I’m not kidding! These chewy caramel-y chocolate nut bars are made without a single bowl. From scratch. They’ll save you all those times you promise to make something sweet but run out of time!
Meet my emergency quick sweet-treat!
I am one of those people who always overcommits. Especially when it comes to anything food related. Then 7 out of 10 times, I find myself in a flurry at the last minute because I promised to bring something sweet for lunch with friends, or to make something for my friends’ son’s school bake sale because she works full time and doesn’t have the time to bake something.
So it’s super handy to have a few really fast sweet recipes up your sleeve and this is one of mine. Just wait until you see how it’s made – it’s SO QUICK and you don’t need a SINGLE BOWL!
How to make these no-bowl chocolate nut bars
I know you’re probably wondering how on earth these bars are made without using a bowl at all so I’ll cut straight to the chase! Here’s how it’s done:
It’s made by creating a biscuit base using butter melted in the pan then sprinkling over crushed biscuits and desiccated coconut. Then it’s topped with nuts (your choice), chocolate chips, then finally topped with condensed milk which is what brings the whole bar together. Once baked, it holds together and becomes gloriously chewy, caramely bar!
Place butter straight into a lined pan and melt it in the oven while it is pre-heating.
Swirl to spread the melted butter across the base.
Sprinkle crushed biscuits across the base, then spread using a spoon/spatula/hands and lightly press down. I’m not meticulous here about even spreading, this is, after all, an emergency recipe!!
Sprinkle coconut across the base.
Top with about 2/3 of the nuts and choc chips
Pour over condensed milk.
Top with remaining nuts and choc chips.
Bake 30 minutes until light golden on the edges, then cool before cutting!
Ingredients in No-bowl chocolate nut bars
Ordinarily I put the ingredients before the recipe steps, but I feel like for this recipe it should be other way round! So, here’s what you need. It’s fabulously versatile – any plain biscuits, switch the peanuts and chocolate chips with other things like dried fruit and other nuts.
Condensed milk – This sweetened milk is like a thick syrup and this is the key ingredient that holds the bar together. Standard cans here in Australia re 395g (14oz) and are sold in the long-life dairy section in grocery store aisles.
Peanuts & chocolate chips – Feel free to substitute these with other add-ins of choice. Especially hand if you have a peanut or nut allergy in the family. Try pepitas and dried fruit!
Coconut – Desiccated coconut blends into the crushed biscuits to create the base. If you don’t like or don’t have coconut, feel free to add extra biscuits instead, or leftover wheat germ / wheat bran (if you made last weeks’ Breakfast Muffins!).
Butter – For buttery goodness and also to hold the base together.
Plain biscuits/cookies – Anything that can be crushed will work fine here. I’ve used all sorts over the years – Marie, Arrowroot (featured in today’s recipe), Graham crackers, scotch fingers. I once even made this with chocolate Oreo cookies by scraping the filling off!! (It was an emergency and it was darn delicious!)
It’s not a hack
This is one of those recipes that is not a “hack”, but rather an incidental side benefit is that it can be made without dirtying a single bowl. I would make these even if I had to use a bowl to make them!
So keep this one tucked away for one of those days when you’re in a rush and you’ve promised to make a sweet treat for your family or friends!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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No-bowl Chocolate Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 100g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter , cut into a few chunks
- 1 cup (100g) plain biscuits, crushed (eg. Marie, Arrowroot, digestives, Graham crackers – Note 1)
- 1 cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts , or other nuts of choice (Note 2)
- 1 cup dark choc chips (US: semi-sweet chips) (Note 2)
- 395g (14 oz) (1 can) sweetened condensed milk (Note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (160C fan-forced)
- Line pan – Lightly spray a 20cm/8" square pan with oil then press in a sheet of paper (no need to be meticulous here).
- Melt butter – Place the butter in the pan then melt in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Biscuit base – Swirl pan to spread butter then sprinkle over crushed biscuits. Spread then gently press down (again, I am not meticulous about evenness here).
- Layer – Scatter over the coconut, followed by about 2/3 of the peanuts and choc chips (reserve some for the top). Pour over condensed milk, spread for even coverage. Top with remaining nuts and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the edge of the surface is golden brown.
- Fully cool before cutting (3 hours on counter, or 1 hr counter + 1 hr fridge). Remove using paper overhang then cut and eat!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published way back in September 2015. Republished with a brand new video and photos by reader request!
Life of Dozer
New house. New shoot studio. Same scavenger.
Loved this made with mixed leftover biscuits and odd bars of chocolate sprinkled with silver balls and sparkles was a great Xmas family hit
Nagi, I make your recipes all the time and am so impressed! I made this recipe the other day but had to make a substitution because in Canada, our sweetened condensed milk comes in 300 ml cans – nearly 100 ml short of the 14 oz can you call for. I happened to have some open evaporated milk in the fridge and used a bit of that. But my squares were a bit soft. Do you have a version of your recipe for our Canadian 300 ml cans of sweetened condensed milk?! A fan from the island of Newfoundland.
You can freeze condensed milk. You could open 2 cans, freeze the leftovers (maybe in two 100g lots) ready to be used in another recipe.
I think I will cut all ingredients by 25% to accommodate our smaller condensed milk cans. The pan will need t0 be reduced 25% as well so have an approximate dimension of 48 sq. in. The closest pan I have to that is a 9×5″ loaf pan (45 sq. in) so I might have to cook it a bit longer – 5 minutes? – to account for the little extra thickness. If you have odd sized pans, an 8×6″ pan would be perfect. Cut into 12 bars.
Jane you can change the number of servings which adjusts the measurements. If you change it down to 12 people it’s just about right for the 300g tin ❤️
Unbelievable! And the next day after being in the fridge over-night, shockingly Delicious!
Thankyou once again Nagi!
Cathy Xox
You are welcome Cathy!! N x
If you can please make some more ‘bar’ recipes like these or even healthier ‘breakfast bar’ options that would be Fabulous!
Thankyou
Cathy xo
Fabulous, easy, crowd pleaser – made exactly as recipe and will definitely make again
And soon 😋
Love this recipe. Looked for a super quick slice recipe when I was in a huge rush and this totally delivered. Threw in toasted almonds (only nuts in the cupboard), whatever white choc chips were left over from a previous bake and made up the weight of the missing choc chips with some m&ms. It was a huge hit and ‘crazy slice’ as we called it, is now a requested fave! Thanks so much for saving my bacon, Nagi!
I am so glad you enjoyed it Shana! Good improvise! N x
This was wonderful…of course, I cut it too early so it was a bit messy but once refrigerated, it was yummy the next day. It disappeared quickly!
I’m a bit late to the party, but simply had to try this recipe. I used salted peanuts for a little salt hit with all that sugar – delicious thanks!
Bah, my oven must run hot as it was burnt at the edges at 30 mins…wish I checked it sooner…but I will just cut those black edgey bits off and salvage the middle which looks fab! Will def make again, with less cook time, as it was super easy and it was a really great way to use up random snacky things like trail mix and pretzels in the bottom of the pantry👍😋
Oh no Kristy!! Sounds like there could be a problem with your oven thermostat unfortunately or it simply runs hot – I hope you can salvage it! N x
Hi. Sounds delicious. What’s the metric equivalent in cups. Thanks
Storage ???? Fridge or bench in airtight container,? Thank you
Does this freeze well or hold up in transport? I’d like to make some for some relatives but I’d hate to make something that’ll fall apart or turn to mush.
Hi Jess, this holds up well, but if you prefer you can definitely freeze for transport! N x
I put it in the fridge after it cooled and it seemed pretty solid. It fit perfectly in the bottom of a medium flat rate box. I skipped the coconut. I also made your peanut butter cookies (which I had to make into a giant bar bc I think I overmixed it so scooping didn’t work, lol), Mary Berry’s banana bread, and some chocolate MnM bark for a care package for my sister in law’s family who had an uncle pass away recently due to covid. I love your website and how detailed the recipes are. Keep up the great work!
I’ve probably made this five times by now for potlucks and other social gatherings and it’s always a crowd favourite. People keep requesting it and I keep making it because it’s so darn easy! Love it, thank you Nagi!
That’s great to hear Nala, I’m all about easy recipes!
Hi Nagi, I am wondering if this calls for dark chocolate chips or milk choc? thank you
Hi Svetlana, I use dark, but you could use either – N x
Hi Nagi,
Will this freeze ok?
Hi Nagi, I found your blog a couple of months ago and have since made a couple of the recipes. The No Bowl Chocolate Nut Bars and the Peanut Butter Chocolate are my absolutely faves. My son has Coeliac Disease so its fantastic to come across a truly delicious treat I can cook for him. I substitute the biscuits for a plain Gluten Free biscuit and it works brilliantly. He just loves them!
I’m on morning tea at work tomorrow so I’m definitely going to make them both to bring in.
Again, Thanks so much.
That’s so wonderful MaryAnn! Thank you for letting me know! My friend has a wonderful food blog focussed on recipes for Coeliacs – http://www.noshtastic.com it’s fabulous!
I’ll check it out. BTW the slices were a big hit at work!!! I doubt I’ll have any to bring home!!
I can it orally relate with over committing to recipes! Haha
These look great!
BA HA HA!!! I know, right?? I just did it again this weekend!!!
Sitting here wishing I could have condensed milk, but I’m lactose intolerant 🙁
These look sooo amazing though!
Sweetened condensed coconut milk is available at Woolies.
Awww, thanks Giselle! I wish a knew a suitable sub but I don’t! 🙁
Miam… Decadent!
Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks Cathy!!
Nagi, I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found your blog. So far I’ve made carnitas, baked chicken wings, fish piccata, chicken & vegetable orzo, and now these bars. I’m neither a baker nor a cook. And when I started this recipe, my seven-month old was playing quietly by himself. A few minutes in, however, once I’d reached a point of no return (the butter was melting in the oven), my son decided it was time to have a meltdown of his own. So I completed the bulk of the recipe while simultaneously trying to comfort a crying baby and keep him from grabbing the bottom of the hot oven door. I basically had to just dump everything in. And yet, it turned out amazing. My wife and I absolutely loved them. Your blog has made me a better cook than I ever even aspired to be!
Hi Howard! I’m so flattered that you have tried so many of my recipes!! I absolutely adore that these worked out even though you threw this together with a crying baby. 🙂 Brilliant multi tasking! So glad you loved them! N x
Thats one hell of a good idea Nagi. they look perfect.
Thanks so much Tania! Quite a compliment coming from you! 🙂