It’s so bad you guys, I made something so bad…….

Okay, so these homemade versions of a classic aren’t exactly going on anyone’s healthy food pyramid anytime soon, but the good thing is that they don’t have tons of high fructose corn syrup and all the other crud you’ll find on those ingredient lists. Plus, isn’t it so much more fun to share candy that you’ve actually made. Although, I’m not sure if you’ll be very motivated to give any of these away.

According to certain members of my family, I have officially topped myself in the sweet department with these. They’re dangerously addictive with that perfect salty sweet balance and the crunch of the peanuts with the gooey caramel. I must warn you though, you’re going to want milk with these. A lot of it!

Chocolate, Caramel, & Peanut Candy Bars

Ever wanted to make your own healthier version of your favorite candy bars?

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time` 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 24 bars

Ingredients

Bottom and Top Layers (x2):
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup dairy free semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Nougat Layer:
2/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup almond milk
1 cups gelatin free vanilla marshmallows + 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup salted dry roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Caramel:
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup coconut cream
1 1/2 tablespoons strong black coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Caramel:
Combine brown sugar, coconut cream, syrup, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a soft boil and stir occasionally, scraping sugar from sides of pan, for about 12 minutes or until it reaches 240 degrees F (115C) and starts to get thick and develop a dark amber color. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and coffee then cool for about 10 minutes.

Bottom Layer:
Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 cup chocolate in a double boiler until smooth. Scrape out into prepared pan with a rubber spatula and spread into as even a layer as you can. Place pan in fridge to harden while you make the nougat.

Nougat:
Pour the marshmallows and water into a glass measuring cup and warm in microwave for about 30 seconds. Remove and stir well until the mixture resembles marshmallow cream. Warm 30 seconds more if needed. Once smooth stir in the peanut butter and set mixture aside.

Combine sugar and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a soft boil over medium low heat. Boil for about 5 minutes then remove from heat and stir in salt, marshmallows, peanut butter, and vanilla until smooth. Remove pan with bottom layer from fridge. Add peanuts to nougat mixture and scrape out onto bottom layer. Spread as quickly and evenly as possible. Place in fridge or freezer to cool for at least 15 minutes before adding caramel.

Pour cooled caramel over nougat layer and spread gently and evenly. Place pan back in refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes.

Top Layer:
Melt 2 tablespoons peanut butter and 1 cup chocolate in the same double boiler until smooth. Scrape out onto chilled caramel layer with a rubber spatula and spread into an even layer. Place pan back in fridge and chill for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars and serving.

These bars are best stored in fridge and served slightly cold or not quite lukewarm because they are a bit soft at room temp.

Recipe Notes

If you have trouble finding coconut cream at your local grocery store it's completely fine to use full-fat coconut milk and scrape the cream off of the top. Just be sure that it's cold enough to separate.

ALL CONTENT IS MINE AND ORIGINAL! All of these food photos were taken with my Nikon D750 and my favorite Lens, the Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G. You can find out more in my INTRO POST.

Also, a huge shoutout to @rigaronib for designing my logo!

If you're looking for more recipes check out some of my other recent posts!

1. Spiced Caribbean Falafel Wraps
2. Hazelnut Chocolate Scones & “Nutella” Icing
3. Peanut Jackfruit Stew & Orange Cilantro Rice
4. Sweet Potato & Chickpea Green Curry
5. Chocolate Frosted Yellow Vanilla Cake