Homemade Double Decker Bars

Homemade Double Decker Bars

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Crispie chocolatey base, chewy nougat filling and creamy milk chocolate top. These no-bake homemade double decker bars, taste even better than the real thing!

homemade double decker bars

Double Deckers have long been one of my favourite chocolate bars. If you’re not familiar; they have a chocolate crispie base, topped with creamy nougat and covered in milk chocolate. So so tasty! But homemade double decker bars are even better! The chocolate crispie base stays moist and gooey and the nougat is a simpler ‘cheats’ version that stays chewy and creamy. They’re a delicious no-bake treat that look really impressive, and is packed full of different textures and flavours!

Key Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Golden Syrup – Golden syrup in the chocolate crispie base is what keeps it moist and gooey, as it prevents the chocolate from setting too hard. It makes the bars farrr more enjoyable to eat, even if they’re kept in the fridge!
  • Marshmallows – The ‘cheats’ nougat is made with marshmallows and ideally you want to use the mini versions! It makes it much easier to melt them down evenly and is much quicker!
  • Neutral Oil – The chocolate for the topping is melted down with a neutral oil – something like sunflower, vegetable, coconut etc. This will stop the chocolate from setting too hard, and keeps the bars moist and easy to eat!
homemade double decker bars

How to make homemade double decker bars

The crispie base and milk chocolate topping are super easy to make, but the ‘cheats’ nougat does require a little more skill. I don’t want that to put you off, as it’s totally achievable. But I would advise reading through all the steps first and getting all your ingredients/equipment out first. This way you’ll be less stressed and your nougat will be chewy and creamy and delicious. And not rock hard! The bars are absolutely delicious, so I can’t wait for you to try them!!

Making the chocolate crispie base

Before you start the bars, you need to prepare your baking tin. Ideally you want to use a 8x8inch square baking tin, though if you have a tin thats slightly smaller/larger you can use this instead. Your bars will just end up either slightly thinner or thicker, and you’ll need slightly less/more chilling time.

The tin should be lined with baking paper that can be folded over on the outside of the tin, you’ll then be able to use the flaps to pull the bars out once they’re chilled. Then you can begin making the base.

Firstly, butter and golden syrup should be melted together in a bain-marie. Chopped milk chocolate is then stirred in – I think milk chocolate provides the best flavour combination here! Then once the chocolate has melted and fully combined, the whole mixture can be poured onto the rice crispies and mixed together well. Take your time doing this, to make sure every crispie is evenly coated.

Finally, the chocolate mixture should be tipped into the prepared tin and pressed down evenly and firmly to make a compact base. This should then be chilled in the freezer for at least 20 minutes, so its super firm and hard when pour the nougat on top.

chocolate rice krispies process
chocolate rice krispies process
chocolate rice krispies process

Making the ‘cheats’ nougat

I’m calling this a ‘cheats’ nougat, as it really is a much simpler version, but one that works perfectly for a bar or chocolate bar like this! If you want to make the real deal, you can check out my recipe here – though I wouldn’t use that in this double decker recipe.

So as I said above, this is the part of the recipe that needs a little more skill, but if you follow the recipe carefully, it is absolutely achievable. Key points to remember are;

  • Don’t rush!
  • Keep the temperature low!
  • Keep stirring!!

Especially keep stirring – definitely don’t forget this! You’ll be gaining muscle as you make this, but thats never a bad thing! So fist step is to combine the butter, sugar and evaporated milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan. The better quality your saucepan the better, as it’ll help prevent the mixture from burning. Stir every now and then on a low heat, to make sure the mixture is heating evenly.

Once the sugar has dissolved, you’ll start to see the edges of the mixture bubbling. At this point, you need to continue cooking for 7 minutes. Set a timer for this! And at this point don’t stop stirring! The mixture will begin to thicken and start to turn a caramel colour. It’s so important to keep the temperature low here, otherwise your nougat will be hard as a rock and inedible.

Once your 7 minutes are up, your mixture should be a pale caramel colour – see photo below! Then you can take it off the heat, and stir in the vanilla. It will bubble up a little here, so be careful! Now we need to start working very quickly.

cheats nougat process
cheats nougat process
cheats nougat on chocolate crispie base

The hot mixture should then be poured over the mini marshmallows and stirred together until they’ve melted. The mixture will begin to start setting, so you need to work quickly with this. Finally, you can pour the hot mixture on top of the chilled chocolate crispie base and spread out.

If the nougat has already begun setting, and spreading it in the tin is tricky, dip a spoon in hot boiling water and use that to smooth it out. It’ll be muchhh easier, as it doesn’t stick to the spoon! Then you can pop the tin into the freezer to chill for 20 minutes.

Making the chocolate topping

The final step is to melt milk chocolate with a tablespoon of neutral oil, and pour evenly on top of the chilled nougat. You will then need to chill the whole thing one final time for at least 20 minutes, until the chocolate topping has set. You could leave it overnight at this point if you wanted to make it in advance!

As the chocolate topping and the crispie base don’t set rock hard, the bars are nice and easy to slice up and serve!

cheats nougat in tin
milk chocolate topping on top of cheats nougat in tin

Tips & Tricks

Can I make the double decker bars in advance?

Yes! The bars can be made the night before and kept in the fridge overnight. They last really well, so are the perfect make-ahead treat!

Can I use dark chocolate instead?

Personally I think the milk chocolate works really well in these bars, but you can swap it out for dark chocolate 1:1 if you prefer!

Do I have to use rice crispies for the base?

Yes. Of course technically you could use any other cereal, but rice crispies give the best texture and add the best structure to the bars.

homemade double decker bars with bite taken

I LOVE how these homemade double decker bars turned out. They’re the perfect combination of sweet, crunchy, chewy, creamy and super chocolatey! The nougat filling does require a little concentration and hands on time, but aside from that they’re really simple to make. And look really impressive! Who needs to buy a chocolate bar, when you can make a big batch of your own!

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homemade double decker bars

Homemade Double Decker Bars

Aimee Field
Crispie chocolatey base, chewy nougat filling and creamy milk chocolate top. These no-bake homemade double decker bars, taste even better than the real thing!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chilling Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Traybake
Cuisine British
Servings 16 Squares

Ingredients
  

Chocolate Crispie Base

  • 100 g rice crispies
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 50 g golden syrup
  • 150 g milk chocolate

'Cheats' Nougat

  • 175 g mini marshmallows
  • 50 g unsalted butter
  • 175 g caster sugar
  • 75 ml evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping

  • 150 g milk chocolate
  • 1 tbsp neutral oil vegetable, sunflower etc.

Instructions
 

  • Firstly, line a square 8x8inch baking tin with baking paper. Then set aside.
  • For the chocolate crispie base: Place the rice crispies into a large heat-proof bowl and set aside. Then finely chop the chocolate and set aside.  Place the butter and golden syrup together into a heat-proof bowl and melt over a bain-marie. Once fully melted, add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted and well combined. Then take off the heat, and pour over the rice crispies, stirring together until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and press down evenly with the back of a spoon or your hand. Then place into the freezer to set for 20 minutes.
  • For the 'cheats' nougat: Place the mini marshmallows into a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Then place the butter, sugar and evaporated milk into a medium saucepan on a low heat. Stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved. Then when the mixture begins to bubble at the edges, cook for 7mins stirring continuously. It will get thicker as time goes on, and should end a pale caramel colour.
  • Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla until combined. Then, working quickly, pour the hot mixture over the marshmallows and stir together until well combined and the marshmallows have melted. Then quickly pour onto the set chocolate crispie base and level out. If the mixture has cooled too much and is hard to work with, dip a spoon into boiling hot water and use that to smooth out the nougat. Then place into the freezer to set for 20 minutes. 
  • For the chocolate topping: Place the chocolate and oil together into a heat-proof bowl and melt over a bain-marie. Then pour evenly over the chilled nougat base, levelling out. Then place back into the freezer to set for 20 minutes. Then slice into 16 squares and serve.

Notes

Double Decker Bars can be kept at room temperature, or in the fridge for best results, for 4-5 days. 
Double Decker bars can be made in advance and kept in the fridge overnight before slicing and serving. 
Keyword double decker, milk chocolate, nougat, rice krispie


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