Get new recipes delivered by email and receive my 12 Most Loved Recipes eBook - for FREE! Sign up now!

Lovely Little Kitchen

Delicious Made Simple

Navigation
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet Julie
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
      • Dips
    • Bread
      • Quick Breads
      • Rolls
      • Sourdough
    • Breakfast
      • Donuts
      • Pancakes / Waffles
    • Dessert
      • Bars
      • Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Cheesecakes
      • Chocolate
      • Cookies
      • Cupcakes
      • Ice Cream
      • Pies
    • Drinks
      • Floats
      • Smoothies
    • Healthy
    • Holidays
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Fourth of July
      • Halloween
    • Main Dish
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Fish
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Pork
      • Sandwiches
      • Tacos
    • Salads
    • Sauces
    • Sides
      • Potatoes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Snacks
    • Soup
  • Bits & Pieces
  • Press

Salt River Bars

January 17, 2020

Save
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

Can't get enough?

Subscribe and I'll send all my recipes right to your inbox!  You can also keep up to date by following me on Pinterest, Instagram,  Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
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
Pin 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

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

Save

Filed Under: Bars, Chocolate, Dessert

« Homemade Playdough
Easy Homemade Cornbread »

Comments

  1. Sandra L Ross says

    December 6, 2022 at 9:53 pm

    Hi I am allergic to peanuts, do you think I could just add more butterscotch chips instead?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      December 6, 2022 at 10:38 pm

      That’s ok to try, but the peanut butter does keep the chocolate topping from setting too hard. Maybe add just a teaspoon of oil to compensate.

      Reply
    • Karen Barbera says

      February 10, 2023 at 2:09 pm

      I know this is a late comment, but what about using almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter?

      Reply
  2. Christa says

    December 10, 2022 at 7:44 am

    Question. Once made, do these need to remain refrigerated?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      December 10, 2022 at 8:20 am

      They do not have to be refrigerated, but you may prefer the texture when chilled. We kept them on the counter at room temp. Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Tina M Driggers says

    December 11, 2022 at 4:34 pm

    I’ve made these bars dozens of times, and they are always a hit! I wanted to make them for Christmas gifts, and wondered if they can be made ahead and frozen?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      December 12, 2022 at 12:39 pm

      Glad you like them! I’m not sure how they will freeze, but let me know if you decide to try it.

      Reply
  4. Regina says

    December 18, 2022 at 3:01 pm

    I have a severe corn allergy and cannot use Club crackers (corn starch). Have you used saltines?

    Reply
    • Pam says

      December 30, 2022 at 10:31 am

      I have had something similar to this using saltine crackers. I think it would be ok to use them as a substitute .

      Reply
      • Pam Mc says

        July 14, 2023 at 12:49 pm

        Do you mean Christmas Crack?

        Reply
  5. Teresa says

    December 19, 2022 at 3:16 pm

    Decadently delicious! We made these to give as gifts to coworkers. 🎄

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth says

    December 20, 2022 at 6:30 am

    We looooved these bars because they are delicious and SO easy to make. I meant to box them up for Christmas gifts but accidentally ate them all ourselves. One change I’ll adopt next time is to alter the butterscotch chip to chocolate chip ratio. Our butterscotch chips must have a strong flavor because we could hardly taste the chocolate/peanut butter combo. Nonetheless, these were so yummy that I am already looking forward to making another batch.

    Reply
  7. Elizabeth says

    December 29, 2022 at 9:34 am

    I made these to gift friends and family for the holidays, and accidentally ate the entire batch ourselves. I did not have Maldon salt so left that off; used half & half instead of cream because that’s what was available in the fridge. My only other comment is that our butterscotch chips were strongly flavored, so they overpowered the chocolate/peanut butter topping. All of this and we still devoured them. I’m already planning to make them again. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Darlene says

    January 10, 2023 at 6:38 am

    Just wondering what club crackers are?

    Reply
    • Jilan S Leschke says

      March 31, 2023 at 7:33 pm

      Darlene, Kelloggs Club Crackers are like a buttery saltine. There are store brands like them as well.

      Reply
  9. Debra says

    January 19, 2023 at 6:02 am

    These turned out spectacular! Very easy to make and look pretty impressive with the layers. I cut them in one inch squares. Perfect for sharing!

    Reply
  10. Donna says

    February 10, 2023 at 2:27 pm

    So it’s 5 cuts cross ways and 3 cuts long ways??

    Reply
  11. Katherine says

    February 21, 2023 at 11:20 am

    What can be used instead of maldon sea salt?

    Reply
  12. Laura Allen says

    March 27, 2023 at 2:44 pm

    Huge hit! Second batch I added crushed pretzels on top of the crackers. To die for!!! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  13. TERRI M GERAGHTY says

    May 29, 2023 at 9:35 am

    How do you store and for how long will they last?

    Reply
  14. Vanessa says

    June 27, 2023 at 7:55 am

    Sounds absolutely DELICIOUS, and I will be making these ASAP!! I watched the video, and by far, I can easily say it’s the BEST video I have ever seen in all my years of baking and finding recipes!! You explain everything clearly and slowly, and show all the steps the same way. AMAZING!!

    Reply
  15. Suzanne says

    July 14, 2023 at 7:32 pm

    This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!

    Reply
  16. Kathleen says

    July 16, 2023 at 8:52 pm

    Made these today and they are pretty good. I cut them small. Definitely will make again. Might be a new Christmas treat!

    Reply
  17. Emily Birnie says

    July 19, 2023 at 5:38 pm

    I made these for my bosses birthday and they were a huge hit! Not sure how many people I have the recipe to. The biggest challenge was to find a pan with square corners! Delicious!!!

    Reply
  18. Naomi Rowsell says

    July 24, 2023 at 4:31 pm

    What would be an appropriate substitute for Club crackers?
    Saltines? Toppables? Ritz?….although I guess round would not work….

    Thanks

    Reply
  19. Louise says

    July 31, 2023 at 9:08 pm

    Finally made these and wished I had done it sooner. These are wonderful!! I made them for a party along with a few other items and these were the standout dessert. Perfect in every way and I don’t normally like desserts with peanut butter in them. I made the recipe exactly as written and it is perfect!

    Reply
  20. SANDRA CORBETT says

    August 4, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    Oh I am so trying these. It was the Salt River that caught my attention. This had to be an Arizona recipe. Lived there 35years ago and only someone within the valley would call something Salt River Bars. Sure enough! Keep cool!

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »
« Previous 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 Next »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Welcome!

Hi I'm Julie, and I spend a lot of time in my lovely little kitchen. I love gathering my family around simple delicious food. This is how I do it. Learn more →

Stay Connected

Don't Miss a Recipe

Get new recipes delivered by email and receive my 12 Most Loved Recipes eBook - for FREE!

Sign Up Now!

Copyright © 2025 · Lovely Little Kitchen · Privacy Policy