Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (2024)

The BEST homemade crunch bars recipe that tastes BETTER than the actual candy bar! 5 ingredients, 5 minutes and perfectly crispy, crunchy, sweet copycat crunch bars- Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-free.

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (1)

Nestle announced back in 2018 that Crunch bars have been discontinued but do not fret- We have a homemade and even BETTER version here, and is relatively healthier than the traditional version!

You may come across other homemade crunch bar recipes, but those are quite frankly sub bar. Most of them call for 2 or 3 ingredients, mostly melted chocolate with crispy rice cereal.

Is that a crunch bar? Technically, yes. But taste-wise, it is very, VERY average.

Instead, I’m here to share with you my homemade version which tastes amazing and one recipe that thousands of my readers have continually made over and over again!

WHY THESE ARE THE BEST HOMEMADE CRUNCH BARS

Crunchy, crispy, smooth, and creamy and all words to describe these no bake chocolate peanut butter crunch bars.

You bite into it and are met with of these, which are a texture lovers’ dream!

Traditional crunch bars use butter, sugar, margarine and several kinds of oil to produce a delicious end product.

My version uses just FIVE ingredients, and takes less than 2 minutes to whip up!

Not only are these beauties completely vegan, gluten-free and dairy free, but it also has the option to be made completely sugar-free, so take note below!

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (2)

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CRUNCH BARS

Start by pouring your cereal in a large mixing bowl, and setting it aside. To also save time, prepare your baking dish by adding parchment paper to it.

In a microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan, add all your ingredients, except for the cereal. Heat the mixture until the chocolate chip has melted. Whisk very well together, until you have silky, thick, and smooth chocolate.

Finally, pour the melted chocolate mixture over the crispy cereal, and mix very well, until all the cereal is coated in the chocolate. Transfer to the lined baking dish and refrigerate until firm.

THE INGREDIENTS (and substitution tips!)

  • Crispy Rice Cereal
  • Peanut Butter
  • Chocolate Chips
  • Maple Syrup
  • Coconut oil

The ‘crunch’ factor can come in two folds. The first and most dominant one is in the cereal used. The original recipe from the cookbook used cornflakes, but my preference lies in rice crispy treats, so I used gluten-free crispy rice cereal. It’s my favorite to use in these no bake bars and these no bake rice crispy cups. If you don’t have a gluten intolerance, any crispy rice cereal will work fine.

The second part comes with using crunchy peanut butter. You are welcome to use smooth peanut butter if that is all you have on hand, but I love the added texture of the little pieces of peanuts throughout!

Speaking of peanut butter, for those with peanut allergies, I’d recommend you use crunchy sunflower seed butter or soynut butter. You can also substitute the peanut butter for another nut butter, like almond or cashew.

As these crunch bars are based around chocolate, PLEASE make sure you choose a high-quality chocolate bar (baking style or standard) or chocolate chips. I used my favorite dairy free chunks, which I regularly eat on its own.

For those who want to keep this completely sugar-free, use your favorite sugar free BAKING bar or chips. Simply melting a generic sugar-free candy bar won’t yield the results you are after.

Also, for the maple syrup, swap it for this sugar-free alternative. While not as good as the original, it’s the best sugar-free syrup when used IN recipes.

Coconut oil is my preference, but butter or vegan butter works well too.

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (3)

STORING CRUNCH BARS

Like any candy or chocolate bar, crunch bars can be stored at room temperature, in a sealable container. They will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks, but I promise you, they will NEVER last that long!

They are also freezer friendly, so wrap up a few and store away to enjoy when the chocolate cravings strike! Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.

CAN I MAKE CRUNCH BARS KETO AND PALEO?

Yes! I have made a keto and paleo option for this recipe. It uses nuts and seeds instead of the cereal, and also keto-approved chocolate and syrup.

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (4)

MORE HOMEMADE CANDY BAR RECIPES

  • Homemade Twix Bars
  • Snickers Bars
  • Mars Bars
  • Kit Kat Bars
  • Bounty Bars

Watch the step-by-step video below!

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (5)

The BEST Homemade Crunch Bars

4.99 from 2786 votes

No Bake homemace crunch bars using just one bowl, 5 ingredients and less than 2 minutes! This quick and easy snack or dessert is naturally gluten free, vegan, dairy free and can be made sugar free!

Servings: 20 bars

Prep: 2 minutes mins

Cook: 1 minute min

Total: 3 minutes mins

Rate This Recipe

Print

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish or deep baking tray of choice with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Add crispy rice cereal into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, combine all your other ingredients and heat until melted. Remove from microwave/off stove and whisk until completely incorporated.

  • Pour the chocolate/peanut butter mixture over the crispy rice cereal and mix until combined. Pour into the lined baking dish and refrigerate until firm (at least an hour).

  • Remove and cut into bars.

Notes

TO STORE: Crunch bars can be stored at room temperature, in a sealable container. They will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks.

TO FREEZE: Wrap individual bars in parchment paper and place them in ziplock bags. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.

Also try- Keto Crunch Bars

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 142kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSodium: 69mgPotassium: 105mgFiber: 1gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 15g

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman Liew

Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (6)

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Homemade Crunch Bars (Award Winning Recipe!) (2024)

FAQs

What are the main ingredients in a crunch bar? ›

Crunch Bar

The simple joy of 100% real milk chocolate and crisped rice.

What are the balls in crunch bars? ›

CRUNCH® is the simple joy of 100% milk chocolate and crisped rice! We have 2 Foodservice varieties: CRUNCH® Pieces and Buncha CRUNCH®. CRUNCH® Pieces are just pieces of your favorite CRUCNH® bar chopped up, whereas Buncha CRUNCH® are balls of rice crispies enrobed in real milk chocolate.

What is the difference between Butterfinger and Crispy Crunch? ›

Both taste very similar but the Crispy Crunch has both sweet and salty notes in the peanut butter confection while the Butterfinger seemed all-around sweeter. The Crispy Crunch Candy Bar has been around since 1912, the Butterfinger Candy Bar came out in 1923.

Why is my crunch bar white? ›

If Crunch bars are stored at too high a temperature, the fat or oil ingredients can melt or soften enough to migrate to the top of the candy bar. When the bar cools again, the fat on the surface may appear as a whitish powder. This is known as “fat bloom”.

Are crunch bars healthy? ›

FitCrunch protein bars can be a healthy snack option if consumed in moderation. They are a good source of protein, which is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue. However, they should not be relied upon as a primary source of protein, as whole foods such as chicken, fish, and beans are a better option.

What is in a Big Island Crunch bar? ›

Macadamia nut and crisp rice are covered in chocolate, making for an irresistible candy bar.

What's in a Hershey's Krackel? ›

LACTOSE (MILK), SKIM MILK, REDUCED PROTEIN WHEY (MILK), RICE FLOUR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, MILK FAT, COCOA, LECITHIN (SOY), PGPR, MALT EXTRACT, MONOGLYCERIDES, SALT NATURAL & ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

What's in a Mr Goodbar? ›

Goodbar is a candy bar containing peanuts and chocolate, whose packaging is identifiable by its yellow background and red text. It is manufactured by The Hershey Company and was introduced in 1925.

What's in Baby Ruth candy bar? ›

Baby Ruth is an American candy bar made of peanuts, caramel, and milk chocolate-flavored nougat, covered in compound chocolate. Created in 1920, and named after the deceased U.S. presidential daughter, Ruth Cleveland, it is distributed by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero.

Is there rice in a crunch bar? ›

OUR TIP: take your coffee with a Crunch bar! Amp up your midday recharge with every bite of Creamy Milk Chocolate and crisped rice cloaked in delicious, flowing milk chocolate.

What is Kitkat crunch? ›

Kitkat's Own Crispy Wafers- Nestle Kitkat Chunky combines soft chocolate and crispy wafer for optimum crispness. Unique shape- Kitkat's unique taste & technology. Crush & spread method- a unique technology that brings out the crispy texture by putting thinly crushed biscuits between the chocolates.

What is the Hershey's version of the crunch bar? ›

Krackel is a chocolate bar with crisped rice pieces made by The Hershey Company and first introduced on September 14, 1938. A candy bar with oven popped rice coated in milk chocolate.

What candy bar is similar to the crunch? ›

1938: Crunch

One of the original crisped rice milk chocolate bars, the Crunch's direct competitor is the Krackel, introduced by Hershey that same year.

What is the Hershey's version of Butterfinger? ›

The 5th Avenue is a candy bar introduced in 1936, consisting of peanut butter crunch layers enrobed in chocolate. It is currently produced and marketed by The Hershey Company.

What is candy crunch made of? ›

Smooth dark chocolate mixed with crunchy Rice Krispies or Rice Bubbles and then topped with M&M's, Maltesers and Kit Kats!

What is Scooter crunch made of? ›

NONFAT ICE CREAM (NONFAT MILK, SUGAR, CORN SYRUP, WHEY, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, MALTODEXTRIN, MONO & DIGLYCERIDE, LOCUST BEAN GUM, CELLULOSE GUM, GUAR GUM, FOOD STARCH, POLYSORBATE 80, CARRAGEENAN, WATER, VITAMIN A PALMITATE), FLAVORED CENTER (WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, MALIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, ...

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Greg O'Connell

Last Updated:

Views: 6163

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg O'Connell

Birthday: 1992-01-10

Address: Suite 517 2436 Jefferey Pass, Shanitaside, UT 27519

Phone: +2614651609714

Job: Education Developer

Hobby: Cooking, Gambling, Pottery, Shooting, Baseball, Singing, Snowboarding

Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.