Billion Dollar Chocolate Bar

This is a homemade candy bar that tastes like it came from a chocolatier, built in four no-bake layers that stack into pure candy-shop indulgence. It starts and ends with a melted blend of milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and peanut butter, the same mixture top and bottom, that sets into a snappy shell.

In between go the showstopper layers. A fluffy peanut nougat comes together from boiled sugar, evaporated milk, and marshmallow creme studded with salted peanuts, while a gooey caramel layer melts down from candy caramels, cream, and butter.

Patience is the secret here: each layer gets chilled to set before the next goes on, which is what gives you those clean, distinct stripes instead of a melted jumble. The payoff is a rich, chewy, crunchy bar that rivals any candy at the store. Cut into small squares, because it’s intensely rich.

Pro Tips

• Chill each layer until firm before adding the next. Rushing it melts the layers into each other instead of clean stripes.
• Line the pan with plastic wrap or parchment with overhang so you can lift the whole slab out to cut cleanly.
• Cut into small squares with a warm, dry knife. This bar is very rich, and a warmed blade gives neat edges.

Variations

• Substitute peanut butter chips for the butterscotch chips in one or both chocolate layers.
• Leave the peanuts out for a smooth, nut-free nougat, or keep them for crunch.
• Sprinkle flaky salt over the top chocolate layer before it sets for a salted-candy finish.