3/4 Cup Saltine Crunch Bars

You may be wondering what's up with the 3/4? Well in this recipe EVERYTHING is in a 3/4 cup proportion. Except for the saltines, cause you can't measure the crackers in a measuring cup without making them into crumbs. But you do need close to 3/4 a package of saltines, so I think the name is more than appropriate. I actually first made this recipe in 7th grade during my first cooking class in Middle School! #tb...Sunday? I don't have the original recipe so I'm not sure who to give credit to, but over the years I have made this easily 20+ times. 


I always have a hard time to explain what the crunch bars taste like and how SALTINES are actually the base of this delicious dessert. People say it resembles a heath bar? But I can't verify that because I've never tried one.

This recipe can be easily found on the internet BUT the proportions are always wrong. My dearly beloved cousin asked me how to make this after eating them at my house, but when I searched the recipe online, NO ONE had the right proportions or instructions!

It's time someone set the record straight to make this nut-lovers, chocolate-lovers, toffee-lovers dream recipe come true. 

3/4 Cup Saltine Crunch Bars

Serving size: 10 hungry people

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 column of saltines (minus a handful)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil. Then line the bottom of the pan with saltines in a a single layer. If there are gaps along the sides, break the saltines in half and fill in the empty spaces. 

3.  To make the caramel, bring the butter and sugar to a boil. This is the first tricky part! Keep the heat on medium/medium-high because having the temperature too hot will cause the caramel to burn easily. I also like to stir the butter and sugar frequently to make sure that the consistency is right and that the ingredients are well incorporated. Once it comes to a boil, cook for another minute or so. A rich light-brown color is desired. 

4. Pour the caramel evenly on top of the saltines and bake until brown and bubbly. (5-7 minutes) Keep watch on the oven because this is usually where people will burn the caramel. You want a medium brown color, so if you need less time, pull out the pan early!

5. Take the pan out of the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  Place the pan back in the oven for another ~2.5 minutes. 

6. Remove the oven and test if the chocolate is warm and gooey. If so, spread the chocolate chips evenly across the saltines. 

7. Top with nuts, let cool, and then refrigerate until serving! 

TIPS:

If you are worried about the caramel, a little lighter than this COLOR is desired when you bring it to a boil in the pan. This is also the perfect COLOR for the caramel color in the oven. Any darker and you might have burned your caramel, so if you're worried, just pull it out early! It still tastes good. I promise. I've also noticed when I use an opened bag of chocolate chips, the chocolate is stubborn and does not want to spread. If this is the case, just let the whole chocolate chips remain and then sprinkle with the nuts.