They start with a crumbly biscuit base, move into a gooey peanut caramel filling, and finish with a rich chocolate coating that snaps when you bite in. Crunchy, gooey, and smooth in one square, that is the whole appeal.
The flavor runs sweet and nutty, with a slightly salty edge from the roasted peanuts that keeps the caramel and the chocolate from feeling too heavy. There is no oven involved, which makes this an easy win on a warm afternoon or a busy weeknight.
The original recipe rates the whole thing Easy, lists about 30 minutes, and makes approximately 18 bars.
If you have layered no bake desserts before, this one will feel familiar. If you have not, the steps below walk you through every stage, and the only real skills involved are stirring, pressing, and dipping.
Serve them with coffee, bring a tray to a gathering, or keep a batch in the fridge for the moments when only chocolate will do. Fair warning, they are completely addictive. Make a double batch if you honestly plan to share.
No bake, three layers, one tray. If you can stir, press, and dip, you can make these bars.
The list splits into three groups: the cookie base, the peanut caramel filling, and the chocolate coating. Nothing here is hard to find, and the recipe comes from the original peanut caramel bars published by Kookmutsjes.
Read the three groups as a sequence rather than a shopping list. The cookie base becomes the bottom layer, the peanut caramel becomes the gooey middle, and the coating wraps everything in a smooth chocolate shell.
COOKIE BASE
60 g heavy cream
200 g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
125 g tea biscuits
The cream and the milk chocolate turn into a soft ganache that holds the crushed biscuits together, so this layer sets firm while staying tender.
PEANUT CARAMEL MIXTURE
225 g caramel
100 g roasted peanuts, unsalted
Unsalted roasted peanuts let you control the salt level, and a rough chop keeps real crunch in every bite.
COATING
300 g chocolate, to taste
Milk chocolate gives the classic result. Dark chocolate pulls the sweetness back if that suits you better.
Here is the full list at a glance:
Ingredient
Amount
Group
Heavy cream
60 g
Cookie base
Milk chocolate
200 g
Cookie base
Tea biscuits
125 g
Cookie base
Caramel
225 g
Peanut caramel mixture
Roasted peanuts, unsalted
100 g
Peanut caramel mixture
Chocolate
300 g
Coating
Equipment stays simple as well: a tray lined with parchment paper, cling film for pressing the base level, a food processor or a knife for the peanuts, a saucepan and a heatproof bowl for the double boiler, and a wire rack for the dipped bars.
Tips
Small choices make a real difference here, so keep these notes handy while you work.
Choose tea biscuits that are not too sweet. They need to balance the caramel and the chocolate, and Maria biscuits work especially well.
If the caramel is too stiff to stir, warm it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler. Once softened, it mixes with the peanuts much more easily.
Want extra flavor? Add a pinch of sea salt or a little vanilla extract to the caramel before folding in the peanuts.
Chill the bars until firm before dipping them in chocolate. Cold bars help the chocolate set faster and give a cleaner finish.
Use a fork to dip each bar, then let the excess chocolate drip off before setting it on the rack or tray. Less pooling, neater edges.
For clean cuts, use a sharp knife dipped in warm water and dried before each slice.
Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They also hold well if you want to make them a day ahead.
Caramel can easily be made at home if you would rather skip the jar.
One more thought on timing: these bars are a good make ahead option. Build them a day before you need them, keep them chilled, and dip them the same day you plan to serve if you want the coating at its shiniest. They still taste great after a few days in the fridge.
If peanut and chocolate is your favorite combination, these no bake peanut butter bars are another quick option for the same craving, and these peanut butter chocolate chip bars are a good next project when you feel like turning the oven on.
Instructions
The process runs in stages: ganache first, then the base, then the peanut caramel layer, a chill, and finally the chocolate dip. Read it through once before you start and everything moves quickly.
Make the ganache. Heat 60 ml of heavy cream until just below boiling point. Add 200 g of milk chocolate broken into pieces, let it sit for 1 minute, then stir until smooth and creamy. The ganache must cool completely before it goes anywhere near the biscuits.
Crush the biscuits. Crush the tea biscuits into small pieces and tip them into a large bowl. Fairly even pieces give you a base that presses together well.
Mix the base. Add the cooled chocolate ganache to the crushed biscuits and mix until everything is combined and no dry crumbs are left.
Press it into the tray. Line a tray with parchment paper. Spread the cookie mixture evenly across the tray and press it down firmly. Use cling film to smooth and level the surface, then set it aside.
Chop the peanuts. Roughly chop the peanuts in a food processor, but not too fine. You want visible pieces so the filling keeps its crunch.
Make the filling. Put the chopped peanuts in a bowl and mix with the caramel until combined.
Add the peanut caramel layer. Spread the peanut caramel mixture over the cookie base, cover, and refrigerate until set.
Cut the bars. Once the peanut and cookie mixture is firm enough, cut it into bars of equal size. This recipe yields approximately 18 bars.
Melt the chocolate. Melt the coating chocolate using a double boiler. Fill a saucepan with 2 cm of water and bring it to a boil. Place a heatproof bowl with the chocolate pieces over the saucepan, making sure the bowl does not touch the water, and stir until smooth.
Dip and let them set. Dip each peanut caramel bar into the melted chocolate, ensuring it is fully coated. Place the bars on a wire rack or a baking tray lined with parchment paper and allow the chocolate to harden. For a decorative touch, drizzle additional chocolate lines over the top.
Why the ganache has to cool: warm ganache softens the biscuits into a paste instead of a crumbly base, so give it the time it needs. The same patience applies to the chill. A firm slab cuts cleanly, and cold bars hold the chocolate coating without streaks.
A word on the filling. The caramel does the heavy lifting here, so stir the peanuts through until every piece is coated. If the mixture looks thick, that is normal. It spreads more easily over a firm base, and it firms up again in the fridge.
The double boiler is the gentlest way to melt chocolate. Keep the water at a gentle simmer, keep the bowl dry and above the water line, and stir often. A single drop of water in melted chocolate can make it seize, so work with dry tools.
Cutting tip: a warm, dry knife glides through the chocolate coated bars. Wipe the blade between slices and you will get tidy squares instead of cracked edges.
For the neatest finish, let the dipped bars set on the rack with space between them. Chocolate that dries without touching anything else keeps that smooth, glossy shell, and the optional drizzle on top adds a bakery look without any extra effort.
Once the coating sets, the bars are ready. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving if you like a softer bite.
Chill before you cut, chill before you dip. Those two waits are what give these bars their clean edges and glossy coating.
Serving ideas: they pair beautifully with coffee or cold milk, they travel well in a lunch box, and they look impressive on a dessert platter with the chocolate drizzle on top. If you are feeding a crowd, double the batch and use two trays so the layers stay thin enough to cut neatly.
FAQs
How do you make peanut caramel bars with chocolate?
To make these no-bake bars, crush 125 g of tea biscuits and mix them with a cooled ganache made from 60 g of heavy cream and 200 g of milk chocolate, then press the mixture into a lined tray. Stir 100 g of chopped roasted peanuts into 225 g of caramel and spread it over the base. Chill until firm, cut into 18 bars, and dip each bar in 300 g of melted chocolate.
Can I use graham crackers instead of tea biscuits?
Yes, graham crackers or Maria-style cookies are good substitutes for tea biscuits in the base. Use a crisp, not-too-sweet cookie so the crust balances the sweet caramel and chocolate. An equal weight of graham crackers, about 125 g, works well in this no-bake recipe.
What type of caramel is best for peanut caramel bars?
Use a thick, spreadable caramel, soft caramel candies that can be warmed, or dulce de leche. A pourable caramel sauce is usually too thin and can make the filling runny. If your caramel is stiff, warm it briefly in the microwave or over a double boiler so it mixes easily with the peanuts.
Can you freeze peanut caramel chocolate bars?
These bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and they also freeze well. Wrap each bar individually and place it in an airtight container before freezing. Thaw the bars in the refrigerator before serving to avoid condensation.
Peanut Caramel Bars With Chocolate These peanut caramel bars with chocolate are the kind of treat that disappears from the plate before anyone thinks to ask what is inside. They start with a crumbly biscuit base, move into a gooey peanut caramel filling, and finish with a rich chocolate coating that snaps when you bite in.
Yield:18 bars 1x
Ingredients
Scale
COOKIE BASE 60 g heavy cream 200 g milk chocolate 125 g tea biscuits
PEANUT-CARAMEL MIXTURE 225 g caramel 100 g roasted peanuts, unsalted
COATING 300 g chocolate, to taste
Instructions
1-Heat 60 ml of heavy cream until: Heat 60 ml of heavy cream until just below boiling point. Add 200 g of milk chocolate (broken into pieces), let sit for 1 minute, and stir until smooth and creamy. Allow the ganache to cool completely. 2-Crush the tea biscuits into small pieces: Crush the tea biscuits into small pieces and place them in a large bowl. Add the cooled chocolate ganache and mix until combined. 3-Line a tray with parchment paper: Line a tray with parchment paper. Spread the cookie mixture evenly across the tray and press it down firmly. Use cling film to smooth and level the surface. Set aside. 4-Roughly chop the peanuts in a food: Roughly chop the peanuts in a food processor (not too fine). 5-Place the chopped peanuts in a bowl: Place the chopped peanuts in a bowl and mix with the caramel until combined. 6-Spread the peanut-caramel mixture over the cookie: Spread the peanut-caramel mixture over the cookie base. Cover and refrigerate until set. 7-Once the peanut-cookie mixture is firm enough,: Once the peanut-cookie mixture is firm enough, cut it into equal-sized bars. This recipe yields approximately 18 bars. 8-Melt the chocolate using a double boiler: Melt the chocolate using a double boiler: Fill a saucepan with 2 cm of water and bring it to a boil. Place a heatproof bowl with the chocolate pieces over the saucepan (ensuring the bowl does not touch the water). Stir the chocolate as it melts until smooth. 9-Dip each peanut-caramel bar into the melted: Dip each peanut-caramel bar into the melted chocolate, ensuring it is fully coated. 10-Place the bars on a wire rack: Place the bars on a wire rack or a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Allow the chocolate to harden. For a decorative touch, you can drizzle additional chocolate lines over the bars.
Last Step:
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