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The fall season just got a little bit sweeter with these Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Snickers Bars. Homemade chocolate chip cookie bars, layered with sweet peanut caramel, then topped with a thick layer of sweet milk chocolate. Finish these bars off with pretzel twists for a salty, sweet crunch. Every last bite of these indulgent cookie bars are melt in your mouth delicious. Enjoy over the weekend, recreate them for upcoming holiday festivities, or package them up for gifting. They’re simple to make and guaranteed to be a hit!
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!
Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Snickers Bars
Servings: 18 bars
Calories Per Serving: 489 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 (10 ounce) bags caramels, unwrapped ,or homemade caramel, recipe below
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup roasted peanuts ,roughly chopped
- 12 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate ,chopped
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 20-24 pretzel twists
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and baking soda, beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.3. Spread the dough out in the prepared pan and bake for 23-25 minutes, until just set in the center. Let cool.4. Meanwhile, make the caramel. Combine the caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Melt stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanuts. Gently pour the caramel over the cooled cookies. Let set up 10-15 minutes. If using homemade caramel, just stir the peanuts into the caramel, then pour over the cookies. 5. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave until melted. Pour the chocolate mix over the peanut caramel layer. Press the pretzels into the chocolate. Transfer the bars to the fridge and chill 1 hour, until set (or 30 minutes in the freezer). Cut into bars. Keep in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week.
Salted Caramel
Calories Per Serving: 521 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. In a large pot, melt together the butter and sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat proof rubber spatula until the sugar has melted and turns a golden caramel, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and slowly add the cream, whisking until combined. The caramel will bubble up, but just keep whisking.2. Return the pot to medium heat and cook the mixture, stirring until the caramel has thickened, about 5-8 minutes or until the caramel reaches a temperature 238-240 degrees F. on a candy thermometer (see notes). 3. Remove from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt and the vanilla. Stir in the peanuts, then pour the caramel over the cooled cookie bars. Finish as directed above.
Notes
Cooking Caramel at an Elevation: if you live above see level, you will need to cook your caramel for less time. See this guide for helpful tips. I live at 9,000 feet and usually cook mine a total if 5-6 minutes after the cream has been added.
Wow! These are super delicious. I was skeptical about the cookie layer- my instincts were telling me to bake longer. I am glad I didn’t! The result is perfect. I am looking forward to making a couple more batches to take to Halloween parties. Thanks for sharing such an incredible treat!
Hey Rachel,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Thursday! x
Can all purpose flour be substituted with almond, or whole wheat flour?
Hi Kathy,
I haven’t tested this, but I think whole wheat would work better for you:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
These were so good! Second time making them and this time I made sure to cook the cookie base until it was just set. that made a big difference on the texture of the cookies. Also was out of peanuts, so used roasted almonds.
Hey Nuan,
Happy Valentine’s Day! 💌 I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xT
These bars are rich, sweet, and to die for! Absolutely divine, especially chilled!
Hey Lynne,
Fantastic!! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
I’ve made these multiple times now because everyone LOVES them (as do I). They are a perfect treat for gathering or taking to work and sharing with your team.
Hey Kaity,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
Do you think these could be frozen?
Hi Maribeth,
Sure, that should be okay to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These were such a hit and so much fun to make. You’re amazing!!!
Hey Cameron,
Wonderful! I am so glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! Have a lovely week:) xTieghan
I made these and they are so rich that a little goes a long way. I shared with several friends and family and every single one of them has requested I make them again. They are addicting!
Hey Stacey,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Thanks! xTieghan
These were …. SOOOO GOOD. I definitely recommend making your own caramel it was super simple and delicious. I also added a layer of melted peanut butter on top of the caramel which is a must as well. Everything else hardens up in the fridge but the peanut butter stays a little melty which was delicious. Thanks for another awesome recipe 🙂
Hey Olivia,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this yesterday and half of it is already gone! Very addictive and so good. Love your recipes, all the best from Germany!
Hey Anna,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe. I am so glad you enjoyed! xTieghan
I really wanted to like this but I was not impressed. It was so so. The cookie wasn’t that great and the pretzels kept falling off.
Hi Carrie! I am sorry this did not turn out as expected. Is there anything I can help you with? xTieghan
These bars look amazing! I was thinking about using store bought dulce de leche instead of the caramel sauce for the middle layer. Do you think it would work? Thanks!
Hey Maria,
Yes, I think that would be just fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
these are great, but so rich! i think next time i will try halving the recipe, as even a tiny square is super sweet and we’ll freeze most of them. not sure if this happened to anyone else, but after just 2 days the pretzels on top taste very stale (despite storing in an airtight container), and we’re picking them off before eating. next time i might just sprinkle sea salt and/or chopped salted peanuts on top.
Amazing! I am really glad you enjoyed these! Thank you for trying them! xTieghan
These taste great! But I had an issue with the chocolate layer breaking from caramel layer when cutting. Any recommendations to keeping intact?
Thank you!!
Hey Tina,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! So sorry about the splitting, did you adjust the recipe at all? I would try a different chocolate brand next time, I like using Chocolove! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan