| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 52 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr 15 min |
| Cook: | 22 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 12 whole (6 ounces) cinnamon graham crackers, crumbled, or 2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 3/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt, optional
Instructions
- For the crust:
- Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment or waxed paper. Spray the paper and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. Process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and blend until the mixture forms into clumps. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing gently to form an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden. Cool for 15 minutes.
- For the caramel:
- While the crust is cooling, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of cream, butter, sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully pour the caramel over the warm crust. Cool for 20 minutes. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
- For the chocolate layer: Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the espresso powder. Remove the springform pan from the freezer. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with smoked sea salt, if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.
- Allow the layers to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Using a warm, slightly wet knife, carefully cut around the edges of the chocolate layer. Release the side of the pan and remove the paper from the bottom. Cut into 1 1/2-by-1/2-inch bars and store airtight in a covered plastic container.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 779 |
| Total Fat | 55 g |
| Saturated Fat | 33 g |
| Carbohydrates | 77 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 62 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 117 mg |
| Sodium | 359 mg |
Reviews
Like this recipe a lot, very rich so small bites. It does appear that in the ingredients section, the conversions for the butter from sticks to ounces is not correct. I had to guess which one might be right. Anyone else notice this? What did you do?
Absolutely Devine and super easy. Looks fancy and makes for a great little rich bite for any occasion. Definitely a keeper!
Amazing!!!!!
These were very easy to make. I wonder if I could omit baking the crust. That’ll make this a no-bake dessert.
The caramel is chewy and these are definitely like candy bars. It also kind of like millionaire’s shortbread, only easier version!
I make this every year at Xmas and it hits the mark every time. I think every person who tries it wants the recipe.
I make this every year at Xmas and it hits the mark every time. I think every person who tries it wants the recipe.
Have made this twice now, and they were a surprise hit each time. I used one stick of butter with nine graham crackers, as one of the other reviewers suggested (crust baking time was a bit longer than suggested). 240 degrees is correct for the caramel, be patient. After pouring on the caramel let cool 20-30 minutes at room temp, and then 20-30 in the freezer, then pour on chocolate, sprinkle salt, chill, and it worked perfectly. Think of them as a piece of candy instead of a large bar (I cut them into bite-sized squares), as they are quite sweet. The recipe lends itself to modifications…nuts in the chocolate, bourbon in the caramel or chocolate, pretzels on top, red, green, and white sprinkles at Xmas…have fun!
These are perfect for a bake sale or picnic.
I saw this last week and decided to try it and made it for a Thanksgiving Potluck we had for our homeschool group……and it was the hit of the night!! I was told that everyone was asking for the recipe and it was the talk of the party. I made a few adjustments to mine: since I am not fond of cinnamon and chocolate, I used regular graham crackers. I also make my own brown sugar and I prefer dark, so obviously, that is what I used and the caramel was awesome. I also supplemented regular sea salt in replacement of the smoked, but this still was a huge hit.
I made these last weekend and although there are so many positive reviews I just didn’t think they were all that. I don’t think the graham cracker crust went well with the caramel and chocolate. I almost halved the chocolate recipe (thank god) because I wanted to make a dessert not a candy bar. They looked just like the pic, the caramel turned out perfect. Nothing at all wrong except these weren’t so dessert like. Something was missing…..maybe nuts or shortbread crust instead of graham cracker. Probably will not make again.