Frozen Chocolate–Caramel Peanut Nougat Bars

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A make-ahead riff on the grown-up candy bar dessert served in New Orleans fine-dining rooms: a dense, almost truffle-like brownie slab, a soft salted caramel that stays chewy straight from the freezer, a no-churn peanut nougat ice cream, and a thin snap-when-you-bite chocolate shell. Everything is assembled in one pan, frozen solid, then cut into clean rectangles and finished with caramel and salted peanuts. Nothing needs an ice cream machine, and the whole thing can live in the freezer for two weeks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (60–70%), chopped
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt

• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural-style)
• 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup malted milk powder
• 1/2 cup marshmallow creme
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy cream, very cold

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup refined coconut oil
• 3/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with two crossed sheets of foil or parchment, leaving 2 inches of overhang on all sides, and grease lightly. The overhang is how you will lift out the frozen slab later.
2. Make the brownie base: combine the butter and 8 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth and glossy, about 4 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.
3. Whisk both sugars into the warm chocolate, then whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating hard for about 15 seconds after each, and the vanilla. The batter should look thick and shiny. Sift in the flour, cocoa, and 1 tsp salt and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain.
4. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake 26–30 minutes, until the top is set and matte and a toothpick inserted 2 inches from the edge comes out with moist crumbs. Do not overbake; this layer should stay fudgy and sliceable when frozen. Cool completely in the pan, at least 1 hour, then freeze the pan for 20 minutes while you make the caramel.
5. Make the caramel: stir the sugar, water, and corn syrup together in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Set over medium-high heat and cook without stirring, brushing the sides down with a wet pastry brush, until the syrup turns a deep amber and reads 350°F, 8–11 minutes. Swirl the pan gently to even out the color in the last minute.
6. Off the heat, pour in the warm cream in a slow stream — it will bubble violently — whisking constantly. Add the butter a few cubes at a time, then the vanilla and 1 1/4 tsp flaky salt. Whisk smooth and pour into a heatproof measuring cup. Cool to room temperature, about 40 minutes; it should be thick but pourable.
7. Spread 1 cup of the cooled caramel over the chilled brownie in an even layer, leaving the last 1/2 cup in the fridge for serving. Return the pan to the freezer for 30 minutes so the caramel firms up.
8. Make the ice cream layer: in a large bowl, whisk the peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk, malted milk powder, marshmallow creme, 1/2 tsp salt, and vanilla until completely smooth — warm the peanut butter for 20 seconds in the microwave if it resists.
9. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the 2 cups cold cream to stiff peaks, 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer. Fold one third of the whipped cream into the peanut base to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions until no white streaks remain and the mixture holds soft mounds.
10. Dollop the ice cream base over the chilled caramel and spread gently to the edges with an offset spatula, taking care not to drag the caramel. Smooth the top, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap pressed to the surface, and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight, until firm all the way through.
11. Cut the bars: lift the frozen slab out by the foil overhang onto a cutting board. Dip a large chef's knife in hot water and wipe it dry between every cut, slicing the slab into 12 rectangles (3 across, 4 down). Transfer the bars to a parchment-lined sheet pan, spaced apart, and return to the freezer for 30 minutes.
12. Make the shell: melt the 8 oz chopped chocolate with the coconut oil in a heatproof bowl in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between, until smooth. Cool to just barely warm (about 90°F) — if it is hot it will melt the ice cream.
13. Working with 3 or 4 bars at a time straight from the freezer, spoon the chocolate over each bar so it runs down the sides; it will set in about 20 seconds. Immediately scatter chopped peanuts and a pinch of flaky salt over the top before the shell hardens. Return finished bars to the freezer.
14. To serve, warm the reserved caramel for 15 seconds until pourable, streak it across each plate or over each bar, and let the bars sit at room temperature for 5 minutes so the ice cream softens to a scoopable, nougat-like chew.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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