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Salt River Bars

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Close up shot of caramel, cracker, and chocolate layers of Salt River Bars.

Oh, friends. I’m so very thrilled to be sharing this amazing Salt River Bars recipe with you! These Salt River Bars and I have been well acquainted with each other for a long while, but until recently I could only enjoy them when I went to one of my favorite restaurants, Liberty Market, in Downtown Gilbert. Locals, you know how delicious these Salt River Bars are, right?

Overhead view of Salt River Bars cut into squares with sea salt on top.

I really never even thought to try to recreate them as they seemed to be complicated with those fancy layers, and I couldn’t quite nail down the flavors. Then I decided to do a little googling and found that even though they are a local thing, there are a few copycat recipes floating around out there. I studied as many as I could find, combined and tweaked them just a bit, and came up with a very, very tasty version of my beloved Salt River Bar.

Some have even said they are better than the original, but I’ll let you make them and see what all the fuss is about for yourself. I sent out a few samples to my parents, grandparents, friends, and sweet neighbors and they loved them as much as we did! When something is this good, you really wanted to share it.

Close up shot of stacked Salt River Bars.

A Salt River Bar is essentially two layers of caramel in between three layers of Club Crackers. The topping is a thick blanket of chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter. Maldon sea salt is the crown jewel. Sweet, salty, chewy, creamy, chocolatey perfection.

What is Maldon sea salt?

Maldon sea salt is an English salt known for its pure, clean salty taste without bitterness. It is soft and flakey, and while it can be used in cooking, it is often used as a finishing salt. It makes everything taste more flavorful, without being overly salty.

Overhead shot of cut Salt River Bars on parchment paper.

And on top of all that, these Salt River Bars really aren’t too difficult to make. Especially if you have a kiddo handy to help you lay out all the crackers. The caramel comes together quickly with just four ingredients. One of them will really surprise you! Hint: more crackers!

Hand reaching for a small square of a Salt River Bar with a grey background.

I’ve written that the recipe will yield 30 bars. This is based on the assumption that you will cut the 9 by 13 inch pan into five rows with three squares each, and then cut each of those fifteen squares into two rectangles. These babies are rich. Sometimes I like to pace myself and cut them into tiny squares, so I can lose count of how many I’ve had!

Close up view of caramel, cracker, and chocolate layer of Salt River Bars.

Please leave me a comment if you’ve tried the original Salt River Bars from Liberty Market. I think we’ll be making these bars for years to come! Hope you enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #lovelylittlekitchen

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Close up view of caramel, cracker, and chocolate layer of Salt River Bars.

Salt River Bars

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 50 reviews
  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 30 bars 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

These Salt River Bars are sweet, salty, chewy, creamy, crunchy, chocolatey PERFECTION! Everyone who tries them LOVES them!

Ingredients

Scale
  • 90 Club crackers
  • 1 cup butter, salted
  • 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 3/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • Maldon sea salt for finishing 

Instructions

  1. Prepare a 9 by 13 inch pan (very helpful if the pan has straight sides, like this one) by lining it with parchment paper, leaving the two long edges a bit long so that it can be used to remove the bars from the pan later.  Spray the parchment and sides of the pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Cover the bottom of the pan with the first layer of crackers on top of the parchment.  Cut the crackers to fit as needed.  I used five rows of six crackers, which covered my pan perfectly.
  3. In a medium sized heavy bottomed pan, melt butter, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and heavy cream together over medium heat, stirring constantly.  
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to stir, and boil for 7 minutes.
  5. Pour half of the caramel mixture over the crackers, spreading it evenly to the edges of the pan.  Working quickly, add another layer of crackers over the caramel.
  6. Pour the rest of the caramel over the second layer of crackers, and then add a final layer of crackers.
  7. Refrigerate the pan to chill and set the caramel layers while you make the chocolate topping.
  8. To make the chocolate topping, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 30-45 seconds, then stir.  Microwave the chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. Pour the chocolate topping over the final layer of crackers, spreading it evenly to the edges.   Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate layer to taste.  I used about 1 teaspoon. 
  9. Chill for 1-2 hours before using a sharp knife to cut into bars.  Sometimes I like to use the parchment paper edges to lift the whole thing out of the pan to make cutting easier.

Notes

This recipe was adapted from Take Two Tapas Salt River Sticks.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Bar
  • Calories: 269
  • Sugar: 20g
  • Sodium: 192mg
  • Fat: 16g
  • Saturated Fat: 8.3g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 6.8g
  • Trans Fat: 0.3g
  • Carbohydrates: 29g
  • Fiber: 0.8g
  • Protein: 2.7g
  • Cholesterol: 25mg

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Comments

  1. Linda says

    I can’t wait to make and take these to a ladies’ club meeting! If I just make them and keep them in the house, it would be dangerous. These probably should come with a warning! Thank you, Julie, for
    sharing.

    Reply

  4. Brenda says

    Hi, where could I find maldon salt? Also, the instructions do not state when, how much or how the salt should be added. Please clarify. Thank you

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Brenda, I added some clarification to the recipe stating that about 1 teaspoon (or to taste) is sprinkled over the chocolate before it sets. I buy the salt from Amazon (link in the post), but you might also find it at a specialty kitchen store or a well supplied grocery. Any flakey sea salt will be good. Thank you for your question.

      Reply

  5. Teri Richards says

    Hi is there anything I can use in place of peanut butter? I have but allergies in my family. Allergic to almonds too- sadly. Would biscoff spread work? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Charlie says

      Hi Terri: You will probably be allergic to any nut butter.
      I think biscoff would make an awesome substitute!
      Please let me know how it turns out.
      Another alternative is to type in peanut butter substitutes into google.

      Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Teri, you could leave the peanut butter out, and add an additional 1/2 cups of either the butterscotch chips or the chocolate chips. The additional oils in the peanut butter also helps keep the chocolate layer soft as it sets, so that it doesn’t crack when you cut the bars or bite into them. So I would also add 1-2 teaspoons (best guess without testing) of oil, like vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil as you are melting the chips. Let me know how it goes if you try it. The flavor will be slightly different without the peanut butter, but I think still very good!

      Reply

  6. Charlie says

    Club crackers are by keebler. It says they resemble saltines. Does this mean I can substitute saltines in this recipe?

    Reply

    • Julie says

      Here is something you could try… you could leave the peanut butter out, and add an additional 1/2 cups of either the butterscotch chips or the chocolate chips. The additional oils in the peanut butter helps keep the chocolate layer soft as it sets, so that it doesn’t crack when you cut the bars or bite into them. So I would also add 1-2 teaspoons (best guess without testing) of oil, like vegetable, avocado, or coconut oil as you are melting the chips. Let me know how it goes if you try it. The flavor will be slightly different without the peanut butter, but I think still very good! Please let me know what you think if you try the recipe this way.

      Reply

    • Julie says

      I kept them in an airtight container at room temp and they were good for three days. Maybe longer, but we had already eaten them all. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

    • Julie says

      Hi Jody, I think using Ritz crackers would be fine for taste, but because of the round shape the caramel layer would seep through and you won’t have very defined layers. The Club Crackers fit nicely together.

      Reply

  12. Kathleen says

    How do I keep the first layer of caramel from seeping through to the bottom? I made these and they taste great but the caramel ended up on the bottom. Maybe my caramel wasn’t thick enough?

    Reply

    • Megan says

      I am making these for the first time and I was so enticed by the perfect layers!! I don’t know how mine will look when I cut them but I’m thinking next time I might pour the first layer of caramel into a cold pan and layer the crackers on to that then chill and flip the whole thing and proceed with second layer!!

      Reply

  13. Liz says

    I am so excited to try this recipe! I am absolutely obsessed with salt river bars from Liberty Market! Every time we go, I get 2-one to eat then and another for later. They are by far my favorite treat. Thanks for turning this into a recipe I can try at home!

    Reply

  14. Sheryl says

    I have made these three or four times now, and they are well worth the effort. Wherever I’ve taken them the reaction has been taste/swoon/gobble.

    Reply

  15. Sara says

    Hello! I have had the original from Liberty – I stopped dead in my Pinterest scrolling tracks when I saw this! They are so good and one of our favorites. Of course we love everything about Liberty Market!
    -Sara from Gilbert

    Reply

  17. Diana McLaws says

    I am a native Arizonan and a regular at Liberty Market, and i’ve missed these so much! Thank you!

    Reply

  20. Victoria says

    Superstore Coquitlam had Club Crackers in January 2020. Looking forward to making this recipe but will use dark chocolate and replace peanut butter with coconut oil.

    Reply

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