Mars Bars, butter, and golden syrup melted together — the nougat takes a while and requires patience — then poured over rice krispies, pressed into a tin, covered in melted milk chocolate, and left to set. No baking. One saucepan. The result is chewy, crunchy, chocolatey, and the kind of thing that disappears quickly from any table it appears on.
The nougat is the only tricky part. Keep stirring over low heat — it will look like it’s not melting for a while, then gradually smooths out. Don’t increase the heat or it scorches. Everything else is pour and stir.
Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 5 minutes · Set: 1–2 hours · Makes 16 squares
What You Need
- 4 standard Mars Bars (51g each) — or 6 multipack bars (39.4g each)
- 75g butter
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
- 225g Rice Krispies or crispy rice cereal
- 200g milk chocolate — increase to 300g for a thicker topping
- 1 extra Mars Bar for decorating the top, chopped — optional
How to Make It
Grease and line a 9×9-inch baking tin with parchment. Chop the Mars Bars roughly and place in a large saucepan with the butter and golden syrup. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly. The chocolate coating melts first; the nougat takes longer. Keep stirring until you have a completely smooth, combined mixture.
Pour the rice krispies into the pan and stir until every piece is coated. Tip into the prepared tin and press down firmly into an even layer. Place in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.
Melt the milk chocolate in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring between each, until just smooth. Pour over the pressed crispy base and spread to the edges. Scatter chopped Mars Bar pieces over the wet chocolate if you like. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until fully set.
Cut into squares with a large sharp knife — run the knife under hot water and wipe between cuts for cleaner edges.
Per Square
- ~255 calories
- 11g fat, 38g carbs, 3g protein
Make This for Any Occasion
This is the traybake that requires no skill and produces results that look more deliberate than the effort involved. The Mars Bar base has a chewiness and caramel depth that plain toffee doesn’t, and the layer of milk chocolate on top makes it look finished. Good for bake sales, parties, or just a tin in the fridge.
Tell me in the comments how long the nougat took to melt and whether you went 200g or 300g of chocolate. Rate the recipe, save it on Pinterest, and subscribe for more.
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Mars Bar Crispy Cake
Mars bars, butter, and golden syrup melted together and stirred through rice krispies, pressed into a tin, topped with poured milk chocolate and set in the fridge. No bake. The nougat takes patience to melt but the rest is straightforward.
- Total Time20 minutes
- Yield16 squares 1x
Ingredients
The Crispy Base
- 4 standard Mars Bars (51g each / about 204g total) — or 6 multipack bars (39.4g each)
- 75 g butter
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 225 g Rice Krispies or similar crispy rice cereal
The Chocolate Topping
- 200 g milk chocolate — increase to 300g for a thicker topping
Optional Decoration
- 1 additional Mars Bar, chopped, for scattering over the top
Instructions
Make the Base
- Melt the Mars mixture: Grease and line a 9×9-inch baking tin with parchment paper. Chop the Mars Bars and place them in a large saucepan with the butter and golden syrup. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The nougat inside the Mars Bars takes longer to melt than the chocolate coating — keep stirring patiently until you have a completely smooth mixture.
- Add the rice krispies and press: Pour the rice krispies into the pan and stir until every piece is coated. Tip into the prepared tin and smooth the top firmly. Place in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.
Chocolate Topping and Setting
- Melt and pour the chocolate: Melt the milk chocolate in a microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water. Pour evenly over the crispy base and spread to the edges. Scatter chopped Mars Bar pieces over the wet chocolate if desired. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until the chocolate is fully set. Cut into squares with a large sharp knife.
Notes
The nougat layer inside Mars Bars is stubborn — it takes significantly longer to melt than the chocolate coating and requires constant stirring. Don’t rush it or increase the heat; high heat scorches the mixture. The quantity of Mars Bars is calibrated for standard-size bars (51g each). Multipack bars are lighter (39.4g) so you’ll need 6 instead of 4. For the cleanest cuts, run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe between slices. The set bar keeps refrigerated for up to a week.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Cuisine: Australian, British
Nutrition
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 26
- Sodium: 115
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
