Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Snickers Bars

Name: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pretzel Snickers Bars
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips (or can sub dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips); 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter; 4 tablespoons butter; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup canned coconut milk or regular milk; 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff; 1 cup salted peanuts chopped (roughly chopped); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 (14 ounce) bag of caramels; 1/4 cup coconut milk or cream; 1 1/2 sticks butter; 2/3 cup brown sugar; 2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk; 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup flour; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 -3/4 cup mini chocolate chips; 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (or can sub dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips); 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter; 1 cup pretzels (twist or sticks); 1/2 cup chocolate chips (melted)

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October 4, 2013

Posted in Brownies/Bars, Desserts

Oh and yes, there is so some brown butter in that cookie dough too.

Salted Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Snickers Bars | halfbakedharvest.com

Is anyone else so excited for Halloween?

Because I am! I have always loved Halloween, but not for the reasons you think. I was “too cool” for tricker treating by like seventh grade, but for me it was, and still is, not all about the candy.

Yeah right! Like anyone believes that. It’s maybe a lot about the candy. I mean anytime I get to buy Reese’s in the shape of pumpkins is a happy time. I am such a sucker for holiday gimmicks. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are my true weaknesses. Well, Thanksgiving does not really have any candy or super fun decorations, but there is the food. I kind of go all out with the Thanksgiving feast, so that is always yummy to look forward to.

Halloween though is all fun.

Fun food, fun costumes, fun Halloween movies. Little kids dressed up in the cutest costumes and of course, the excuse to eat Halloween candy all month… I mean all night, long. It’s good holiday.

Speaking of cute kids and their Halloween costumes, Asher has the world’s cutest costume this year.

Seriously, parents of young girls, listen up.

The Batarina.

You guys, I love this costume!

Where was this costume when I was younger?!? I think I was a witch for three years in a row, a pumpkin one year and then one year my cousin, Matt who is the same age as me, my younger brother and I were Oompa Loompas. Being an Oompa Loompa was the highpoint of my Halloween costumes. Kind of lame, I know.

But anyway, Asher looks so incredibly cute in this costume. She got striped purple tights to go underneath and little black heels that are the true topper to the outfit.

Yeah, I did say little black heels. That was all her idea, the girl is crazy and only five and she wants to wear heels already? My parents are in for a real good time with this one. I am telling you, she is going to be a wild one.

So seriously, if you guys are looking for a cute costume you have to check out the Batarina. SO cute. I am still dying over it, and also a little jealous that I am way too old to pull this costume off. Sometimes I so want to be five again!

Oh and another highlight of my Halloween’s past?

Avalon Drive and the houses that gave out the Malley’s Bars. Possibly one of the best parts of Cleveland, Ohio. Malley’s rules and jeez, I miss it! Actually, I don’t really since we actually order chocolate off their website and have it sent all the way out to Colorado. Yes, it is THAT good. Check them out too!

Unfortunately, I am currently out of Malley’s Chocolate Bars, the one and only thing that would have made these bars better.

These bars are insanely good. You are going to love them. It is everything you love about a Snickers bar, the nougat layer, the caramel and all the chocolate. But then I went and added a nice big layer of browned butter cookie dough. Yup, yup, yup! Cookie dough Snickers!

It’s incredible.

But then I went to take photos and they just needed a little something on top. Something fun and crunchy and maybe salty to go with all that caramel.

Enter the pretzels.

Pretzels, chocolate, caramel, nougat, COOKIE DOUGH! Guys, there are no words. Just so good.

There is a total of five layers, plus the pretzels topping so they take a couple of hours to fully come together, but the steps are simple and they are the perfect fall treat. And this may sound weird, but they are really good with a side of crispy honeycrisp apples. It’s like a Snicker cookie dough caramel apple. Oh man, does that just sound awesome? Ah huh, it does.

Happy Friday, indeed!

4.39 from 36 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pretzel Snickers Bars

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cookie bars

These bars are insanely good. You are going to love them!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings 20 bars

Calories 452 kcal

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips or can sub dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Nougat layer

4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canned coconut milk or regular milk
1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
1 cup salted peanuts chopped roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel

1 (14 ounce) bag of caramels
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream

Brown Butter Cookie Dough Layer

1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream or coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 -3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Top chocolate layer

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips or can sub dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup pretzels twist or sticks
1/2 cup chocolate chips melted

Instructions

Thoroughly grease a 9x13 inch-baking pan. Melt 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips with 1/4-cup peanut butter in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the baking dish and spread until even. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
While the chocolate hardens make the nougat layer. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in marshmallow fluff and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes or 15 minutes in the fridge.
Make the caramel. Combine the caramels and cream in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth, this took about 10 minutes for me. Pour over nougat layer and let cool completely, about 10 minutes.
Make the Cookie Dough. In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat until just browned. Butter will melt, foam, and froth, then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk browned bits off of the bottom of the pan and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer or large bowl. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
To the bowl add the brown sugar, cream or coconut milk and vanilla. Beat until combined, fluffy and light in color. Beat in the flour and salt until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough over the caramel layer, be carful not to press too hard into the caramel. You don't want to mix the two layers.
Melt 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips with 1/4-cup peanut butter in a saucepan, or just microwave them, pour over caramel and spread until even. Sprinkle with the pretzels and drizzle with the remaining melted chocolate. Let cool and harden completely.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, then cut as desired. These can stay at room temperature, but they do get soft and gooey. My family personally likes them best kept in the fridge, but left out for 15 minutes or so before eating!

Recipe Notes

Snicker's base adapted from How Sweet It Is.

So Halloween? You guys down?

If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your photo #halfbakedharvest.