The first Friday of fall calls for something sweet and decadent. Enter these cookie bars. I went back and forth (many times) about just what to share today and after polling a few family members, I finally landed on these bars. A lot of times I’m not very good at “trusting my gut”. In fact, it bugs me a bit when people say to “trust your gut” because I’m that girl that just doesn’t know what her gut is telling her. The point is, these bars won the polling for Friday’s blog post. And while they took me a long time to get just right, I’m now so excited to share! These are decadent, but with fall here, I’m leaning into the season with cozier dinners and sweet desserts. As I’ve now said a million times over, I am pretty excited my favorite season is here!
The quick story on these…
I’ve had this recipe idea for a while now, but to me, this is a fall recipe. Something about these bars screams fall and Halloween to me. They’re an updated take on a Snickers bar, so I like to view these as a homemade candy bar…perfect for Halloween! I know it’s going to be a very different year when it comes to Halloween, but we can at least make fun candy bars at home to celebrate. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Halloween party, but I can equally love a baking night followed up with spooky movies too! And trust me, these make the perfect movie night dessert.
I first tried to make these overly complicated. I spent an entire day testing and testing this recipe, trying to make every last layer completely from scratch. The thing is, I was running into trouble with my fancy maple and cider caramel. It just wasn’t working. I was about to throw in the towel, but after a quick chat with my cousins, they said I was being crazy. I needed to share this recipe, I just needed to simplify it. Take away the fancy, and focus on what’s GOOD. The cookie base. The sweet peanut caramel… And that salty, chocolate top.
The steps and the layers…
So I made these the easy way and you know what, I’m OK with that. These really are darn good! Start with layer one, the chocolate chip cookies. I used my go-to recipe, which just so happens to be the recipe my mom has used since before I was even born. It’s foolproof and the best chocolate chip cookie bar. You just need the basics…butter, sugar, eggs, etc. Her one secret? Using a bit more brown sugar and a little less granulated sugar. This gives the cookies an added depth of flavor and richness. It’s a small tweak, but it makes all the difference. Bake up the cookies, then let them cool off a bit before adding the caramel layer.
Now, here is where these differ a bit from classic Snickers. I ended up opting out of the nougat layer, as it was causing too much trouble. And to be honest, it made the bars overly sweet. It’s not needed! Instead, we’re going to focus on that caramel, which brings me to layer two. That peanut caramel! You can make a double batch of my homemade caramels or simply use store-bought caramels. I tested this both ways. Either or is perfect and tastes just as delicious. If you’re going the easy route, just use the caramels from the store. You’ll want to melt the caramels, then stir in roasted, salted peanuts. Spread the caramel out over the cookie base and let set for a few minutes.
Now, on to layer three, that thick chocolate top. Oh, this chocolate top. It seals all the deliciousness into these bars and is the best salty, sweet finish. I like to use a semi-sweet or milk chocolate, then just melt with a bit of coconut oil. The coconut oil will keep the chocolate from becoming too hard and gives it a very pretty sheen too. Melt that chocolate, pour it over the caramel layer, and add salty pretzels to finish. Then let the bars set up in the fridge, remove, slice, sink your teeth in, and enjoy every last bite. It’s going to be so good. And that’s it. Of course, if you make homemade caramel, these steps will be a bit longer, but all in all, still easy, and oh so delicious.
These will be perfect for any upcoming Halloween themed nights and dinners with the family. We might not be having big parties this year, but we can still enjoy all the delicious autumn and Halloween sweets. My suggestion? Bake these up tonight as a Friday night treat. But double the recipe so you can package a few up. Then gift some to your sweet neighbor, best friend, or whoever! You’re going to make their day with these!
Looking for other fun fall/Halloween desserts? Here are a few ideas: Salted Caramel Pretzel Snickerdoodles BOO! Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Monster Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars The Best Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Swirled Cookie Bars Lastly, if you make these Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Snickers Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
