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You are here: Home / Desserts / No Bake Kettle Corn Bars

No Bake Kettle Corn Bars

October 23, 2019 By Jere Cassidy 20 Comments

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When you go to fairs or festivals do you ever buy a bag of kettle corn?  I mean the really big bag.  For some reason, I think for $2.00 more that really big bag is worth it. But I have realized you can just keep eating and eating that kettle corn and the bag is still full. Am I right? I have the solution for all that popcorn and it is these delicious No-Bake Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Bars.

First Published: July 6, 2012… Last Updated: Oct. 23, 2019

Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Bar

No Bake Kettle Corn Bars cut in squares

For years, my friends have been selling their “Original Kettle Korn” at our local market.  you know they are there from the trail of popcorn down the street.  Rarely does a bag of their kettle corn make it home without someone getting into it right away.  After all, who can resist a sweet and salty crunchy snack?  Of course, I always stop by for a free sample, and before I know it they are filling up a humongous bag of fresh-made kettle corn for me.

Now if you find yourself with extra kettle corn these bars are super simple to make and are similar to Rice Krispie treats, a little chewy and gooey, but better.

But wait, it’s in the middle of the week and no one is making kettle corn, what to do?  Just run to the store and grab a bag or even homemade kettle corn works great in this recipe.

This page may contain affiliate links, please see my full DISCLOSURE for policy details.–

Kettle Corn Bars

The ingredients for these easy No-Bake Kettle Corn Bars are pretty simple

Kettle Corn
Mini chocolate chips
Pecans
Brown sugar
White sugar
Corn syrup
Condensed milk
Butter
Vanilla
Semi-Sweet chocolate chips
Maldon Sea Salt
kettle corn bar ingredients
Not a fan of pecans or maybe you have some coconut you want to use, guess what, the recipe of these no-bake bars is totally flexible.
You can definitely change up ingredients – here are some other suggestions to mix into the kettle corn –
Toffee bits
Peanuts
Pretzels
Butterscotch chips
White chocolate chips
Peanut butter
Coconut
Or,  and this would be awesome – add in spices
Cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cardamom
This list can go on and on which so many possibilities for yummy mix-ins.

How to make Kettle Corn Bars

Start by mixing the kettle corn with the pecans and chocolate chips
pecans, kettle corn and chocolate chips

Steps to make the caramel sauce

Cook the caramel glaze by combining the sugars, corn syrup, condensed milk and butter in a saucepan. Stir constantly and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and boil gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the caramel becomes a nice golden brown color and bubbly all over. Then add the vanilla and give a quick stir.
Making caramel sauce for kettle corn bars
Pour the caramel over the kettle corn mixture and stir to coat. I spray my spoon with cooking spray to keep it from sticking to the caramel. Make sure you use a super big bowl for mixing, otherwise, you will be picking up popcorn from your floor.
pouring carmamel on popcorn and stirring together
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and pack it down with the back of your spoon really well so when you cut the bars the kettle corn sticks together.  Now, let this pan of
yumminess cool.
Kettle corn bars in baking pan
It’s that time to add the finishing touches to these bars and make them over the top delicious. This final step just involves melting chocolate chips in the microwave then spreading over the cooled kettle corn.
Pouring chocolte on top of the kettle corn bars
After you spread chocolate on top of the kettle corn add a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt.  This is totally optional but the salt adds just a bit of wonderful texture on top of the creamy chocolate and then that perfect salty taste that adds to the flavor of the chocolate, caramel and kettle corn.  You can learn about Maldon Sea Salt here.
If you like you can purchase a box of Maldon Sea Salt here. This salt adds a distinctive flavor to your baked goods, savory dishes, and even cocktails.
A box of Maldon Sea Salt

Chocolate Caramel Kettle Corn Snack Bars

with a hint of salty

kettle corn bars topped with chocolate and sea salt

Once that creamy chocolate sets on top of the popcorn bars cut into squares and enjoy.

A great thing about these caramel and chocolate snack bars is they are gluten-free.

Favorite One Hot Oven recipes –

Browned Butter BlondiesBlondies are so simple to make and have a delicious caramel and butter flavor.

Baked Oatmeal with all the Fixins for breakfast or a snack.

No Bake Kettle Corn Bars cut in squares
Print Pin
5 from 11 votes

No-Bake Sweet and Salty Kettle Corn Bars

These Kettle Corn Bars are covered in gooey caramel and topped with chocolate. A perfect way to use that left-over kettle corn.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword kettle corn, no bake bars
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
cool time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 391kcal
Author Jere' @One Hot Oven

Equipment

  • 13 x 9 sheet pan

Ingredients

  • 8 cups kettle corn
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbls. sugar
  • 1/2 cup corn syrup, light
  • 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 5 tbls. butter
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Maldon Sea Salt optional

Instructions

  • Spray cooking spray in the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan
  • In a large bowl mix the kettle corn, pecans and mini chocolate chips
  • In a medium-sized saucepan mix the butter, sugars and sweetened condensed milk.
    Stir constantly over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and boil gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the caramel becomes a nice golden brown color and bubbly all over.
    Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

  • Pour the caramel mixture over the kettle corn mixture with a wooden spoon that is sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Once the mixture is combined pour into the 13" x 9" pan. Spread the mixture out in the pan and pack down with the wooden spoon until it is compact.
    Let cool.
  • Place the chocolate chips in a glass bowl and melt in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring each time until melted.
  • Immediately pour the chocolate on top of the kettle corn mixture in the pan, and sprinkle with the Maldon Sea Salt (optional)

  • After the chocolate has set up cut the bars into squares.
  • Store at room temperature in a covered container for three days

Notes

These bars can be cut directly in the pan or you can loosen the sides of the bars from the pan with a spatula and then pop the whole sheet out of the pan and place on a cutting board. 
This recipe is very adaptable to other ingredients to mix in. Try these options:
Peanuts, Butterscotch chips, Pretzels, Toffee Bits, Peanut Butter
 
One Hot Oven provides approximate nutritional information as a courtesy and cannot guarantee the accuracy for any recipe on this blog.

Nutrition

Serving: 12g | Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5.9g | Fat: 17.6g | Saturated Fat: 10.4g | Cholesterol: 26mg

Kettle Corn Bars with Sea Salt

The semi-sweet chocolate compliments the caramel, and the sea salt adds a zest to the bite,  while the kettle corn gives a nice chewy texture.

Slices of no-bake kettle corn bars
Don’t forget to grab your supplies for making the snack bars.


 

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Enjoy!
Jere’
2Shares

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipe Index

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenni LeBaron

    November 11, 2019 at 11:13 am

    5 stars
    These kettle corn bars look so delicious! These are the perfect blend of sweet and salty and I can’t wait to include them in my holiday gift-giving this year!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 12, 2019 at 11:41 am

      Great idea to give for gift giving.

      Reply
  2. Amanda

    November 11, 2019 at 10:31 am

    5 stars
    I love kettle corn but have never had it in bar form! This will be so perfect for the holidays, and I love how easy this recipe is. Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 12, 2019 at 11:42 am

      Thanks, Amanda, these are easy and so unique. Everyone loves them.

      Reply
  3. Ramona

    November 11, 2019 at 5:34 am

    5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious and I have added some nuts and reduced the sugar slightly – delicious and perfect for my kids’ after school snack. Perfect deliciousness 😉

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 12, 2019 at 11:42 am

      I love the addition of nuts in the bars.

      Reply
  4. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness

    November 9, 2019 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    Love all of the options you give to make these bars. I am going to save this for the summer for when I don’t want to turn on my oven 🙂

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 9, 2019 at 8:01 pm

      These are perfect for the hot summer months.

      Reply
  5. Jacqui Debono

    November 9, 2019 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    I haven’t had rice krispie cakes in so long, and I love them, but these look even better!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 9, 2019 at 8:01 pm

      We like these better too.

      Reply
  6. Emily

    November 9, 2019 at 7:05 am

    5 stars
    These kettle corn bars are a huge hit with my kids! I especially love the generous salt topping!

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 9, 2019 at 7:57 pm

      The salt adds so much flavor to these bars.

      Reply
  7. Erika

    November 9, 2019 at 4:50 am

    5 stars
    What a great dessert idea! I love that these are no bake too.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 9, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      It’s always good to have some no-bake desserts when it’s too hot to bake.

      Reply
  8. Stine Mari

    November 8, 2019 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    What a fantastic way of using a lot of kettle corn! And I love the added crunch and flavor from the pecans. Delicious.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 9, 2019 at 8:00 pm

      I’m a real pecan lover, they go in a lot of my desserts.

      Reply
  9. Alexis

    November 8, 2019 at 6:56 pm

    5 stars
    These kettle corn bars looks delicious! My kids will love this as a sweet treat this weekend.

    Reply
    • Jere Cassidy

      November 9, 2019 at 7:59 pm

      Kids do love these bars and they are so customizable so you can add what you like best.

      Reply
  10. Marthana Sharp

    November 1, 2019 at 6:45 am

    5 stars
    Yes, I always have left over kettle corn and this is a perfect way to finish up that bag. We made these kettle corn bars over the weekend and they were a hit. I love the simple recipe and the addition of all the chocolate. Making this again.

    Reply
  11. esbeads

    July 6, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    Those bars look so yummy I will have to try this! Love the pic of Judy and Lyle too – they are the nicest people!

    Reply

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Jere Cassidy owner of One Hot Oven

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Welcome, I am Jerè

the baker at One Hot Oven. I love sharing recipes both sweet and savory that inspire you to bake at home. Food has a way of bringing us all together, from a simple batch of cookies to a three-tier cake. It is important to gather your family and friends around the table over delicious food, great conversation, joy, and laughter. Let’s bake something wonderful.

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