Homemade Snickers Bars
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Snickers bars have long played second fiddle to my first true love: Reese’s peanut butter cups. It’s not their fault, really. Being a peanut butter-addicted kid, I always went for the treat with the highest peanut butter ratio. However, as I got older, I started to have a little affair with Snickers bars. I loved the combination of nougat, caramel, and peanuts… not to mention it was all covered in chocolate! I supposed I didn’t have to choose a favorite, did I? (Okay, if I did, I would still choose peanut butter cups, but really, I love them both!). Last year I realized how amazing homemade peanut butter cups were (aren’t most things better homemade, anyway?!), so when I saw a homemade version of Snickers on Jessica’s site earlier this year, I knew it was only a matter of time before my kitchen (and my shirt, arms, and hair) was splattered with nougat, caramel, and melted chocolate. Turns out, these taste exactly like a Snickers bar. Let me emphasize exactly because truly, these are a spot-on recreation. Only more delicious. And sinfully addictive.
These bars have multiple steps that might make them appear a tad overwhelming or intimidating, but have no fear! Each one takes less than 10 minutes and is pretty much foolproof.
Bottom chocolate layer. Nougat layer + chopped peanuts. Caramel layer. Top chocolate layer. Done!
Honestly, the hardest part about making these is once they are done, not eating more than five at any given point in time. I said five. Because I believe that it is impossible to eat less than five. They are dangerous and wonderful. Just like that senior your mom didn’t want you to date when you were a freshman. I guarantee your mom would approve of these. Make these, and share some with mom, or dad. (And maybe apologize for any headaches you caused during your teenage years.)
P.S. Does anyone else get as big a kick out of this Snickers commercial as I do?? “Steve was delicious!” (Although I am a sucker for any type of animal in a commercial!)
Admin Note: I have added a “Pin It” button to the social media sharing buttons found below the recipe. It is to the right of Facebook, and once a recipe has been Pinned at least once, it will show a count above the button. This will now work for all recipes on the site. Happy Pinning! (Feel free to follow me on Pinterest: pinterest.com/browneyedbaker)
One year ago: Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
Two years ago: Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Three years ago: Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Homemade Snickers Bars
Yield: 32 bars
Prep Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Bottom Chocolate Layer:
1¼ cups milk chocolate chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butterFor the Nougat Layer:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
1½ cups marshmallow fluff
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1½ cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extractFor the Caramel Layer:
14 ounces caramels, unwrapped
¼ cup heavy creamFor the Top Chocolate Layer:
1¼ cups milk chocolate chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butterDirections:
1. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper; set aside.
2. Make the Bottom Chocolate Layer: Melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave on 50% power until completely smooth and melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour into the prepared baking dish and, using a spatula, smooth into an even layer. Refrigerate until completely cool and hard, about 30 minutes.
3. Make the Nougat Layer: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring until dissolved, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and add the marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, stirring until completely smooth. Fold in the peanuts, then pour over the bottom chocolate layer. Again, refrigerate until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
4. Make the Caramel Layer: Combine the caramels and the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Once completely melted, cook for an additional 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the caramel over the nougat layer. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 30 minutes.
5. Make the Top Chocolate Layer: Melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave on 50% power until completely smooth and melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour over the caramel layer and, using a spatula, smooth into an even layer. Refrigerate until completely cool and set, 30 to 60 minutes.
6. Using the parchment liner, remove the bars from the pan and cut into 32 pieces. You can store these in the refrigerator or at room temperature. I find the filling to be the best consistency at room temperature, but the chocolate can get a little melty depending on how warm your house is. If your house runs warm (higher than 72 or so) you might want to keep them in the fridge and then take them out an hour or two before you want to serve them.
(Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is)
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I saw this on how sweet but didn’t bookmark it because my daughter was still having peanut issues so I was avoiding them. Now that she is doing fine with peanuts I think I will have to try this. I used to eat two snickers every day. One for breakfast and one for lunch.
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Ive seen these on Jessica’s blog, all over pinterest, and everywhere I turn, these have popped up but you are the first person I’ve seen who’s posted about recreating them. They look sooo good. Makes me want to get busy makin’ nougat!
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I’ve been fiending to get in the kitchen and looking for recipes that don’t involve the use of an oven as mine broke down a few days ago… it is not coincidence that i came across this post! gonna try these! thank you, brown eyed baker
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I wish I could take a bite out of these wirelessly….they look sooooo amazing.
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These look soooo much better than a regular Snickers. Every Snickers bar I’ve had in recent memory has been completely stale tasting, but I’m sure that making them homemade would solve that!
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I should NOT try to prepare these.. (because they look SO good and I really really like snickers..)
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I keep seeing this recipe on pinterest and saying I need to make it. Looks AMAZING!
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These look amazing! I love snickers bars, who knew I could make them myself! (Did my waistline want to know that? Hmmm.)
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We just realized we could make homemade peanut butter cups, but I also REALLY love Snickers. I became obsessed when I was pregnant and still have a fondness for them. I love recreating things that I usually buy because it always tastes so much better! I’ll definitely have to make these ASAP.
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Oh YUM! I love copycats of packaged food – so very fun to make! I bet you could cut them lengthwise and dip them in chocolate for a realistic look (though they’re gorgeous just as you have them here!)
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Even though these look way more decadent than a normal snickers the nutrition facts and size are nearly identical.
I know which I would prefer
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I agree. Snickers will always be second to my love of Reeses. Peanut butter, all the way.
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I love nougat! I always thought it would be hard to make but it looks easy and delicious! I’ll have to try that if not the whole snickers bar!
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These look fantastic! My husband’s favorite candy is snickers, so he would love these!
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Yay for pinning! And these look yummy, too!
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I LOVE Snicker Bars and I bet homemade is even better then store bought! Great recipe, this is one for the books! I’m going to surprise Hubby and make these for him!!
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These look so freaking yummy! These are lovely.
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I love Jessica’s Homemade Snickers Bars. I pinned these when she posted her recipe! She comes up with the best recipes!
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Love copycat recipes! I’m positive I couldn’t be trusted around these.
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These look so yummy! Can’t wait to try the recipe!
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I have made this recipe before, and we enjoyed it. However, we noticed that the nougat was a tad grainy; did you experience that as well?
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Michelle on March 2nd, 2012 at 11:09 am
Hi Sara, I didn’t, it was nice and chewy, no graininess that I noticed.
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I love the “Steve was delicious” commerical! I will admit that my favorite commerical right now is the M&M commerical where they are at a party and everyone thinks the brown one is naked and the red one takes off his shell and starts dancing…I crack up every time!
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ooooh delicious!
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These look fantastic. I’m going to try them this weekend. My husband will love them!
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Oh my. These look divine. Your photos are making my mouth water!
My favorite way to eat Snickers are frozen… might have to whip up a batch to freeze. 
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These look SO yummy! And the fact that they are homemade makes them a little healthier, right? Haha!
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Michelle on March 2nd, 2012 at 5:27 pm
Abso-freakin-lutely!
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YUM – saw these on howsweeteats website and have been wanting to make them ever since. Love the pictures!
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Yum! My son loves Snicker’s, these would be a HUGE hit with him!
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Amazing! I love how you included chocolate on the bottom as well… lovely, delicious touch!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
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These look delicious, I can’t wait to try them! A question: we’re lactose intolerant, so I’m always looking for ways to adapt recipes. I can switch the milk chocolate chips for Ghiardelli semisweet chips, and the butter for Blue Bonnet light margarine since the amount is small; any suggestions for making the caramel without heavy cream? Maybe coconut milk?
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Michelle on March 2nd, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Hi Ginger, Yes, you could definitely use coconut milk.
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These look soooo good! I can’t wait to make them.
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I’ve loved seeing this pop up on Pinterest for the last several weeks. Might be nice for Jessica if you just linked to her recipe, rather than put the recipe on your site too, no?
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Michelle on March 2nd, 2012 at 6:49 pm
Hi Lori, I actually made a couple of changes to the recipe, which might seem insignificant but really made a huge difference for me. The first go I had at both the nougat and the caramel were bombs – the nougat ended up rock-hard and the caramel never set up. I altered the cooking temperature and time for both and got the result that worked for me, which I have reflected in the recipe I wrote above. Jessica’s recipe, as written, wouldn’t be an accurate representation of how I went about making it and the results that I had.
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I can’t wait to try these! Snickers are my boyfriends favorite and I know he’ll go crazy for these. Love your recipes and your site!
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Your homemade snickers seems to beat store bought for sure – delicious recipe filled with good ingredients
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Peanut Butter M&Ms Peanut Butter Giant Cookie
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Love this recipe, should make them asap!
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I can’t resist these either. They are perfectly sinful!
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Oh my, they look so yummy. Lent needs to hurry up and be over so I can devour chocolate again.
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Yes!! I LOVE that commercial! One of my favorites.
Love your blog too!! I don’t think I have ever commented but I have made several of your recipes and have always been pleased. Love your stories too!! 
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Love this. I feel like your first paragraph could have been written by me because that’s exactly how I feel about Reese’s and Snickers!
Thanks for posting!
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Oh my god…I think I just gained a few pounds looking at this! I’m a HUGGGEEEE Snickers fan, and I can’t wait to try this out!! Thanks a bunch :0)
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Oooh – you got me! I think Snickers are my all-time favorite candy bar, and the thought of replecating that magical taste at home is just blowing my mind. I’ll definitely have to give this a try! Thanks for sharing.
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I love all the candy and ice cream inspiration lately! These look amazing and I don’t think there’s any way I can make them or I’ll make myself sick. Zero willpower.
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oh wow! It looks amazing, I love snickers and this looks just like them, I think even better!
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First Jessica, now you. It’s a more elaborate recipe than I usually try but I’m being worn down fast by these delicious pictures.
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Cool. Looks delish! For someone from Australia what is marshmellow fluff?
I really want to make these but don’t know what it is. Thanks
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Michelle on March 4th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Hi Tammy, Someone on the BEB Facebook page mentioned that there are some shops in Australia that sell American candy, and she has found it there. If you don’t have any luck, there are recipes online for making your own – I would suggest Googling and see what works with the ingredients you have available.
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Okay – how cool are you? I love snickers, but like you – my first love is the peanut butter cup (and the peanut butter M&Ms!)
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These look too good to be true!!! I love snickers!!!
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You had me at Snickers! Will make this TODAY!
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Those look way better than a commercially made Snicker’s bars!
My dad’s favorite candy is a Snicker’s (then a Babe Ruth, but I don’t see a huge difference between the two) so this would surely be great for him!
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Just made these and followed the directions exactly – they were fantastic! I did cut them into smaller pieces in an effort to try and behave myself!
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made this today. AMAZING! had to call some friends nearby to take some so I dont eat it all.
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My nougat layer just went into the fridge, and I just had to come on here and say THANK YOU for posting this recipe! I found the recipe awhile back on another blog, one I had never read before. The blogger omitted the “reduce heat to low…remove from heat” step, which is very essential! Round one of the nougat was a nasty burned mess. Then I remembered your recent post and came on here – Nougat Round 2 was perfect! Can’t wait to taste these…
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Michelle on March 5th, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Hi Tara, You are welcome! I actually had the exact same problem the first time I made it – the nougat turned into a brick! So I altered the cooking temperature and time and it turned out wonderfully the second go round. I’m glad it helped you too!
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Oh my goodness, these look incredible! On skiing trips my husband always tucks a Snickers bar into his jacket to munch on the chair lift before a run. These bars look like a super yummy and fun alternative to our old Snicker’s bar chair-lift snack. It looks like it’s time for a new tradition, thanks for this post!
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I have made these and they are AMAZING!!!! They can get sloppy if left out so we put them in the freezer – perfect! One of our all time favorites now! With a house full of teenagers…this was a winning treat!
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I like the “exactly” part. I can’t wait to try them!
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these were delightful! i used semi sweet chips to make it not quite as sweet and crunchy peanut butter…they were very easy to make & a delight to eat! use parchment paper as it makes it much easier to remove from the pan
I also put them in the freezer to solidify the layers rather than the fridge and it worked great. Stores wonderfully in the freezer as well! Thanks!
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These look so good. I am a huge fan of Snickers. I love me some PB Cups too.
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Marshmallow? Uh oh, I always thought Snickers were vegetarian. Darn it!
Thanks!
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Michelle on March 12th, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Hi Connie, I do not know if the store-bought Snickers bars contain marshmallows or not in their nougat filing, you would need to check their ingredient list. It is used here to re-create the flavor and texture of the nougat.
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WOW! Trying these tomorrow!
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I made this wonderful dessert for our school’s dessert auction and they sold for $60 and the person who bought them just ranted and raved about how delicious they were. I do have a question though….I had an issue with the top layer of chocolate popping off of the caramel….did I do something wrong? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated since I definitely plan on making them again!
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Michelle on March 31st, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Hi Cindra, So happy to hear this was a hit and raised some good money! I’m wondering if maybe the caramel layer got too hard before you poured the chocolate on, and so the layers didn’t fuse so much as the chocolate just laid on top. Next time, try pouring the chocolate on while the caramel is still a little soft (but semi-set). I hope that helps!
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Cindra on March 31st, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Great idea…..I will definitely try that the next time I make it….that should solve the problem totally. Thanks for the reply! By the way, I love getting your posts every day….they are great!
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I made these about a week ago they were great. I have request for more. Thanks for the recipe
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WOW. i made these over the course of last night and this morning and WOW, they are good. thank you so much for sharing your “take”/changes of this recipe and posting it. thanks to your instructions, the whole thing worked perfectly – no rock hard nougat or anything! yay! now i just need to get these to my daughter’s school before i eat the whole pan.
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I made these last week and they were fantastic. Everyone that tried them thought so too including my snickers loving husband. Thanks for another great recipe.
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my 6-year-old son just began liking snickers and this is one terrific way of cutting down on those preservatives. thanks so much for this!!!!
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I made these earlier in the week, and they were AMAZING!! Everyone LOVED them!! I will definitely be making these again!! Maybe for a Steelers game
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Hello! This recipe looks absolutely amazing! I live all the way in New Zealand, not sure what the ‘caramels’ are, maybe a candy we don’t have here? Do you know if there is a caramel sauce that will work just as well or do you have some brand names I could look out for for this caramel? We have a couple of America shops here (that I LOVE) so maybe they’re there!
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Michelle on October 25th, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Hi Lydia, We have “soft caramel candies” here that can be melted down – they are sold my multiple companies, including Kraft. You could certainly use homemade or store-bought caramel sauce as well!
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These look amazing! Can’t wait to make for someone for Christmas…
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Can your homemade salted caramel be used for the caramel in this recipe which is from melted candies? I am not sure of the salted caramel will harden up enough for this or if it is more an icecream sauce.
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Michelle on November 6th, 2012 at 2:56 pm
I haven’t used it before, but you could give it a try! It will set up stiff, but not rock hard.
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Hello! I’m planning on making these delicious looking snicker’s bars for my dad for a Christmas present. Any idea how long they should last at room temperature?
Thanks!!
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Michelle on December 17th, 2012 at 11:23 pm
Hi Joli, The caramel and chocolate get a little soft at room temperature, but I’d say you could leave them out for 6 to 8 hours, as long as the house isn’t too terribly warm. If it’s warmer than 72 degrees, I wouldn’t leave them out for more than an hour or two.
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Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to try it out!
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I made this this morning. Everything was perfect but the caramel layer never fully hardened. I used jarred caramel sauce, instead of melting candies, so not sure if I had to cook it more or less to thicken. I just put it in the freezer to see if it will harden up. Did this ever happen to you? It tastes amazing anyway
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Michelle on January 5th, 2013 at 9:47 pm
Hi Brian, I’m not sure what effect cooking already made caramel sauce would have on the final product. My guess is that it will stay pretty soft. By keeping the bars refrigerated, it might keep the caramel hard enough so as not to ooze.
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Brian on January 7th, 2013 at 11:33 am
I wouldn’t have cooked the caramel but I had to mix in the evap. milk, so I had to cook it a little bit. Probably cooked it too long as the consistency is pretty thick in the jar. In any event, I ended up freezing the squares and everything hardened up nicely with a little bit of ooze in the middle. I think that’s the way to go
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I made these and for Heavens sakes – they are awesome!! Everything turned out perfectly. AND perfectly yummy. Thank you for the recipe.
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These were fabulous. I used my own caramel sauce however and it didn’t harden, so the next time, I’m going to try a different caramel sauce so they aren’t so messy. My stepdaughter though they were best dessert I’ve made so far.
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Hi these look delish and i really want to make them but being from Australia and our ingredients being different i was wondering if the caramels to make the caramel layer are a soft or hard texture just so i can try and find something similar? Also i know that our cup measures are different as well, are you able to tell me what a cup measure is in gms. Thank you.
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Michelle on April 11th, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Hi Erin, You want to use soft caramels. As for the cup conversion, unfortunately there is no one answer – cups here are by and large a volume measurement, and every single ingredients would have a different conversion based on their weight. I would check out King Arthur Flour’s website, as they have some specific conversions for actual ingredients. Search for “master weight chart”.
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These look AMAZING!! How long do they last in the fridge (as if!)? Can they go in the freezer? Thanks!
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Michelle on April 12th, 2013 at 11:44 am
Hi Andrea, Probably up to a week. You could freeze them, but you’ll want to thaw them before eating as the nougat and caramel layers will likely get very hard.
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Andrea on April 12th, 2013 at 8:30 pm
Definitely. Thanks!
One more thing… Is there any possible substitute for evaporated milk if I want to make them dairy-free? Thanks again!
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Michelle on April 13th, 2013 at 12:35 pm
Hi Andrea, Unfortunately, I’m not aware of a non-dairy substitute for the evaporated milk.
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Hi! Is there something I can use to substitute for marshmallow fluff? Or is it possible to not use it at all since I can’t seem to find it here in the Philippines
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Michelle on May 6th, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Hi Edma, You can make your own marshmallow creme and substitute that for the marshmallow fluff. This is a good recipe: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/02/homemade-marshmallow-creme/. Enjoy!
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By the way, I absolutely love your website! It’s one of my go-to sites when I bake.
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Hi Michelle! I’m just wondering how far in advance I can make these and how to properly store them. I am absolutely loving your website and all the recipes on them. Thanks in advance! Alicia
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Michelle on May 22nd, 2013 at 12:32 am
Hi Alicia, Thank you! You can definitely make these at least a few days in advance and store them in the refrigerator. I would take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving.
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