Make Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars with just 5 of the most amazing ingredients on Earth: dark chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, caramel and peanuts!
Okay, I need to make this post short and sweet so you can make these candy bars ASAP! They’re one of the best things ever created in my kitchen and I want your kitchen to have the same bragging rights!
They’re so easy, but it was a labor of love getting the recipe just right. I was on a mission to make a homemade candy bar similar to Take 5 candy bars, but even better, of course! More pretzel crunch, a thicker layer of peanut butter, extra peanuts, gooier caramel and a richer chocolate.
Watch Me Make Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars
Step into the kitchen with me to make these easy homemade candy bars!
5 Simple Ingredients, One Amazing Candy Bar
I tried them every which way I could until I got them just right. I tried layering the chocolate with the other ingredients in the pan, but definitely felt coating the bars in the chocolate is much better. I tried using caramel sauce, but melted caramel squares gives the bars that perfect gooey caramel layer. I tried crushing the pretzels, but the whole pretzels gives a perfect pretzel crunch in every bite.
It all starts with just 5 simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand…
The sweet and salty combo of these 5 ingredients along with the different textures each one contributes to the layers makes these homemade candy bars one of the greatest things I ever ate! We’re talking salty crunchy pretzels, creamy peanut butter, roasted peanuts, gooey caramel…That’s all coated in rich smooth dark chocolate…
How to Make Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars
- Line a 9×13-inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then place the pretzels snuggly in the bottom of the pan.
- Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds until of drizzling consistency. Drizzle peanut butter over pretzels. With a spatula, spread the peanut butter evenly to cover all of the pretzels.
- Sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the peanut butter layer and place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- While the peanut butter layer is setting, unwrap the caramels. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water and melt in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Place back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and continue to stir until caramel is smooth and of drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle caramel evenly over all of the peanuts. Place pan back in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Remove from the refrigerator and immediately cut into 2×2-inch squares with a sharp knife. Spread squares out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate (1 bag at a time) in a shallow microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Return to microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and continue to stir until all of the chocolate chips are melted.
- Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the candy bars from the freezer. Using a fork, dip the candy bars one at a time into the melted chocolate until each one is completely coated in chocolate. Make sure the pretzel layer remains on bottom. Remove and let excess chocolate drip off of the candy bar and the fork before placing on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining candy bars and remaining chocolate chips until all candy bars are coated. Place candy bars back in the refrigerator to set for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
How to Store Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars
If you live in warm temperatures, store candy bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let candy bars set out for about 5 minutes before eating to let the caramel soften a bit. Otherwise, store candy bars in a cool, dry place.
They’re off the charts when it comes to how delicious they are! The rave reviews from family and friends who have been my taste testers throughout this process had this to say about the finished product:
- speechless.
- gimme more!
- wow!!
- did you really make these?!
- you should sell these!
- these are unreal!!
- mmmmm…
I can’t wait for you to make and experience them too! If you make these Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see.😍 I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 mins
- Yield: 24 bars
- Category: Dessert
Description
Make Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars with just 5 of the most amazing ingredients on Earth: dark chocolate, peanut butter, pretzels, caramel and peanuts!
Ingredients
- 70 snaps pretzels
- 1–1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups dry roasted lightly salted peanuts
- 2 (11 ounce) bags caramel squares
- 2 (10 ounce) bags dark chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips)
Instructions
- Line a 9×13-inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the pretzels snuggly in the bottom of the pan.
- Melt the peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds until of drizzling consistency. Drizzle peanut butter over pretzels. With a spatula, spread the peanut butter evenly to cover all of the pretzels.
- Sprinkle the peanuts evenly over the peanut butter layer and place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.
- While the peanut butter layer is setting, unwrap the caramels. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water and melt in the microwave for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Place back in the microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and continue to stir until caramel is smooth and of drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle caramel evenly over all of the peanuts. Place pan back in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Remove from the refrigerator and immediately cut into 2×2-inch squares with a sharp knife. Spread squares out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate (1 bag at a time) in a shallow microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Remove and stir. Return to microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and continue to stir until all of the chocolate chips are melted.
- Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the candy bars from the freezer. Using a fork, dip the candy bars one at a time into the melted chocolate until each one is completely coated in chocolate. Make sure the pretzel layer remains on bottom. Remove and let excess chocolate drip off of the candy bar and the fork before placing on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining candy bars and remaining chocolate chips until all candy bars are coated. Place candy bars back in the refrigerator to set for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
Notes
If you live in warm temperatures, store candy bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let candy bars set out for about 5 minutes before eating to let the caramel soften a bit. Otherwise, store candy bars in a cool, dry place.
can I make it with out having the paper? i just have the pans?
Hi Kaylee! You’ll need to use something to be able to lift the bars from the pan and cut them into squares. Do you have foil or plastic wrap you could use? If not, you could try spraying the pan with non-stick cooking spray and hope that when you cut the bars in the pan, they cut and lift out of the pan easily. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
I wouldn’t recommend using natural peanut butter – I think it made the bars too sticky and hard to handle. I had trouble with the chocolate. The chocolate doesn’t seem to drip off at all and each bar ended up having 1/2 cup of chocolate on them. I ended up “frosting them” on 2 sides. but these are a sticky delicious mess.
Hi Nancy! I agree not to use natural peanut butter. The thicker the peanut butter, the better. What brand of dark chocolate chips did you use? Sounds like you might need to use a better melting dark chocolate chip or that the chocolate chips were over melted causing the chocolate to be too thick. Happy you still enjoyed them though!
Awwww it looks delicious! I have to do it!
Best! 🙂
These are awesome!! My mother’s favorite candy bar that I can now make for her whenever she’s visiting!
These are AMAZING!! I have made them several times and I can’t get enough. All of my family and friends love them too and they can’t believe I made them. Hands down a favorite recipe.
These look seriously incredible! Take 5 bars are one of my favorites and yours look even better than the store bought ones!
Thanks Aimee! I wish we lived closer and I’d bring you a whole batch to enjoy as you snuggle that new baby boy. Congrats, friend!
How many pretzels go into each bar? I’m guessing 3? But 2 would only have 2 because of starting with 70 pretzels, right? And should I just spread the peanut butter over the top pretzel in the stack? Will it ooze down into the others?
Hi Katie! It depends on how you cut the bars as to how many pretzels end up in each one. If scroll through the post, you can see step-by-step pictures on how to make them. I hope this helps. Enjoy!
[…] Homemade Take 5 Candy Bars from The Baker Mama […]
Yessss! 24 bars would cost $4.80 ( pack of 5 for $1) at the store. Take 5s are my new favorite so, after while it would be considered a *luxury* item. This recipe will be saving so much money, mostly because I won’t be sharing. Thank you!! I honestly was going to find the ingredients and throw it in a bag and call it trail mix.
Very close to our family candy recipe for P2C2 (Pretzel (sticks crushed), crunchy Peanut butter, Caramel and milk Chocolate). We’ve been making this for Christmas since the 70’s, but have never thought to try it with dark chocolate.. 🙂