Description
Sweet, salty, creamy, crunchy, and ridiculously chocolatey — these Salt River Bars are the kind of dessert that disappears faster than you can blink. They’re a layered masterpiece that looks fancy but is shockingly easy to make.
Ingredients
Scale
- 90 Club Crackers (or enough to cover your pan in 3 layers)
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips
- ½ cup butterscotch chips
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- Flaky Maldon sea salt (for the perfect finish)
Instructions
- Prep Your Pan
- Grab a 9×13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper, leaving extra overhang on the long sides so you can easily lift the bars out later. Give the parchment and sides of the pan a quick coat of nonstick spray.
- Layer the Crackers
- Arrange a full layer of Club Crackers over the bottom of the pan, cutting pieces as needed to fit every inch. (I use five rows of six crackers — it’s like dessert Tetris!)
- Make the Caramel
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until everything melts together. Bring to a rolling boil and let it bubble for about 7 minutes, still stirring so nothing sticks or burns.
- Build the Layers
- Pour half of the hot caramel mixture evenly over the cracker layer, spreading it out quickly. Add a second layer of crackers right on top, then pour the remaining caramel and finish with a final cracker layer.
- Chill and Make the Topping
- Place the pan in the fridge for a bit to help the caramel firm up. While it chills, melt together the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30–45 second bursts, stirring after each interval, until smooth and glossy.
- Finish and Chill Again
- Spread the chocolate-butterscotch mixture over the top cracker layer, smoothing it out evenly. Sprinkle generously with Maldon sea salt for that signature sweet-and-salty pop.
- Pop the pan back into the refrigerator for 1–2 hours, or until the chocolate layer is completely set.
- Slice and Serve
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole dessert slab out of the pan. Cut into bars, squares, or even bite-sized pieces — whatever fits your mood (and your sweet tooth).
Notes
- Work quickly with the caramel so it doesn’t set before you finish layering.
- Use straight-sided pans if possible — it makes cutting clean, even bars so much easier.
- Chill before slicing so the layers stay neat and beautiful.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Bar
- Calories: 269 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 192 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 0.8 g
- Protein: 2.7 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg