I first tried these bars long ago at a church cookie swap. They had different toppings, including chocolate. I couldn’t recreate the recipe at home because my husband is allergic to chocolate. I know. Weird allergy, right? Since chocolate abounds during the holiday season, I decided to adapt the bars to a white chocolate version he could enjoy. The result was these white chocolate caramel crunch bars.
White Chocolate Caramel Crunch Bars
These no-bake bars have both a crispy and chewy texture making them a little different than the normal candies you’ll find on holiday candy trays.
What you need to make the bars:
These bars only need a few ingredients. They are:
- graham crackers. I use the honey-flavored, but you can use cinnamon or chocolate graham cracker if you prefer.
- baking caramels (like Kraft or Werther’s)
- heavy cream
- white chocolate chips
- marshmallows
- pretzel sticks, broken in half
- pecans, toasted or not, your choice
How to make the White Chocolate Caramel Crunch Bars:
- Line an 8″ by 8″ baking dish with waxed paper. Spritz the waxed paper with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with graham crackers.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels and the cream. Heat on high for one minute. Stir. Return to the microwave for an additional minute. Stir until the caramels are melted. Spread the caramel mixture evenly over the crackers.
- Sprinkle, in the following order, these toppings evenly over the caramel mixture: pecans, marshmallows, and white chocolate chips.
- Place bars in the freezer until caramel is firm, approximately 2 hours.
- Place 1/2 cup white chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl, if using. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle white chocolate over the bars. Cut into squares.
How to store the bars:
These bars can be placed in an airtight container and stored in a cool dark place for up to one week.
Can you substitute ingredients?
Yes! There are lots of ways to make this recipe your own.
- Use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of white chocolate chips
- Use butterscotch or peanut butter chips instead of white chocolate chips
- Use another type of cracker as the base of the bars. Vanilla wafers can be crushed and mixed with 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to make a cookie-type crust. For a less sweet crust, line the bottom of the pan with butter crackers, such as plain Ritz crackers.
- Use different toppings. Good substitutions include round candy pieces, like M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces, chopped toffee bark, toasted shredded coconut.
- Exchange the pecans with your choice of almonds, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, or cashews.
- Omit the marshmallows.
- Drizzle melted milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch over the top instead of white chocolate.
Can you make these bars gluten-free?
Yes! Just substitute gluten-free graham crackers for the regular graham crackers.
Printable Recipe
White Chocolate Caramel Crunch Bars
While these bars have a short prep time, plan ahead for chilling time.
Ingredients
8 to 10 honey graham crackers
20 baking caramels
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup white chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup broken pretzel sticks
Directions
- Line an 8″ by 8″ baking dish with waxed paper. Spritz the waxed paper with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with graham crackers. Place another row of graham crackers over the previous graham crackers, making sure to not leave any space between the crackers.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels and the cream. Heat on high for one minute. Stir. Return to the microwave for an additional minute. Stir until the caramels are melted. Spread the caramel mixture evenly over the crackers.
- Sprinkle, in the following order, these toppings evenly over the caramel mixture: pecans, marshmallows, pretzels, and white chocolate chips.
Place bars in the freezer until caramel is firm, approximately 2 hours. - Place 1/2 cup white chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl, if using. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle white chocolate over the bars. Cut into squares.
Have you tried white chocolate caramel bars before? What is your favorite no-bake holiday treat?
These look like so much fun. I’m a fan of white chocolate and these bars hit the mark. Thanks for sharing.
Been searching for new recipes and I would gladly love to try this out too. I hope I can make this as delicious as yours.
Oh my gosh these bars look so amazing. I would love to try these with the kiddos.
No doubt! My sin will definitely love these White Chocolate Caramel Crunch Bars! They look sooooo delicious and will surely satisfy his cravings.
These sound like a fun treat to make. It would be easy to change up the ingredients and change it up depending on what you have on hand.
These look really good. I don’t have as much of a sweet tooth as I used to but they look to good to not try out
These look so amazing. I have to try these. White chocolate is my favorite chocolate, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy these.
These look like a delicious treat! My brother-in-law would love them, he doesn’t like chocolate but likes white chocolate.
I’m gonna add this to my to do list. Sounds like a really yummy treat.
These look like the kind of treat I would have no self control with. I could eat the whole pan!
So many things I love in one recipe! I can’t wait to try this.
Aww yeah. I could eat my weight in those! I love the white chocolate and caramel combo. Om nom nom.
Yum! I love salty and sweet treats! And our family is addicted to popcorn!
These look so good. I love crunch sweet items with a bit of salty taste.
These look amazing. I have always been a huge fan of white chocolate treats.