Sweet and Salty Crunch Bars

If you’re a sweet and salty lover, this recipe is for you! These no bake crunch bars are SO easy to make and are similar to scotcheroos, but with salted pretzels, crunchy kettle cooked potato chips, crispy rice squares, rich dark chocolate, and savory SunButter. They have a chewy texture that’s slightly sweet, but with all the salty and crunchy mix-ins to balance it out.

This post is sponsored by SunButter and all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Butternut Bakery possible!

What goes into these sweet and salty crunch bars?

What I love about this recipe is that it’s made up of a lot of pantry staples! It also only requires a few simple ingredients to create the most delicious sweet and salty snack:

1. Creamy SunButter – This is the glue that holds these bars together while adding a savory layer of flavor! It also makes this recipe completely NUT FREE! I love baking with SunButter because it pairs well with so many flavors, especially all the salty mix-ins in these bars.
2. Crispy Rice Squares – This cereal makes up a majority of these bars because it’s crispy but neither sweet or salty. It adds a textural element without disrupting the other flavors.
3. Pretzels – Here is the real crunch! Much of the salty flavor comes from these pretzels so make sure you use SALTED pretzels. They can be regular or gluten free!
4. Potato Chips – I love the crispy crunch that potato chips adds to these bars. To make sure they hold up, go with kettle cooked potato chips. They’re much more robust with extra crunch.
5. Dark Chocolate – To round everything out, dark chocolate is added on top. It goes so well with anything salty, so it’s the perfect pairing for these bars.

As for the sweet element, corn syrup and sugar are melted down and mixed with creamy SunButter and salt. The combination of these two types of sugar adds just enough sweetness while also creating a delicious chewy texture.

Tips for baking sweet and salty no bake bars

Since it’s a no bake recipe, these bars are really easy to make! But to ensure yours turn out just right, here are my top tips:

1. Measure – Have all of the ingredients measured out ahead of time, especially the mixture of rice cereal, potato chips, and pretzels. Once the sugar and SunButter mixture is combined, the mix-ins need to be added right away.
2. No Boil – When melting down the corn syrup and sugar, heat until the sugar is just dissolved but don’t let it reach a boil. Boiling will create a tough consistency, and we’re going for a soft and chewy texture.
3. Press – Firmly press the crunch bar mixture into the pan. Really pack it down so don’t be afraid to break any of the pieces.
4. Dark Chocolate – Use a chocolate that’s at least 70% cacao. It’s not too bitter but also not too sweet. If possible, also use a chocolate bar rather than chocolate chips. It’s not 100% necessary, but chocolate bars melt into a smoother consistency.
5. Chilling – Chill the bars just until the chocolate is set. These are best eaten at room temperature, so don’t wait too long to serve them!

Salty sweet crunch bar substitutions

With only a few simple ingredients, these bars are easy to customize to your liking. Here are some ingredient swaps you can make to this recipe:

1. Corn Syrup – If you’d prefer to use something more natural, pure maple syrup or honey can be used. Just know that the bars might not be as soft and chewy, but still just as delicious.
2. Sugar – In the same vein, coconut sugar can be substituted for granulated sugar. Again, this may disrupt the texture a bit but will not change the integrity of these bars.
3. Rice Squares – If preferred, puffed rice cereal can be used in place of the rice squares. Just know that not all puffed rice cereal is gluten free.

Outside of these, I highly recommend sticking to the original recipe! The combination of creamy SunButter, pretzels, potato chips, dark chocolate, and sunflower seeds really makes this recipe. Together they create the perfect balance of salty and sweet and we wouldn’t want to disrupt the balance!

Serving salty and sweet no bake bars

These bars are best served at room temperature, so chill just until the chocolate is set. Then slice and enjoy!

Storing salty and sweet no bake bars

These bars can be kept at room temperature for a couple days, as long as they’re stored in an air tight container. I don’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator as this can cause a stale consistency.

For more no bake recipes, check out my:

• Toffee Crunch Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
• Sweet Almond Coconut Chex Mix
• Cookie Butter Marshmallow Treats

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make these salty sweet crunch bars. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

Watch how to make these sweet and salty crunch bars:

@butternutbakery

Potato chips need to make their way into desserts more often #nobakedessert #scotcheroos

♬ Why Are There Boundaries – FKJ

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