This homemade Snickers bars recipe really satisfies. And knowing how to make your own Snickers at home from real ingredients is incomparably more satisfying than plonking down a ridiculous amount of money for the shrink-wrapped, store-bought candy bar that’s been sitting on the shelf for lord knows how long. So next time your craving for Snickers bars blindsides you, here’s your oh-so-satisfying fix.–Renee Schettler Rossi

A square piece of homemade snickers bar on a piece of parchment.

Homemade Snickers Bars

5 / 7 votes
Knowing how to make homemade Snickers bars—that’s what REALLY satisfies. So next time you’re craving this candy bar, look here for how to make them at home. No artificial anything required. Not even marshmallow fluff.
David Leite
CourseDessert
CuisineAmerican
Servings18 bars
Calories205 kcal
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time2 hours

Ingredients 

  • Butter, for the pan
  • 8 ounces milk chocolate, (preferably Valrhona), chopped
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 6 ounces white chocolate, (preferably Valrhona), chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup salted peanuts, preferably Virginia peanuts

Instructions 

  • Line the bottom and sides of an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or foil. Lightly butter the paper or foil.
  • Place the milk chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water and stir until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Pour half the milk chocolate into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Set the rest of the melted milk chocolate aside. Place the loaf pan in the freezer until the milk chocolate is cold to the touch, about 45 minutes.
  • After the milk chocolate in the loaf pan is cold and firm, make the caramel layer. In a large saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear, about 1 minute.
  • Increase the heat to medium-high and boil, without stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sugar begins to turn golden brown on the edges.
  • Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, gently and continually tilting the pan over the heat to swirl the mixture and ensure the color of the caramel is even, until the sugar turns deep amber. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
  • As soon as you pull the caramel from the heat, slowly and carefully add the cream, which may splatter and steam when it comes in contact with the hot caramel. Stir until well blended.
  • Add the white chocolate and salt and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the peanuts and stir until blended. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
  • Pour the slightly cooled peanut caramel mixture over the cooled milk chocolate in the loaf pan and spread it evenly. Freeze until cold and firm, about 45 minutes.
  • Once the layer is cold, make the next layer by gently reheating the remaining milk chocolate over boiling water, pour it over the peanut caramel layer, and spread it evenly. Refrigerate or freeze for 20 to 30 minutes, until very cold.
  • Using the parchment paper or foil pan liner, transfer the candy to a work surface. Peel away the paper or foil. Using a large knife, trim the uneven edges and cut the giant Snickers bar lengthwise into 1 1/2-inch-wide bars. Cut each bar into 9 pieces. Store your Snickers bars in a resealable container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. (As if Snickers bars would last that long in plain view!)
Baking Out Loud

Adapted From

Baking Out Loud

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 barCalories: 205 kcalCarbohydrates: 23 gProtein: 3 gFat: 13 gSaturated Fat: 6 gMonounsaturated Fat: 4 gCholesterol: 7 mgSodium: 174 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 21 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2012 Hedy Goldsmith. Photo © 2012 Ben Fink. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

OMG! Have I died and gone to heaven? These homemade Snickers bars are unbelievably delicious.

I used Valrhona Jivara Lactee 40% milk chocolate for the base and the top and El Rey white chocolate in the filling. I did follow the recipe exactly, except that I chose to melt half of the milk chocolate at a time so I didn’t have to figure out whether I had poured half of the melted chocolate into the loaf pan. The peanuts that I bought were whole and I decided to leave them that way, which worked out just fine.

Caramelizing the sugar was surprisingly easy. The first step, dissolving the sugar in a bit of water, took about 4 minutes, then another 4 or 5 before it started turning golden, and another 4 for it to become deep amber. Make sure to pull it off the fire in time because it does continue to cook in the pan afterward and you definitely don’t want the caramel to burn.

The only suggestion I have to add to this recipe is don’t try to cut the candy into bars when it’s very frozen; let it warm a bit, otherwise the top chocolate layer will crack off. I imagine this recipe would also work with dark chocolate and almonds or pecans—you’d get a different candy bar but the results would still be delicious.

These Snickers bars were good and very easy. They had a wonderful creamy caramel flavor.

When cooking, my sugar dissolved within a minute or 2 and cooking goes quickly to reach that nice amber color, so having your cream ready at room temperature is important. I added my cream very slowly and didn’t have splatters but it did boil up quite a bit.

The bars cut very easily when I removed them—still a tiny bit soft—from the freezer. Living in Virginia you’d think I could find true Virginia peanuts, but I had to use Planters brand, leaving them whole. I placed the small squares on a platter and left them in the refrigerator until we were ready to serve them.

This Snickers bars recipe is definitely one I’ll make again. The extended family loved this bar. They all had seconds.

Although the process is involved, this can be forgiven for its inherent flexibility. For example, I didn’t chop the nuts—you don’t need to. I can see substituting other nuts such as cashews or pecans (but those might need to be chopped lightly). I used El Rey milk chocolate, but using other types of good chocolate and maybe even dark chocolate might also work. The caramel was soft and not so chewy that it sticks to your teeth. The flavors were delicious.

I’d get everything all together before starting because it just makes it easier. Since caramel is a bit tricky, you want to make sure you can just reach for what you need rather than scrambling for it. The times for making the caramel are good. By the way, I usually pour the water into the pan first and then pour the sugar straight into the middle of the pan. This prevents some of the sugar syrup from getting onto the sides and burning during the cooking process.

The joy that this simple candy brings to everyone that I’ve shared them with is amazing. I’ve had to make these homemade Snickers bars many times to supply my family and friends. Honestly, this is an easy, brilliant recipe that, after you make it once, you’ll be drawn back to time after time. As a matter of fact, maybe I should make another batch right now!




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


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33 Comments

  1. I think I gained 5 pounds just looking at the picture, but when I made these I could not stop eating them. Excellent recipe, will add these to my candy making for Christmas. Thank you for this great recipe.

    1. Ellen, we offer a 30% discount to Weight Watchers for everyone who gains weight while browsing…. I’m thrilled that you liked the recipe and that they’ll be making an appearance on your Christmas time table. Happy holidays!

    1. Hi Zarrin, well, you could certainly give it a go but you would end up with a chocolate covered caramel, not a snickers bar. You might want to have a look at this recipe and go for the “not-so-skinny-dipped” option.

      1. Thank you so much for the reply but the thing is I have already made it without the peanuts and it’s tasty and perfect but its very thin. I made it for my boyfriend’s birthday which is tomorrow, so I was thinking if you could suggest any other layer that I can add to it.

        1. If he is not allergic to nuts, you could add a topping of chopped nuts, chocolate chips, toffee bits or even a dollop of whipped cream on top.

  2. Just made these. Wow-they are sweet! They taste just like Snickers. Unfortunately, the middle layer isn’t deep amber; it’s light tan. The color lightened considerably when I added the cream and white chocolate. It didn’t affect the taste though, so it’s okay. Also, the dissolving and waiting for the sugar mixture to turn dark amber took longer than the stated times. Easy and tastes like it’s supposed to. Will make again (thinking about bringing it to my in-laws’ house for Thanksgiving).

    1. Amanda, so lovely to hear that you like them as much as we we and all the other folks who’ve made them do! As for the timing, candy is always a little tricky as there is so much variance depending on the precise heat of your burner and the size of your pan and the room temperature and…sigh. But it sounds like you trusted your instincts and weren’t led astray. Always the mark of a wonderful home cook, er, baker and candy maker!

      1. 5 stars
        Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I *am* bringing these to the in-laws’ house! I just made the second layer (the pan is in the freezer now), and I’m happy to report that this time they are the right shade of amber! (We moved to a different apartment complex a couple months ago, and it has slightly better appliances than the last one-maybe that’s why. I don’t know.) In any case, I’m glad they look like they’re supposed to this time. Thanks for the great recipe!

        1. Amanda, music to mine ears, darlin’! I hope you and yours have a great and blessed Thanksgiving.