits + milk in a bowl, ready to be melted, as well as my butter + sugar + milk in a saucepan ready to be placed on the stove. Spray the 1/4 cup measuring cup with cooking spray so that your peanut butter comes out easily each time.
How to make the bottom layer
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then spread on the bottom of the pan. Put pan in freezer.
How to make the nougat layer
Put butter, sugar and 1/4 cup evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Begin heating on medium heat, stirring occasionally as the butter melts and the mixture combines. Measure out 1/4 cup peanut butter and set aside. Continue heating mixture. When it comes to a boil, set timer for 6 minutes.
After 6 minutes, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter, the marshmallow cream and the vanilla. Stir until smooth. This is where it starts to even smell like a Snickers Bar! Take pan out of freezer and pour nougat on top of chilled chocolate. Smooth over chocolate until layer is even. Return to freezer.
How to make the caramel layer
Melt caramels + 1/4 cup evaporated milk in the microwave for 1 minute, adding 30 second increments as needed until caramels melt and mixture is combined.
Take pan out of freezer. Measure out 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts and pour evenly over the top. Use clean hands to gently press peanuts into nougat. Pour caramel mixture over the top of the peanuts. Return pan to freezer.
How to make the top layer
Melt 1 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then spread on top of the caramel, until even.
Return pan to freezer for about 20 minutes. Cut into squares while bars are still cold. (this makes cutting nice and even!)
Bars need to be stored in the fridge, but will still maintain their shape even when left out for a couple hours. They do get soft though, which is why I prefer to store them in the fridge.
What are Snickers made of?
- 2 cups chocolate chips (divided into two 1 cup portions)
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (divided into three 1/4 cup portions)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk or heavy whipping cream (divided into two 1/4 cup portions)
- 7 oz tub marshmallow cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
- 1 bag caramels (11 oz)
HOMEMADE SNICKERS BARS
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate chips divided into two 1 cup portions
- 3/4 cup peanut butter divided into three 1/4 cup portions
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk or heavy whipping cream divided into two 1/4 cup portions
- 7 oz tub marshmallow cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
- 1 bag caramels 11 oz
Instructions
- Line a 9x13 pan (or quarter baking sheet like I used) with parchment paper. Make space in your freezer for the pan. You will be putting it in the freezer and pulling it back out several times.
Bottom Layer of Chocolate:
- Melt 1 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then spread on the bottom of the pan. Put pan in freezer.
Nougat Layer:
- Put butter, sugar and 1/4 cup evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Begin heating on medium heat, stirring occasionally as the butter melts and the mixture combines. Measure out 1/4 cup peanut butter and set aside. Continue heating mixture. When it comes to a boil, set timer for 6 minutes.
- After 6 minutes, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter, the marshmallow cream and the vanilla. Stir until smooth. Take pan out of freezer and pour nougat on top of chilled chocolate. Smooth over chocolate until layer is even. Return to freezer.
Caramel Layer:
- Melt caramels + 1/4 cup evaporated milk in the microwave for 1 minute, adding 30 second increments as needed until caramels melt and mixture is combined.
Peanut Layer:
- Take pan out of freezer. Measure out 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts and pour evenly over the top. Use clean hands to gently press peanuts into nougat. Pour caramel mixture over the top of the peanuts. Return pan to freezer.
Top Chocolate Layer:
- Melt 1 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then spread on top of the caramel, until even.
- Return pan to freezer for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares while bars are still cold. (this makes cutting nice and even!)
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Love Dessert Bars? Want more candy recipes? All about chocolate? So are these recipes!
— The Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
What’s the best chocolate to use for making candy?
Use the absolute BEST chocolate you have access to! Especially for this recipe where there are only 3 ingredients, each one really counts. I used semi sweet chocolate chips for this recipe. I’ve also used Ghirardelli chocolate chips, but they’re harder to find.
What kind of peanut butter to use in homemade Snickers Bars?
Really any type of peanut butter, even the more natural varieties will work just fine in this recipe.
The easiest way to measure out peanut butter in a recipe is with a measuring cup like this one. You can measure the peanut butter and push it out so easily without trying to scrape it all out of a regular measuring cup! These measuring cups work so well for peanut butter, honey, shortening…I use mine all the time!
What type of caramel is best for baking?
I prefer to buy either unwrapped caramel bits OR the caramel pieces in a bag that are specifically for baking, because the outer wrapper comes off really easily. Those small square caramels in the clear plastic wrapper are such a pain to unwrap! You can find the baking caramels on end caps, on the baking aisle or often in the produce section by the apples.
How to melt chocolate chips
I prefer to melt chocolate chips in the microwave because it is so fast and easy. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish (I like to use a glass Pyrex measuring cup) and then microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir the chocolate chips around and then return to the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir again.
Even if the chocolate chips aren’t completely melted, just keep stirring and see if they will melt all the way. If they still aren’t melted, microwave for another 15 seconds and stir again. You just want to be careful not to microwave the chocolate chips too long because then the chocolate will seize and be unusable.
You can also melt the chocolate chips over the stove in a saucepan. Just turn the heat to low and stir the chocolate chips just until melted.
Homemade Snickers Bars recipe makes you love your favorite candy bar even more. These chocolate peanut butter bars are surprisingly easy to make and melt in your mouth tasty!
Yvonne [Tried and Tasty] says
I made homemade Twix Bars this week, we should have gotten together and had a candy making marty 🙂 These look delicious, the perfect way to celebrate!
Ashlee says
SO glad I got to try these! Snickers are one of my favorite and these were great!
Laura says
I have got to try these!
Charlene Asay says
Oh my goodness these look amazing. Thanks for sharing your link at #PinIt Pin Party.
Kristen & Musings of an Average Mon says
These homemade snickers look super yummy! I think I’m going to have to try them. Pinning this for later from Pin-n-tell
Lee says
They look delicious….but…do you have the nutrition information on them….calories/carbs.
Angel says
We don’t have a microwave, so what do you suggest to do for the parts where you use it??? Thx so much!!!
Annie says
Hi Angel – I don’t use a microwave either. I would melt anything like the chocolate or the caramels in a heat proof bowl over a pan of gently boiling water – just make sure that the boiling water doesn’t touch the bowl (can’t remember why, but I think it does something to the chocolate) – HTH 🙂
Adena says
These were super easy to make and taste amazing!!
Jonette Bumgarner says
I made these today. The steps are very easy, and the finished product was pretty good! I will admit, I forgot the sugar! There it was, sitting on the counter after I put the candy in the freezer. Could that be why everything is melting in my fairly cool kitchen? I made them for my 90 year old little lady who loves sneakers, and she pronounces been quite good, although messy! Also, why are you are so much thicker? Did you use a smaller pan?’
Jessica says
I think once you add the sugar you’ll be surprised at how well it stays together and how much taller it gets. 🙂 I use a 9×13 pan and I do refrigerate it afterwards just because I wanted clean cuts, but I think it tastes better left out on the counter for a bit before eating. I hope that makes sense! It’s late and I am exhausted! Let me know if that helps.
Nuryaveiel says
Hi, may i know if there is any substitute for marshmallow cream?
Thank you
Jessica says
Are you trying to go more natural? If so, the marshmallow cream essentially makes a nougat- so you could make one from scratch- https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/10/how-to-make-homemade-nougat/
Rhonda says
Made them & was a big hit !
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Snickers might be my favorite candy bar. I gotta try this!!
Mellisa Cooper says
These look amazing! thanks for the recipe. What is the “shelf life” for these? I plan to make them as part of my Christmas basket gifts and want to know so I can plan when to make them. Thanks again!
Jessica says
They need to be refrigerated, so keep that in mind when giving as gifts! But in the fridge, they last 7-10 days.
Jamie H. says
Made twice in two days and great each time. Maybe omitting the peanut butter in the top and bottom layers will help with them getting too ‘soft at room temp?
Jessica says
They don’t have preservatives, that’s why they get soft. 😉 They taste better though, right?!
Amanda says
Snickers are my favorite candy bar… so I can’t wait to make these!!
Erica | The Crumby Kitchen says
I’ve always loved the idea of homemade candy bars – and also always wondered how the heck nougat was made. Snickers are one of my fave candies, and honestly? These look way better than the store-bought ones. I’m making these happen – thank you!