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?
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.
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.
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!
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!
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?
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Salt River Bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Salt River Bars are sweet, salty, chewy, creamy, crunchy, chocolatey PERFECTION! Everyone who tries them LOVES them!
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- In a medium sized heavy bottomed pan, melt butter, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and heavy cream together over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, continuing to stir, and boil for 7 minutes.
- 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.
- Pour the rest of the caramel over the second layer of crackers, and then add a final layer of crackers.
- Refrigerate the pan to chill and set the caramel layers while you make the chocolate topping.
- 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.
- 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
Angela Frolander says
I have made 3 pans so far. Definitely a new favorite for the fam. My only issue is that I haven’t been able prevent the caramel from seeping under the bottom layer of crackers. I lay them flat and close together and I still have some that get the caramel underneath. I cook the caramel for the full 7 minutes after it comes to a boil and looks like the same consistency you show in your video. Any tips? Not that it detracts from the flavor AT ALL. These are wonderful and I will make them again and again – caramel on the bottom or not! Oh, and I did use the flaky sea salt because I didn’t have any of the salt you recommended and it was still great!
Julie says
I’m so glad you like them! I’m finding this to be a common issue – does your pan have curved sides? A pan like this one, with very square sides, will really help keep things in place.
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Angel Frolander says
The one I used was pretty square but didn’t have quite the sharp angles that this one has. I will try it! Who doesn’t need another 9 x 13, right? 😉
Jackie says
Thank you for this recipe. I modified a bit but I usually do that. Instead of chocolate and butterscotch chips to make the topping I used 4 semi-sweet bakers chocolate blocks and the peanut butter. Not so sweet as used chips.
I’ve shared with loads of friends because these bars are simply delicious. I’ve tried different crackers and I’ve found Toppables (Canadian cracker) are the best texture.
Again, thank you again. Simply awesome!
Diana says
Made these, delicious!
Kyle says
Made these a couple times now. Soooo good! And easy to make!
Susan Montplaisir says
I haven’t made these yet, but I live real close to Liberty Market and have eaten them there many times! Yum!!!
Lori says
Is there a reason you wait to sprinkle on the sea salt after they’ve set? It would seem to me that it would adhere better if you put it on before you put them in the fridge for the final chill.
Julie says
You can definitely do that!
Johanna says
Thank you for such a nice instructional video. Very nicely done, without extra wordiness or redundancy.
Anna balistreri says
Hello my name is anna balistreri and I’m trying to figure out the points per serving on the he salt river bar for weight watchers but when I put in all the info it is asking for the added sugar or it won’t let me go on to final step would you be able to send it to me I will give you my email address aannabalistreri65 @gmail.com
debra goll says
I made these this morning my 14th month old grandbaby helped me, as always…..we smell and taste the ingredients before we put them in the bowl………he’s going to be a chef one day!!!!!! Anyway the bars turned out fabulously, very rich 💰💰💰………but so delish!!!!!!!! But where should they be stored in a container where fridge, counter????
Julie says
Love that you are cooking with your grandbaby! I like to keep them in the fridge so the top layer doesn’t get too soft. Thanks for letting me know how they turned out!
Candy says
I have made with saltines and still delicious.
Rae says
Where does the Waldon sea salt come into play?
Julie says
Hi Rae, I see why that’s confusing… I mention it in the recipe instructions – it’s just an option to sprinkle it over the chocolate layer at the end. I’ll list it in the recipe list so it’s more clear. Thanks!
April says
These are sinful!!! The whole family loved them. We will definitely be making them again. They have everything you want in a treat, sweet/salty/crunchy/chewy.
Andrea says
These are super delicious! I did have trouble though. When I poured the first half of the caramel sauce, my crackers all started to float. I couldn’t get them to stay on the bottom of the pan, so the caramel is all on the bottom and they’re a mess to eat. I thought I was pouring slowly… Any tips?
Julie says
I’m so excited to find this recipe! I have been enjoying Salt River Bars for some time at Liberty Market, which is ironically my favorite restaurant giving that I live in California. I’ve thought of recreating them myself but I’m grateful you figured it out! So pumped!
Mark Rappleye says
The Best!! I made it twice in a row I shared it several times here in Fayetteville NC.
It turns out a little gooeyer than picture 🙂
Holly James says
Love this recipe. Thank you for sharing it. The only thing I don’t like is the cracker on the bottom. They are such a pretty goody, until you see the cracker on the bottom. I wonder if one could put a layer of chocolate down, then cracker, Caramel, etc.??
Elyse says
Hi! I really want to make these for my family’s Christmas Day brunch. I work the night before, so I was wondering if they can be made the day before and kept in the fridge until a few hours before our gathering?
Julie says
Yes, that will work out just fine. Enjoy!
Elaine Doherty says
These look heavenly. I want to make some for myself and also send them to my sister in another state. Do they need to be kept refrigerated after they are made and cut?
Debbie says
Oh my goodness. These little babies are decadant. They turned out perfect. Only thing I can say ladies is stir, stir, stir that caramel. This will be added to our family list of favorite desserts for a long time to come. I never had the original so I can’t speak to how good those were, but if they are better than these, I can see them causing major issues with over-indulgence. Thank you for perfecting a perfect little dessert.
Ariel says
These were really good! I will probably try peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch, but that’s just a personal preference