Yield: 16–20 bars
Prep: 25 minutes
Baking: 15–20 minutes
Chilling: 1–2 hours
Difficulty: Easy–medium
Ingredients
1. Nut filling
Use a combination for the best texture:
1 cup roasted peanuts — 150 g
½ cup roasted almonds — 70 g
½ cup roasted cashews — 65 g
¼ cup chopped pecans — 25 g
2 tablespoons sesame seeds — optional
¼ teaspoon salt
You can use 300–310 g total nuts if you prefer one particular combination.
2. Caramel binder
½ cup unsalted butter — 113 g
½ cup brown sugar — 100 g
¼ cup honey or corn syrup — 85 g
½ cup heavy cream — 120 ml
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
The honey/corn syrup helps the caramel remain chewy rather than becoming brittle.
3. Base
1½ cups all-purpose flour — 190 g
½ cup rolled oats — 45 g
½ cup brown sugar — 100 g
½ cup unsalted butter, melted — 113 g
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4. Chocolate topping
2½ cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate — 425–450 g
1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening — optional, for a smoother coating
2–3 tablespoons chopped peanuts or almonds for decoration
Pinch of flaky sea salt, optional
Full Step-by-Step Recipe
Step 1 — Prepare the nuts
If your nuts aren’t already roasted:
Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Spread the peanuts, almonds, cashews and pecans on a baking sheet.
Roast for approximately 7–10 minutes, stirring once.
Let them cool completely.
Leave some nuts whole and roughly chop the rest.
Important: Don’t chop everything finely. The large pieces are what give the bars in your picture their chunky appearance.
A combination of nuts also gives better texture than using only one type. Chocolate-nut cluster recipes commonly use peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans or walnuts interchangeably.
I
In The Kitchen With Matt
+1
Step 2 — Make the crunchy base
Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Line an 8 × 8-inch (20 × 20 cm) or 9 × 9-inch pan with parchment paper.
Mix:
flour
oats
brown sugar
salt
Add melted butter and vanilla.
Mix until you have a crumbly mixture.
Press it firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 12–15 minutes, until lightly golden.
Remove and cool for about 5 minutes.
The flour/oat/butter base is similar to the structure used in traditional chocolate-oat bar recipes, where the crust is baked before the chocolate and nut layer is added.
E
Eagle Brand
Step 3 — Make the caramel nut layer
Put the following into a saucepan:
113 g butter
100 g brown sugar
85 g honey/corn syrup
120 ml heavy cream
¼ teaspoon salt
Heat over medium heat, stirring continuously.
Once bubbling, reduce the heat slightly and cook for approximately 4–6 minutes.
The mixture should become slightly thicker and glossy.
Remove from the heat and stir in:
1 teaspoon vanilla
Immediately mix in the roasted nuts.
Don’t overcook the caramel
You want soft chewy caramel, not hard candy.
If you have a candy thermometer, approximately 235–240°F / 113–116°C gives a softer caramel consistency.
Step 4 — Assemble
Pour the warm caramel-nut mixture over the partially cooled crust.
Spread evenly.
Press the nuts down gently with the back of a spoon or spatula.
For bars that resemble the photograph, don’t flatten the nuts completely. Leave some large pieces sticking upward.
Refrigerate for approximately 30–45 minutes.
Step 5 — Make the chocolate topping
Melt:
425–450 g chocolate
1 tablespoon coconut oil or shortening, optional
Microwave method
Heat for 20–30 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval.
Stop heating when only a few small pieces remain and stir until completely smooth.
Chocolate should be melted gently rather than overheated; recipes for chocolate clusters similarly recommend short microwave intervals with stirring between them.
I
In The Kitchen With Matt
+1
Step 6 — Coat the bars
You have two options.
Option A — Thick chocolate top
Pour all the chocolate over the chilled nut layer.
Spread it into an even layer.
This gives the appearance closest to the photograph.
Option B — Individual chocolate-coated bars
Chill the entire slab until firm.
Cut into 16–20 rectangular pieces.
Dip each bar into melted chocolate.
Place on parchment paper.
Drizzle additional chocolate over the tops.
For the photograph-style appearance, I recommend Option B.
Step 7 — Decorate
Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle with:
chopped peanuts
sliced almonds
chopped cashews
a tiny amount of flaky sea salt
You can also drizzle melted chocolate across the surface with a spoon.
Refrigerate for 30–60 minutes, until completely firm.
How to Get the Exact Chunky Look
The photograph has a particularly thick, irregular nut filling.
For that appearance:
Use approximately:
150 g peanuts
70 g almonds
65 g cashews
25 g pecans
Keep about half the nuts whole and roughly chop the other half.
Don’t pulverize the nuts.
Also, make the caramel layer relatively thick and use less chocolate underneath the bars and more chocolate on top.
Nut Information & Substitutions
Nut Amount Flavor/texture
Peanuts 150 g Strong roasted flavor, crunchy
Almonds 70 g Firm crunch
Cashews 65 g Creamy, buttery
Pecans 25 g Rich, softer crunch
Can I use only peanuts?
Yes. Use approximately 300 g roasted peanuts.
Can I use walnuts?
Yes. Replace the pecans or almonds with walnuts.
Can I use pistachios?
Absolutely. Pistachios work particularly well with dark chocolate.
Can I use hazelnuts?
Yes. Roasted hazelnuts + milk chocolate make an excellent version.
Can I use mixed nuts?
Yes. A mixed-nut version is ideal. Commercial-style chocolate nut clusters commonly combine several nuts, including almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts.
T
The Black Peppercorn
Can I use salted nuts?
Yes, but reduce or omit the added salt in the caramel.
Nut-Free Version
If someone has a nut allergy, do not simply substitute another nut.
Use:
roasted sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
sesame seeds
toasted oats
crushed pretzels
However, if this is for someone with a serious nut allergy, check every ingredient and avoid cross-contamination. Chocolate, caramel ingredients and packaged seeds can also carry allergen warnings.
🍫 Best Chocolate to Use
Milk chocolate
Closest to the sweet appearance and flavor in the photograph.
Semi-sweet chocolate
Less sweet and gives a stronger chocolate flavor.
Dark chocolate
Best if the caramel is very sweet.
White chocolate
Can be used for drizzling but isn’t necessary.
For the pictured style, I’d use approximately 60% milk chocolate + 40% semi-sweet chocolate.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my caramel too hard?
It was probably cooked too long or to too high a temperature.
Cook only until it thickens and becomes glossy. Don’t let it become dark or candy-like.
Why is my chocolate cracking when I cut the bars?
The chocolate layer may be too cold or too thick.
Let the bars sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before cutting.
Use a sharp knife warmed under hot water and dried thoroughly.
Why is my chocolate melting at room temperature?
If you’re using ordinary chocolate rather than compound/candy coating, it may not be properly tempered.
For an easier version, use chocolate candy melts/compound chocolate. It sets more firmly and doesn’t require tempering.
Can I make these without baking?
Yes.
Replace the baked base with:
200 g crushed digestive biscuits/Graham crackers
80 g melted butter
Mix, press firmly into the pan and chill.
Then add the caramel-nut layer.
Can I omit the caramel?
Yes, but the texture will be different.
For a very simple version, melt approximately 450 g chocolate, mix with 300 g roasted mixed nuts, press into a lined pan and chill.
This is essentially a bar version of chocolate nut clusters, which can be made simply by combining melted chocolate with nuts and allowing them to set.
I
In The Kitchen With Matt
+1
Can I add peanut butter?
Yes. Add ½ cup / 125 g creamy peanut butter to the caramel after removing it from the heat.
This makes the filling more like a Snickers-style peanut chocolate bar.
Can I add coconut?
Yes. Add ½–1 cup unsweetened toasted coconut to the nut mixture.
Can I add dates?
Yes. Finely chopped Medjool dates work well, but reduce the caramel slightly because dates make the filling considerably sweeter.
Can I add raisins or dried cranberries?
Yes. About ½ cup is enough.
Chocolate-nut cluster recipes also commonly use dried fruit as an optional addition.
S
Six Sisters’ Stuff
Storage
Refrigerator
Keep in an airtight container for approximately 1–2 weeks.
Freezer
Freeze individually wrapped bars for up to 2–3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator, then let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes.
Room temperature
If your kitchen is cool, they can be kept in an airtight container for several days. For a soft caramel filling and chocolate coating, refrigeration is preferable.
My Recommended Version for the Photo
If your goal is “make it look like the picture”, use:
Base: oat-butter crust
Filling: peanuts + almonds + cashews + pecans
Binder: buttery soft caramel
Chocolate: milk/semi-sweet chocolate
Decoration: chopped peanuts + almond slices + chocolate drizzle + tiny pinch of sea salt
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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