Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars Recipe

This recipe provides instructions for making decadent and irresistible Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars, a layered treat featuring a buttery and crumbly shortbread crust, a gooey and rich caramel filling often studded with nuts, and a smooth, luscious chocolate topping. These bars offer a delightful combination of textures and flavors, from the crisp base to the chewy caramel and the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate, making them a perfect dessert or indulgent snack. The base of these bars is typically a shortbread crust, made with simple ingredients like all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar. Sometimes, a touch of salt is added to balance the sweetness. The mixture is pressed into the bottom of a baking pan and baked until lightly golden and set, providing a sturdy and slightly crumbly foundation for the subsequent layers. The caramel filling is the heart of these bars, offering a sweet and chewy richness. It is usually made by melting butter and brown sugar together, then simmering with condensed milk (or heavy cream and corn syrup) until it reaches a thick and gooey consistency. Vanilla extract is often added for flavor. For an extra layer of texture and flavor, chopped nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or peanuts are frequently stirred into the warm caramel. Once the caramel is ready, it is poured evenly over the cooled shortbread crust. The final layer is a smooth and decadent chocolate topping. This can be made by melting chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, depending on preference) with a little bit of butter or shortening to create a glossy finish. The melted chocolate is then spread evenly over the caramel layer. Before the chocolate sets completely, the bars can be sprinkled with additional chopped nuts or a sprinkle of sea salt for an extra touch of flavor and visual appeal. To allow the layers to set properly and to make cutting easier, the entire pan of bars is typically chilled in the refrigerator for several hours or until firm. Once chilled, the bars are cut into squares or rectangles and are ready to be enjoyed. These Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars are a perfect homemade treat for sharing, gifting, or simply indulging in a rich and satisfying dessert. Their layered construction and harmonious blend of sweet, buttery, nutty, and chocolatey flavors make them a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. The image shows a rectangular glass baking dish filled with Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars. The bars have a visible bottom layer that appears to be a light-colored, crumbly crust. This is topped with a layer of golden caramel that is studded with chopped nuts. The top layer is made of squares of rich, dark chocolate, also interspersed with more chopped nuts.  

The texture of Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars is a delightful interplay of a crisp and crumbly shortbread crust, a chewy and gooey caramel filling studded with crunchy nuts, and a smooth and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate topping, often with the added texture of more nuts sprinkled on top.

The flavor profile is a rich and sweet symphony of buttery shortbread, deeply caramelized sugar with nutty undertones, and the decadent taste of chocolate. The saltiness of the butter and a potential sprinkle of sea salt provide a wonderful balance to the sweetness.

Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars are layered dessert bars consisting of a baked shortbread crust, a chewy caramel filling (often with nuts), and a smooth chocolate topping, sometimes with additional nuts or sea salt.

The preparation involves making and baking a shortbread crust, making a caramel filling (often with nuts), spreading it over the crust, melting and spreading chocolate over the caramel, optionally topping with more nuts or salt, chilling until firm, and then cutting into bars.  

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread Crust:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes

For the Caramel Filling:

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup light corn syrup (or 2 tablespoons golden syrup)
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or peanuts), optional

For the Chocolate Topping:

• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or milk or dark chocolate)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
• Additional chopped nuts or sea salt, for topping (optional)

Equipment:

• 9×13 inch baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer)
• Rubber spatula
• Medium saucepan
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Small microwave-safe bowl (or double boiler)

Instructions:

Part 1: Make the Shortbread Crust

1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift out the bars later.  
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt.
3. Cut in Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  
4. Press into Pan: Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
5. Bake the Crust: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown and set. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely while you prepare the caramel filling.

Part 2: Make the Caramel Filling

1. Combine Ingredients: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, and light corn syrup (or golden syrup). Stir constantly until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add Condensed Milk: Stir in the sweetened condensed milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
3. Simmer the Caramel: Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes, or until the caramel has thickened and is a rich golden brown color. Be careful not to overcook, as the caramel can become too hard.
4. Stir in Vanilla and Nuts (Optional): Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. If using chopped nuts, stir them in now.
5. Pour Over Crust: Pour the hot caramel evenly over the cooled shortbread crust in the baking pan.

Part 3: Make the Chocolate Topping

1. Melt Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter or vegetable shortening. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and butter/shortening in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.  
2. Spread Over Caramel: Pour the melted chocolate evenly over the caramel layer in the baking pan. Use a spatula to spread it smoothly to the edges.
3. Add Toppings (Optional): If desired, sprinkle additional chopped nuts or a pinch of sea salt over the melted chocolate before it sets.

Part 4: Chill and Cut the Bars

1. Chill: Place the baking pan in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours, or until the bars are firm and the chocolate is completely set.
2. Cut into Bars: Once chilled, lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang. Place them on a cutting board and cut them into squares or rectangles of your desired size. Use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between cuts for neat edges.

Part 5: Serve and Store

1. Serve: The Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars are ready to be served. They can be enjoyed chilled or at room temperature.
2. Store: Store any leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or at room temperature for a few days.

Enjoy these rich and satisfying Caramel Chocolate Crunch Bars! They are a perfect treat for any occasion and are sure to be a hit with anyone who loves the combination of caramel and chocolate.