Snickers Brownies

Inspired by the famous candy bar, these brownies combine all of the elements of the candy bar (nougat, caramel, and peanuts) with a dense fudgy brownie and fudge frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword bar, brownie, caramel, nougat, peanut, snickers

Category Bars, Brownies

Baking Ambition Show-Stopper

Prep Time 1 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 50

Servings

Calories 319kcal

Equipment

saucepans (small, medium and large)
bowls (medium and large, microwave safe)
baking pan (9"x13")
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.candy thermometer
electric mixer (stand mixer preferred)

Ingredients

Peanut Caramel

½ cup sugar
2 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
10 tablespoon heavy cream divided use
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter

Brownies

12 ounce dark chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
10 fun size Snickers bars chopped
1 batch peanut caramel

Nougat

4 ounce milk chocolate
3 ounce creamy peanut butter
4 cups sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
4 egg whites

Fudge Frosting

6 tablespoon milk
6 tablespoon butter
1 ⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate high quality

Instructions

Make the caramel:

Place the sugar, water, and salt in a small saucepan with high sides over medium heat. Cook, swirling or shaking the pan occasionally until light amber in color. Immediately add ½ cup of the heavy cream and vanilla. Continue cooking until firm ball stage (245°-250°).
½ cup sugar, 2 tablespoon water, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, 10 tablespoon heavy cream
While the caramel is coming to temperature, heat the peanut butter and the remaining 2 tbsp cream in a medium bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds, stir until smoothly combined. As soon as the caramel is at temperature, immediately pour over the peanut butter mixture and stir until smoothly combined. Set aside.
¼ cup crunchy peanut butter, 10 tablespoon heavy cream

Make the brownies:

Pre heat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease, or line with non-stick foil, a 9” x 13” brownie or cake pan.
Place the dark chocolate, unsalted butter, and espresso powder in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each just until the chocolate is fully melted. Whisk in the sugar, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs until well combined. Stir in the flour and cocoa powder just until the flour disappears. Fold in the chopped snickers.
12 ounce dark chocolate, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, 5 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 10 fun size Snickers bars
Spoon ½ the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out to the edges in an even layer. Drizzle the peanut caramel over the batter leaving about ½” around the perimeter of the pan. Spoon the remaining batter over the top of the caramel, gently smoothing to completely cover the caramel.
1 batch peanut caramel
Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes. The top will appear set, the brownies may wiggle slightly due to the melted caramel layer. Allow to cool while making the nougat.

Make the nougat:

Melt together the chocolate and peanut butter, set aside.
4 ounce milk chocolate, 3 ounce creamy peanut butter
Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and salt in a 3 qt saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, attach a candy thermometer, and cook to 245°-250°. While the sugar mixture cooks, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer.
4 cups sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, 1 cup water, ¼ teaspoon salt, 4 egg whites
As soon as the sugar mixture reaches temperature, turn the stand mixer on to low and slowly drizzle the sugar mixture into the egg whites. Return the mixer to high and beat until the mixture looks like a dough (thicker than marshmallow cream and pulling away from the bowl slightly).
Add the melted chocolate mixture to the mixer bowl and mix until combined. Spread the mixture over the top of the brownies; using a silicone spatula press and spread it into an even layer.

Make the fudge frosting:

Combine milk, butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in medium saucepan on the stove. Turn burner on to medium. Heat the mixture, stirring constantly, to bring to a boil.
6 tablespoon milk, 6 tablespoon butter, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt
When the mixture hits a rolling boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down), continue cooking and stir constantly for 1 minute (use a timer).
Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly add the vanilla, and chocolate chips.
1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 ounce semi-sweet chocolate
Stir continually until blended and creamy. Watch closely, the boiled icing will go from shiny to flat in color. This means it is cooling and starting to set. Pour the frosting over the nougat layer and very quickly spread with spatula.
Allow the frosting to set completely before cutting into squares.

Nutrition