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.
You are awesome! What a simply delicious and versatile snack. Thank you! Just received my RecipeTinEats Dinner cookbook and can’t wait to view and try those recipes also. Your amazing and appreciated!
Wow, found our new 7 layer bar recipe!! This is a winner. (I added butterscotch chips and chose walnuts.) The walnut’s slight bitterness balanced well with the added sweet from the butterscotch.
Would this recipe be suitable for freezing?
👋 Rachael, I just made my 1st batch (with crushed peanuts, sultanas and oats added to the recipe) and froze most of the batch(in freezer for 4days or so but would keep longer…its to stop us eating them all at once😆) and they defrosted perfectly we defrosted em in the fridge but it wouldn’t make a difference if you defrosted them on the kitchen bench. We had guests but normally with treats we just defrost enough for 1 snack (yes we’re pigs eith sweet stuff) I reckon if in airtight container they’d freeze ok for a while certainly a month. I put a bit of baking paper between bottom and top layer to stop the layers freezing together
Thank you Ailsa 🙂
Brilliant just mixing it up in the dish and it takes all of 5 min to pull together. I used Biscoff cookies for the base. A great sweet treat.
Thanks Nagi!
Holly 🙂
Salted peanuts weren’t going to stand between me and a fabulous “Nagi recipe”. I washed all the salt off, gave them a quick dry with my hairdryer and continued on like nothing happened. Yum, yum, yum these are delicious!!
Huge congratulations Nagi and Dozer. You deserve everything and more. I can’t remember the last time we didn’t have “Nagi” meal. You are such an inspiration. Big squishy hugs. Xx
Good idea! I think I’ll be washing and drying peanuts later today. Unsalted seem to be considered fancier, and are more expensive and harder to get this time of year.
I did these with chopped salted pecans which resulted in a delicious salted caramel flavour. So yummy.
Can you please advise your advertisers, They are blocking your recipes with Ford Ranger adds. I am in the UK.This type of advertising is going too far.
Well done on the latest awards!
So richly deserved and highlight the recognition and appreciation of how much work you put into producing this fabulous , delicious cookbook.
The book is testament to your high work ethics and desire to share your love of food with us all.
May the awards keep coming! You deserve every one. You are ‘Simply the Best’ Nagi.
Nagi-san, Omedeto gozaimasu! Not only your blog is full of mouthwatering recipes, it’s so uplifting, too! I keep your brand new Dinner book on my bedside to so that I can get energy boost anytime. (*^^*)
Congratulations Nagi, I have been following you forever and I am so happy for you with all you have achieved. You have always been so generous with your time and the beautiful recipes.
Hugs to Dozer 🐶
Way to go! I’ve been following you forever from BC, Canada. I’m proud to say that my daughter ordered your cookbook for my 70th birthday.
Still use your recipes from your blog too. Congratulations!
Made these today, kids were naughty and started eating before they properly set! As always, easy to follow yummy recipe. Congrats to you, have been cooking your recipes for years (ppl think I’m a wonderful cook due to you!!)
Congratulations Nagi!!! This is your time! Bask in the glory and enjoy every moment of your hard work paying off. Told you way back, your recipes are a better than Julia Child’s.
Sending you huge congratulations on your book award wins! How exciting for you! You worked so hard on that beautiful book. The accolades are well-deserved.
Very well done Nagi and your team on collecting the Book of the Year Award 👏
This is what we North Americans call 7 layer squares. Can be adapted and leave nuts out and add caramel chips. The original recipe calls for walnuts. Always a fav in my house.
The best part of this is making the crust in the baking pan instead of a separate bowl.
These are called Magic Bars or 7 Layer Bars over here in the US. These are my youngest son’s favorite bars and make then for him and his buddies in the military. They are so easy and everyone loves a cookie of some sort once in awhile and being a fast easy recipe I always have the ingredients on hand for a fast treat. I must admit I never thought of lining the pan before I cooked them and that will be my new favorite way to make them with no mess! Takes a genius to remind us how simple things can be, so thank you again for another wonderful recipe and those awesome tips to make it easier. Belly rubs to Dozer! ❤️❤️🐾🐾
These were easy and delicious! The hardest part was waiting for them to cool down, ha ha! My grandson is 13, and enjoys cooking… We made these together and he’s so proud of himself. On another note, I followed you for years, and I am so delighted to see you enjoying so much success. You richly deserve it!
Do youhave any rhubarb muffin recipes with strussel on top made out of pecans?
First and foremost, I bought your book as a birthday present to myself and it did not disappoint. Thank you. Second, I’ve used oreos as a crust with the filling by crushing them and adding less butter. Third, I’ve always thought the magic bars might be good, but my son doesn’t care for coconut. So excited about how adaptable they are. You are my favorite recipe author and I always check your sight first when I’m looking for something. Please give Dozer a hug for me and have him give you one too.
I don’t care for coconut either (except in Anzac biscuits!) and frequently replace the coconut in recipes with rolled/traditional oats –
the trick is to dry roast them in a nonstick pan for 5-8 minutes then whizz them to ‘dried coconut consistency’ in a food processor. Great flavour and texture (nb: I do this for Nagi’s no-bake muesli bars too!)
Thanks Eva was wondering what to replace coconut with! I love coconut milk in curries etc but the texture of desiccated coconut is not for me
We called these 7 Layer Bars and added a 12 oz package of butterscotch chips as well. One of my favorite vintage recipes, now made easier!
Congrats on the award!!