The first time I made these Homemade Milky Way Bars, I remember standing in my kitchen, stirring a silky mixture of melted butter and marshmallow fluff, and thinking, this smells better than anything I’ve ever unwrapped from a store-bought wrapper. When the caramel layer started bubbling gently on the stove, filling the whole house with that rich, buttery sweetness, I knew I was in trouble—in the best possible way. As soon as the chocolate set and I cut that first square, the layers held together beautifully: soft nougat on the bottom, gooey caramel in the center, and smooth chocolate on top. It felt like discovering a secret recipe I’d been missing my whole life.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 14 oz caramels (or about 40 individual squares)
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
I’ve played around with the ingredient ratios more times than I’d like to admit, and the combination above gives you the closest homemade version of a Milky Way bar. You can swap the sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk if you increase the sugar slightly, but honestly, the condensed milk gives the nougat its signature creaminess. You can also use all milk chocolate instead of the milk/semi-sweet combo, but I find the mix keeps the bars from becoming overly sweet. For the caramel, wrapped caramels melt beautifully, but high-quality caramel bits work just as well and save a little unwrapping time.
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan
- Microwave-safe bowl
- 9×9 baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
I like using a metal baking pan because it helps the layers chill faster and set more evenly. Parchment paper is absolutely essential; without it, getting the bars out of the pan would be a frustrating nightmare. A silicone spatula works wonders for smoothing layers without sticking. And if you’ve ever tried cutting homemade candy bars with a dull knife, you know how messy that can get—so trust me, use your sharpest blade for those clean, beautiful edges.
Step-by-Step Instructions
The first step is melting your chocolate for the base layer. I place the chocolate chips and a tablespoon of butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in 20-second increments, stirring between each burst. I learned the hard way that chocolate scorches easily, so patience is key. Once the chocolate is smooth and glossy, I pour half of it into the lined baking pan and spread it evenly. I always tap the pan gently on the counter to release any little air bubbles—something I didn’t do the first time, which left tiny gaps in the base layer.
Next comes the nougat. In a saucepan, I melt the butter over medium-low heat, then add the sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow fluff. It takes a few minutes to come together because marshmallow fluff is so sticky, but once it’s smooth and creamy, it looks like a thick, velvety cloud. I remember the first time I made it, I almost ate the whole mixture right out of the pot—it’s that good. I pour the nougat over the chocolate base and spread it gently so it doesn’t mix with the chocolate underneath.
The caramel layer is where the magic really happens. I combine the caramels and heavy cream in a saucepan and let them melt slowly, stirring constantly. I made the mistake once of raising the heat to hurry the process, and it caused the caramel to seize and turn gritty. Low and slow is the way to go. Once it’s perfectly smooth and pourable, I drizzle it over the nougat and spread it quickly before it starts to thicken.(See the next page below to continue…)