Luscious no-bake chocolate bar (Printable)

A luscious no-bake bar featuring rich chocolate layers over a crunchy cookie base.

# What You Need:

→ Base

01 - 7 oz digestive biscuits or graham crackers, crushed
02 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar

→ Chocolate Layer

04 - 9 oz semisweet or milk chocolate, chopped
05 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp heavy cream
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Topping (optional)

07 - 1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, or peanuts)
08 - 2 tbsp mini chocolate chips or sprinkles
09 - Pinch of sea salt

# How to Make It:

01 - Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring some overhang for easy removal.
02 - Combine crushed biscuits, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press firmly into the prepared pan creating an even layer. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
03 - Place chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a heatproof bowl. Melt over simmering water or in 30-second microwave intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - Pour the melted chocolate mixture evenly over the chilled base and spread with a spatula.
05 - Sprinkle optional chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, and sea salt over the chocolate layer.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the chocolate is firm.
07 - Lift bars from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into 12 squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No oven required—just a pan, some heat, and patience, which means you can make these even on the hottest days when you don't want to turn on the stove.
  • The texture contrast between the crumbly base and silky chocolate layer feels indulgent but comes together in minutes of actual work.
  • They're elegant enough to bring to dinner but casual enough to eat straight from the fridge at midnight.
02 -
  • If your chocolate seizes (becomes grainy and thick), it's usually because water got into it or the heat was too high—this happened to me once with impatience as the culprit, and I learned to respect the gentle melt.
  • The ratio of chocolate to cream is crucial; too little cream and you'll have fudge that cracks when you cut it, too much and it stays soft—100ml to 250g chocolate is the sweet spot I've tested a dozen times.
03 -
  • Press the biscuit base firmly and evenly—a thick base will be crumbly, a thin one won't have enough presence to balance the chocolate, and an uneven one means some bars are all chocolate and others are mostly crumbs.
  • If your kitchen is warm and the chocolate layer keeps softening before you can cut it cleanly, pop the whole pan back in the fridge for 20 minutes before slicing.

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