A delicious treat, this homemade Nestle Crunch recipe is easy to throw together whenever that sweet tooth hits. Your own homemade crunch bars are even better than store-bought!
I’m back today to share a simple treat that you can whip up with minimal time & simple ingredients. I love making treats like these Nestle Crunch bars because no one knows how easy they are – they just know they want more!
Don’t you love it when you can take some of your favorite goodies & not only recreate them – but make them better than you can get at the grocery stores?!!
I certainly do. I love the crunch chocolate bar & now I can make them whenever I want & combine them with another favorite- Kit Kat.
Rice Krispies, chocolate, and cut-up candy bars, it truly doesn’t get easier than this.
Even though they need 2 hours to set up in the fridge, I’ll happily wait to enjoy one of my favorite treats. This makes it a fantastic make-ahead recipe for a party or bake sale.
I make these homemade chocolate crunch bars every chance I get. Everyone goes nuts over the crunchy rice crispies and chopped kit kats; truly satisfying crunchy bites.
If you have ever wanted to try your hand at making your own candy at home, try an easy one first with this copycat recipe for Nestle Crunch. Just like the real thing, only better!
Some of our other favorite candy recipes we have on our site include: Salted Caramels Recipe, Turtle Candy, and Fudge with Nuts.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Easily double the recipe to feed a crowd.
- Great for a make-ahead dessert option since it needs to set up in the fridge.
- Easily customize with your favorite candy bars to fit your tastes and cure your chocolate craving.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Rice Krispie cereal
- Mini Kit Kat bars- chopped (1/2 cup chopped Kit Kats)
HOW TO MAKE NESTLE CRUNCH:
- Line a 9×9 square pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl heat your chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted & smooth.
- Once melted, add your crispy rice cereal & stir gently to coat thoroughly.
- Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to the prepared dish & smooth out the top.
- Top with chopped Kit Kat pieces and gently press them in.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to set.
- Allow the sweet treat to come close to room temperature before cutting it into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature & use within 48 hours.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
CAN I ADD ANYTHING?
Absolutely, we love to mix it up from time to time.
I have used other types of cereal with this same method, my favorites are cocoa puffs and cocoa pebbles.
Other things you can add:
- Smooth or Crunchy peanut butter – I’ll melt 1/4 cup in with the chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts – peanuts, walnuts, almonds, and pecans
- Add chopped candy bars right into the cereal mixture
WHAT OTHER CANDY WOULD BE GOOD ON TOP?
Any candy pieces you add on top need to be chopped into bite-sized pieces. I like:
- Snickers
- Twix
- M&M’s
- Turtles
- Butterfinger
- Reese cups
DO I HAVE TO USE SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE?
No, we often use semisweet chocolate in desserts, so the final product is not overly sweet. But you can use another kind of chocolate such as:
- Dark chocolate chips
- Milk chocolate – nestle-brand milk chocolate chips are good but use your favorite chocolate brand
- White Chocolate
If you want to play it on the safe side, you don’t have to microwave the chocolate; sometimes, it is easily scorched.
You can also use the double boiler method.
Place a small saucepot with about 2 inches of hot water on the bottom on the stove over medium heat and come to a simmer.
Place a medium-sized heatproof bowl on top. Place the chocolate chips into the top of the double boiler.
Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate chips around until melted. Make sure to scrape the sides so nothing burns.
Take off the heat and continue on with the recipe.
SHOULD THESE BE KEPT REFRIGERATED?
The best homemade crunch bars need to set up in the fridge for 2 hours, but they can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.
If you want them to last longer, you can store them in the fridge for up to 1 week. But, they do not need to be kept refrigerated.
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Best served and eaten at room temperature.
You can store them in the fridge for up to 1 week, allow them to come to room temp before enjoying them.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Place leftover bars between sheets of wax paper in the freezer in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place the dish in the fridge overnight.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- This makes a small batch, but you can easily double it to feed more, just use a 9×13 baking dish.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- Great for a make-ahead dessert since it needs time to set in the fridge.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use whatever chocolate candy you like on top – we prefer Kit Kats, you can also leave them as is with no additional candy for a true homemade Nestle crunch bar.
Everything you love about Nestle Crunch but bigger & topped with Kit Kat. I just can’t get enough of these crispy simple squares.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this NESTLE CRUNCH, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Homemade Nestle Crunch Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 & 1/2 cups rice krispie cereal
- 9 mini Kit Kat bars, chopped or 1/2 cup
Instructions
- Line a 9×9 square pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl heat your chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted & smooth.
- Once melted, add your crispy rice cereal & stir gently to coat thoroughly.
- Transfer the melted chocolate mixture to the prepared dish & smooth out the top.
- Top with chopped Kit Kat pieces and gently press them in.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours to set.
- Allow the sweet treat to come close to room temperature before cutting it into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature & use within 48 hours.
Notes
- This makes a small batch, but you can easily double it to feed more, just use a 9×13 baking dish.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- Great for a make-ahead dessert since it needs time to set in the fridge.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Use whatever chocolate candy you like on top – we prefer Kit Kats, you can also leave them as is with no additional candy for a true homemade Nestle crunch bar.
Nutrition
Originally posted 02/17/2014 by Gina from Kleinworth & Co.
Updated on 04/2023 with updated photos and blog copy.
Comments & Reviews
Shelly says
These sounds fantastic!!