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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.
I loved everything about these… And so did my friends!
I did add a little salt to the chocolate chip cookie mix because I like it extra salty. I also pushed down the cookie once it had cooled slightly so it wasn’t as thick. I debated which caramel to use, and it ended up using Werther’s Originals, which were perfect. And I added a little bit of flaky sea salt on top of the caramel before I added the chocolate. What a crowd pleaser!!
Amazing!! I am really glad these bars turned out so well for you, Michelle! Thank you! xTieghan
OMG, these are so good! I made a pan last week in honor of National Dessert Day and they were a huge hit in my family. My daughter and I did decide that they needed more pretzels in each bite, so next time I’m going to use more pretzels and maybe rough-chop them so I can sprinkle all over the top and not miss any open space. I used the bagged caramels as the recipe suggested because I thought it would save time, but with how long it took to unwrap and melt them, I may give your homemade caramel a try next time. Either way, thank you for sharing such an easy and delicious recipe!
Thank you for trying this one, Mary! I am really glad these bars turned out so well for you! xTieghan
There’s no salt listed in cookie dough recipe. Should there be??
Hey Susan,
Since I use salted butter I did not add any salt to the dough. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these bars for my family and they turned out delicious! These are really rich so I cut into small pieces, one pretzel twist per piece. I subbed vegetable oil for coconut oil since that’s what I had on hand. The cookie layer was cakier than the pictures showed, but still tasted great!
Made these today So very good Sliced a piece for my husband and myself and watched The Haunting of Bly Manor episodic 1. Perfect treat to sit and watch Halloween movies. Tomorrow going to package them up and hand them out to my children and grandchildren Thank you for another winner
Sounds amazing! Thank you for trying this one Marie! xTieghan
Complete flop of a recipe. Caramel sauce I read instructions and watched video twice. Did not turn out. Not worth your time!
Hi Nicole! I am so sorry to hear that. Is there anything that could have gone wrong or got changed while making this? I would love to help! xTieghan
These are amazing!!! My first thought is, how could you possibly eat one of these, they’d be much too sweet! I will tell you, cut in much smaller bites, these are the perfect sweet treat! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much Kate! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
It’s delicious, very rich.
I am glad you liked these! Thank you Kaleigh! xTieghan
Delicious!
Thank you Carlos! xTieghan
Nice! But do you think these would freeze well?
Hey Carlos,
Sure you could freeze these. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This would have been great with some salt in the cookie dough base. The homemade caramel was great, the peanuts a tasty addition, the chocolate luscious. But the cooke base is bland. Shame! I wondered about why there wasn’t any salt, and I thought it might be because of the salt in the peanuts and the pretzels. But in the end, the base needed salt after all. Sad!
Hi Olivia! I am really sorry about that! Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! Otherwise, I hope you love some other recipes of mine! xTieghan
these snickers sounded SO yummy. The problem is the caramel is not stable at room temp. If you set these out on a plate, in about an hour, the caramel will be oozing out and then its just a mess. One of the things about baking that is CRITICAL is that it can be served well. Keeping these beauties hidden away in a fridge, and then to serve them cold, means I will never make them again. I also found them to be overly sweet… I’d recommend more peanuts in the caramel layer
Hi Allison! I am sorry you had trouble with these bars! I hope you enjoy some other recipes on my blog! If you need any help, please let me know! xTieghan
These were amazing!! Reminded me of Take5 bars without the peanut butter.
YES! So happy these turned out so well for you, Kyle! xTieghan
Hi! My cookie base turned out cakey and tried it twice, and only cooked it for 15min! Any tips please? They look amazing! Thanks!
Hey Lisi,
So sorry you are having issues with the cookie base. Are you adjusting the recipe at all? Why did you only bake for 15 minutes? You will want to bake for 25-35 minutes. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! is there anyway I could sub peanut butter for the caramel? Would the peanutbutter need something to stick to the cookie? I want to make these so badly but don’t love caramel. Or do you have any other suggestions?
Hey Cameron,
Sure, you could use peanut butter, I would warm it a touch so it spreads easily. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan