Trick or Treat, Let’s Make Something SWEET!

Scary Good Candy Bars you can make at Home

They are devilishly good…

Repost: October 30, 2020

(Original post: Bethany Rae, October 22 , 2019)

The recipe for a spooktacular Halloween is easy: Mix two parts fun with three parts frightening and then coat the lot in an obscene amount of sugar. When it comes to the beloved October holiday, it’s not hard to make it just right.

But if you’re the kind of person who turns their entire garage into an admission-worthy haunted house or hand-sews their children’s costumes from organic cotton, we know you’re ready to take things up a notch…and nothing screams next level like making your favorite Halloween candy from scratch.

Homemade Snickers Bars {from Butter with a Side of Bread}

2 cups chocolate chips, divided

¾ cup peanut butter, divided

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

½ cup evaporated milk or heavy whipping cream, divided

7oz tub marshmallow cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cup salted peanuts

1 11oz bag caramels

Line a quarter baking sheet (or 13×9” pan) with parchment paper. {Jessica stresses making room in the freezer for said pan, as you will be putting in/pulling out several times.} Start with your bottom chocolate layer by melting 1 cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup peanut butter in the microwave. Stir until smooth and then spread onto the bottom of your pan. Put the pan into the freezer and move onto the nougat layer. Butter, sugar, and ¼ cup evaporated milk go into a small saucepan; Begin heating on medium, stirring occasionally as butter melts and mixture combines. Continue heating until pan comes to a boil, at which point you should set your timer for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup peanut butter, the marshmallow cream, and the vanilla. Stir until smooth. Remove pan from freezer and line the base chocolate with an even layer of nougat. Return to freezer.

Next, melt the caramels with ¼ cup evaporated milk. This should take about 1 minute, adding 30 seconds at a time, as needed. Stir until combined. Pull the pan from the freezer and spread the peanuts evenly across the pan, using clean hands to gently press them into the nougat. Pour the caramel mixture atop the peanuts as evenly as possible and then return the pan to the freezer. Lastly, melt the remaining chocolate chips and ¼ cup peanut butter in the microwave. Stir until smooth and pour over the caramel, carefully spreading evenly. The entire pan should be frozen for at least 10 minutes and bars should be stored in the refrigerator after that.

Scary-good idea: use a sharp knife, lightly sprayed with non-stick spray, to make cutting a breeze!

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups {from Taste of Home}

1 cup peanut butter, divided

½ cup confectioner’s sugar

4 ½ tsp butter, softened

½ tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 (1.55oz) milk chocolate candy bars, coarsely chopped

Paper cupcake liners

Combine ½ cup peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, butter, and salt, stirring until smooth. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips, chocolate bars, and remaining peanut butter in the microwave. Again, stir until smooth. Once you’ve lined a muffin tin with paper liners, drop teaspoons of warm chocolate mixture into each. Drop in a scant teaspoon of peanut butter into the centers and top with another teaspoon of chocolate. Refrigerate until cups are completely set and be sure to store in an airtight container.

Scary-good idea: top the cups with colorful sprinkles before chilling!

Homemade Butterfingers {from The Pioneer Woman}

½ cup roasted, salted peanuts

½ cup peanut butter (not all-natural)

3 cups candy corn

1 cup cornflakes

2 (10-12oz) packages milk chocolate melting wafers

Start by greasing an 8×8 pan with shortening and fully line with two pieces of parchment, greasing in between. Grind peanuts in a food processor until finely ground and set aside. Then, heat peanut butter in the microwave until just warm. In a bowl, melt the candy corn in 30 second increments, stirring frequently. Once melted, stir in warm peanut butter.

Immediately turn out onto a sheet of parchment paper and form into a rectangle, a little larger than your pan. No need to be exact! Press the peanuts into the mixture and fold into thirds (like a letter). Use a rolling pin to roll into a rectangle about the same size as before. Press cornflakes on top, crushing them as you go. Fold into thirds in the same manner. Roll flat and fold into thirds again.

Once more, roll entire folded mixture into a square about 8×8 and press into the pan, smoothing with your hands. Let this set up for about 15 minutes.

Using the parchment paper, lift the set square out of the pan and cut into pieces or “bars”. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once cool, melt the chocolate wafers (as directed on package). Dip and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet. Let the chocolate fully set before packaging in an airtight container.

Scary-good idea: to keep them fresh, store at room temperature or simply eat them all before they get stale!

Hungry for more? Bon Appétit offers 30 Homemade Candy Recipes…which include bourbon caramels, candied fruit peels, and endless brittles. Delish removes scary dairy and offers The 11 Best Vegan Candies…where you’ll find new takes on old faves like Twix bars and Almond Joys. Trying to get your little monsters into good habits? Eating Well has Healthy Candy Recipes…which explore unique marshmallows and tasty truffles with less guilt.

Hosting a Halloween party? Check out Northern Fork’s Fall Menu and together let’s impress the heck out of your guests.

Have a food related UPCOMING event?