Food can evoke some very powerful memories, especially of one’s childhood. Being a competitive swimmer when I was younger meant that my diet consisted (mostly) of healthy, energy giving food with sweet treats being exactly that, a special treat. One of the first delights I remember making with my Mum was Mars bar slice. I was about five at the time and was allowed to mix the ingredients together to create a memorable delicacy. Imagine, crispy rice bubbles bound by a rich, slightly chewy, chocolate-caramel mixture and spread with a luscious chocolate icing. Once a childhood treat, now a guilty pleasure, this slice is very moreish for kids and adults alike!
Mars bar slice (recipe from my Mum – one of a trillion out there)
makes 20 – 25 pieces
Ingredients
3 cups (100g/3.5 ozs/¼lb) rice bubbles
3 x 53g Mars Bars (*See below for US version)
90g (3 ozs/¾ of a stick) unsalted butter
200g (7 ozs/½lb) milk or semisweet chocolate (cooking or normal eating chocolate)
20g (1½ tablespoons) unsalted butter
Preparation
Grease and line 26cm x 16cm slice tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the rice bubbles into a large bowl.
Chop Mars bars into chunks and place in saucepan along with butter. Melt together, breaking down the Mars Bars with a spatula. This will take a few minutes.
Once the mixture begins to come together I use a whisk to finish it off. You need to bring it to a boil to get it to come together completely. Just before it does it will look like it has split but keep stirring.
Once combined add the caramel to the rice bubbles and stir quickly to combine well.
At this stage I can almost guarantee that you will want to dive in and taste the mixture. Please don’t. The mixture is very hot and you will burn your mouth, trust me, I speak from experience!
Pour the mixture into the tin.
Melt the chocolate and butter together, pour over slice. Refrigerate until chocolate and slice are firm, minimum of 1 hour. Remove slice from the tin and cut into pieces.
My tips: *The quantities listed make a thin slice, if you would like it thicker simply increase by 1 each. That is, 4 cups rice bubbles, 4 Mars bars and 4ozs (125g) butter. *Don’t use cheap rice crispies, they just don’t work as well, I use the Kellogs brand. *From memory and experience when living in the US a few years ago, Mars bars are not the same as those ‘Down Under’. They don’t have the caramel section and therefore the mixture doesn’t turn out the same. Some other caramel bars might work. Since I wrote this post I have found out that Mars Bars have been re-released into the US market. I am not sure of the size of the bar you will need to use but think they are about 58g or approximately 2 ozs, so I would use three of those.
ease: 10/10. (this is even kid friendly so long as an adult heats the mixture).
prep time: 15mins.
cooking time: None.
total: 15 mins + chilling
taste: 10/10. It is what it is. Sweet, sticky, slightly chewy caramel flavoured crisp morsels covered in chocolate. Does it get any better?
would I make it again: Yes – especially when there are some kids around to make it with me.
Oh my, these look dangerously good! And I like how you don’t have to turn the oven on to bake them, which makes them ideal when the weather is toasty hot.
My oh my these look to die for!
I think what we call Mars Bars, Americans call Milky Ways. It’s a little confusing! These look amazing. I haven’t had Mars Bar slice for years but I just might have to change that.
These look really yummy.
Rice bubbles – same as Rice Krispie cereal in US I wonder? Not sure what rice bubbles are?
Crispy, sweet, chewy and chocolatey, my kind of bar!!!
Thank you to you all for your comments. For those in the US, (I think) Mars Bars are the most similar to your Milky Way but so long as you have a choclate bar that has he malt mousse with caramel on top covered in chocolate it should work. The rice bubbles are the same as your rice crispies. I hope it works out for you all and you love these as much as I do! Cheers, Fiona
i have made this before with coco pops.
It doesn’t last very long in our house one slice is never enough.
How can I convert these measurements into US system of measuring? These look and sound sooo tatsy, just need to convert the ingredients….
Thanks,
Janica
Hi Janica
I have updated the recipe to allow for US measurements. I hope this is what you need. Please let me know if you have any other questions. My only other advice – make a double batch, these won’t last long!
Enjoy. Fiona
Hi there!
I would love to make this recipe but Mars bars is not sold in my country! Kellog’s Rice Krispies is not sold here as well but I can substitute it using other brand. I’m trying to find other chocolate to substitute Mars bars and hopefully I will sort this out! I used to have this wonderful treat when I lived in Dublin, Republic of Ireland!
Hi Sandra, I hope you are able to find a substitute for the Mars Bars as this really is delicious. Fiona
This is a really great slice. Have been making it for years. But now have livened it up a bit.
With your butter and Mars Bar mix, add in 2 tablespoons of golden syrup or 1/3 can condensed milk and melt as you would normally.
Add in 1 cup coconut and 1 cup crushed mixed nuts (raw, not salted).
Makes a nice change and the nuts give it a great texture.
I am about to try the same type of slice with Snickers Bars, the new ones with 3 types of nuts in them. Should be interesting.
You don’t have to limit yourself to Mars Bars. Try a Cadbury Caramello family block or try a Cadbury Peppermint family block for something different.