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.
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!)
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!!
Well deserved award. I always look forward to see your recipe suggestions
We call these Magic Cookie Bars in the US, using crushed graham crackers and place the coconut on top. Delicious!
And CONGRATS on the double win!! Love the cookbook and wish the US cover looked like ev1 else’s.
Congratulations on the awards! Well deserved. Dozer pic was so funny. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve been a chef with a small carry-out shop for 30 years, making very similar bars and have never thought to simply mix the base in the pan! Genius! Congratulations on the awards.
Also thank you for always including Dozer in your posts. Having recently lost my two Goldens to cancer within a few months of each other, it always warms my broken heart to see him.
shall send the recipe to my grandson who wants to be a cook. He loves to double the amount of chocolate….might work this time!!!
We call these Magic Cookie Bars in Canada. It’s an old recipe by Borden’s eagle brand condensed milk. They are yummy. I usually make them in a 9 x 13 pan every Christmas.
Congratulations! You deserve the awards–and I’m sure there are more to come.
Congratulations on well deserved awards! Here in the US we add butterscotch chips too and call them 7 layer cookies. Delicious and hard to eat just one.
My mom called these Magic Bars when I was growing up! They are so good! Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Congratulations on your success, you deserve it . You have worked extremely hard to get where you are today. Enjoy it . I am sure there will be many more. I really enjoy all your recipes.
Congrats on the awards. Totally deserved.
And thanks for this recipe – I like the dried fruit suggestion too.
Congratulations Nagi – you deserve this honour with the book- one tiny little lady did all this with the enormous golden retriever side-kick – wow!
You have an enormous heart and you have put it into action to feed the desperate- you are an angel! Be proud of yourself- we are!
Hear, hear and Amen! Can’t think of anyone more deserving with all you do. ❤️🐾
I agree. Well said.
Congratulations on the awards!! Very much deserved. Like many, I find it hard to go looking in other food blogs, because I know your recipes are so dependable, whether you say they’re easy / quick / sure to wow!
May I suggest you give the alfajores recipe an update?? I’ve made them twice already, only a bit smaller so there’s more to share! Also, I only had wholemeal flour (the light coloured type), but went ahead and made them anyway, and everyone loved the slightly nutty taste of the biscuits.
Congrats on the book awards! Love your cookbook. And the updates on the trials and tribulations of Dozer are much appreciated.
Congratulations Nagi on your well deserved awards. Your dedication to your love of cooking reaps great recognition. Well done.
Congratulations! Such a well-deserved accolade. Looking at the no-bowl fruit and nut bars. Looks like an easier version of Hello Dollies. Does any one remember them? Utterly delicious for the average sweet-tooth. Can’t wait to try yours.
Huge congrats for the recognition of your hard work! I always turn to your pages for quick and delicious meals. Thank you for your dedication and persistence, as we reap the benefits. 👏🏻👏🏻