One of the all time best, yummiest and easiest crowd-pleasing recipes is for Skor Bars. We used to bring them to every single youth group event, party, get-together or just hanging-out-for-fun date, and the plate was almost always emptied within 5 minutes of them being put out.

Skor Bars

 

I don’t know why I haven’t made them in such a long time (perhaps it’s because I’ve been TRYING to make healthier snacks around here) but Christmas and parties could not go by and we could not end 2014 without making them at least once – or maybe 4 times :D

They’re so simple, it’s ridiculous! And so delicious, you’ll have to put them in the freezer to keep yourself from eating them (and even then, what’s a few chipped teeth?). Layers of melt in your mouth goodness, toffee, crunch, chocolate – what’s not to love!

Just to shake things up a bit I decided to do a couple variations on the original recipe – when you try them, let me know which is YOUR favorite!

Original Skor Bars Recipe

original skor bars

 

  • 1 package of salted or unsalted soda crackers (saltines)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Cover with soda crackers (break some in half to fit right to the edges).

Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, allow to boil for 3 minutes without stirring!

Remove from the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla (I’m not 100% sure WHY, but we’ve always added baking soda, and it’s always tasted amazing. I’ve tried it without and there’s a slight difference, so the baking soda stays :D).

Pour over the crackers and spread to the edges. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the crackers, then return to the oven for 1 minute. Spread the melted chocolate over top.

Refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for faster eating time!). Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container in the fridge – if it makes it that far ;0)

 

Skor Bars with Pretzels

pretzel skor bars

This recipe is essentially exactly the same, except we’re using pretzels as the base, and not crackers.

  • Mini twisted pretzels (Target has the most giant bag of pretzels I’ve ever seen! Perfect for this job.)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1-2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper. Cover with pretzels – yes, it pays to have them laid out nicely, exactly in a row. But you can also just plain dump them onto the pan. I won’t judge ;0)

Melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Once boiling, allow to boil for 3 minutes without stirring!

Remove from the heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla.

Pour over the pretzels and spread to the edges. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the candy, then return to the oven for 1 minute. Spread the melted chocolate.

Refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for faster eating time!). Break into pieces and  store in an air-tight container in the fridge –  if it makes it that far ;0)

 

Peanut Butter M&M Skor Bars

peanut butter M&M skor bars

This version is slightly more decadent and includes one of my favourite flavour combinations – chocolate and peanut butter!

  • 1 package soda crackers (saltines)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1-2 cups chocolate chips
  • chopped peanut and regular M&Ms

For this recipe I used a casserole dish instead of a cookie sheet because I wanted a thicker bar.

pb M&M skor bars

(In case you needed a reminder of just how good these look. Mouth.Watering.)

Line a casserole dish with parchment paper and crackers.

Melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat until boiling. Let boil for 3 minutes without stirring.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over the crackers and bake at 400 F for 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven and dollop peanut butter over the top. Bake for 1 more minute.

Spread the peanut butter, then sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake for 1 more minute.

Spread melted chocolate, then sprinkle with chopped M&Ms.

Freeze or refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Break or cut into pieces and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.