Chef Jürgen’s Homemade Halloween Candy Bars

Full stop: candy is delicious, and whether it be bite- or king-sized, Halloween gives us an excuse to load up on all your favorite store-bought treats. But believe it or not, making a rendition of your own favorite candy bar can easily be done at home. 

Chef Jürgen took some inspiration from some classic candy combinations, pairing up peanut butter and apple jelly, as well as dark chocolate and coconut. 

“These candy bars are made with things you likely already have in your pantry,” he says.

Indeed, the recipes below include both milk and dark chocolate, peanut butter, two basic types of cereal, marshmallow fluff, coconut and apple jelly. Don’t have apple jelly? Not to worry, Chef Jürgen encourages you to make a swap with whatever you have on hand: “Grape, raspberry and strawberry work just as well — think classic PB&J.”

Meet Chef Jürgen

Both bars feature a base consisting of crunchy cornflakes or crispy rice puffs with chocolate and are topped with substantial fillings before being covered with their chocolatey outer shell. Set it and forget it, and either serve it as is or cut it into bite-size pieces — you can’t get simpler than that. 

“I loved the Junior Schokolade candy bar growing up,” says Chef Jürgen, nostalgic for the white chocolate bar studded with crispy rice cereal featuring a cartoon Brontosaurus mascot that he could find during his youth in Vienna. “The dinosaur sold me.” 

Whichever recipe you choose, the end result is worth the effort (and you can swap the double-boiler for the microwave should you have time constraints). Soon your pantry will be fully stocked with homemade candy bars to your liking.

P.S. If you're looking for something to make along with your kids, check out our no-bake Halloween treats too!

Learn more about earning a Pastry & Baking diploma at ICE.
 

Recipe

Peanut Butter-Milk Chocolate and Apple Bars

Makes 6 1-inch by 6-inch bars

Ingredients

• 120 grams white chocolate
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 60 grams crispy rice cereal, crushed or blitzed in a food processor
• 150 grams smooth peanut butter
• 75 grams confectioners’ sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 100 grams apple jelly
• 300 grams milk chocolate, for glazing
• Halloween sprinkles

Directions

1. Heat white chocolate in a medium mixing bowl over a double boiler until just melted. 
2. Using a rubber spatula, stir in ground cinnamon and crushed cereal.
3. Pour mixture on parchment paper, cover with parchment paper and roll to a thickness of 1/4-inch and about 5x6 inches in size. Transfer to a sheet pan and let it firm up for about 5–10 minutes.
4. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut into six 1-inch strips. Set aside for later.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt with a rubber spatula. The mixture will be firm.
6. Place peanut butter mixture into piping bag fitted with a medium plain tip (about #4 or #5). Pipe two logs on each crispy chocolate strip, leaving some space in the middle.
7. Using a second piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (#3), pipe apple jelly into the middle of the peanut mixture.
8. Temper the milk chocolate and put into a piping bag, cut a small opening and pipe over one bar at a time.
9. Top bars with Halloween sprinkles before milk chocolate hardens.
10. If desired, cut bars into 3 or 4 pieces once set.

Dark Chocolate, Coconut and Almond Bars

Makes 6 1-inch by 6-inch bars

Ingredients

• 120 grams dark chocolate
• 60 grams corn flakes cereal, crushed
• 100 grams dark chocolate, melted
• Pinch of salt
• 100 grams heavy cream  
• 100 grams dark chocolate (bittersweet, 74%)
• 150 grams marshmallow fluff
• 150 grams desiccated coconut
• 75 grams Coco Lopez cream of coconut
• 1/2 cup whole almonds, lightly toasted (about 36 pieces)
• 300 grams dark chocolate, for glazing
• Marzipan skeleton pieces
• Halloween sprinkles

Directions

1. Heat 120 grams of dark chocolate in a medium mixing bowl over a double boiler until just melted. 
2. Using a rubber spatula, stir in crushed cornflakes.
3. Pour mixture on parchment paper, cover with parchment paper and roll to a thickness of 1/4-inch and about 5x6 inches in size. Transfer to a sheet pan and let it firm up for about 5–10 minutes.
4. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut into six 1-inch strips. Set aside for later.
5. In a medium mixing bowl over a double boiler, melt 100 grams dark chocolate.
6. Heat 100 grams heavy cream. Pour over 100 grams dark chocolate. Let rest for about 1 minute.
7. With a small whisk, make small, concentric circles until emulsified, smooth and shiny. Let cool at room temperature until ready to pipe.
8. In a medium bowl, mix marshmallow fluff, desiccated coconut and cream of coconut together until smooth. 
9. Place coconut mixture into piping bag fitted with a medium plain tip (about #4 or #5). Pipe two logs on each crispy chocolate strip, leaving some space in the middle.
10. Using a second piping bag fitted with a small plain tip (#3), pipe chocolate ganache into the middle of the coconut mixture.
11. Place and line the whole almonds in a line in the center of each bar.
12. Temper the dark chocolate and put into a piping bag, cut a small opening and pipe over one bar at a time.
13. Top bars with marzipan skeleton pieces and Halloween sprinkles before dark chocolate hardens.
14. If desired, cut bars into 3 or 4 pieces once set.