Chocolate Nut Squares with Honey and Maple Syrup

Delicious caramelly nut squares drizzled with chocolate are made with real ingredients including honey and maple syrup. A flaky, shortbread crust is topped with the caramel nut layer and then finished with a chocolate drizzle. They’re simple to make, easy to slice, and perfect for sharing with family and friends at the holidays or any time.

While I’ve always been open about my love for all things chocolate (chocolate coconut clusters, quick mini chocolate truffle cakes, and peanut butter chocolate truffles to name a very few), I DO like a few other treat flavors, too. Lemon would probably be my second favorite (have you tried this amazing lemon cake and frosting yet?) with caramel running close behind (caramel coconut shortbread bars or dipped onto apples).

And though this recipe for nut squares with a shortbread based cookie doesn’t have lemon, it does have both caramel and a bit of chocolate. Which means that this recipe definitely makes the cut for our annual Christmas goodie bags:

• Rich?  Check.
• Ooey-gooey? Oh, yes- right there in the caramel layer.
• Chocolate? Of course.
• Special? I think so.
• Complicated? Nope.

These bars are based on a classic recipe that I’ve adapted to use whole wheat pastry flour (though regular flour works, too) in the base and honey and maple syrup in the caramel instead of corn syrup. While these changes make the bars all real food, it doesn’t necessarily make them healthy – they still have quite a bit of sugar in them. But sometimes that’s what holidays and special occasions call for, and one bar has less than 180 calories and a bit of protein, so there’s that. 🙂

Ingredient Notes

Here are some substitutions and tips for the ingredients:

Shortbread Base

• Flour: If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour (it’s getting harder to find – I have the best luck with stores that sell flour and things in self-serve bins), you can use either all regular all-purpose flour or a combo of 2 cups all purpose and 1 cup regular whole wheat flour.
• Sugar: I’ve only used white sugar in this to replicate a shortbread cookie, but there is such a thing as brown sugar shortbread, so you could probably use that.

Caramel Layer

• Sugars: The combo of the brown sugar, honey and maple syrup is the only way I’ve made these. While I’ve not tried it with brown sugar and only honey or only maple syrup, I would guess that they’d work.
• Nuts: This is where you can vary to your heart’s content – use what you have or make a distinct flavor by going with all one nut like walnuts, pecans, or peanuts.
• Whipping cream: I’ve not tried any other substitutions for this in the caramel layer.

How To Make Chocolate Nut Squares

Note: The baked bars will need to cool for 8 hours or overnight, so plan accordingly.

Step 1: Prep pan and make crust. Grease the bottom of an 11×17-inch baking pan AND line with parchment paper (trust me, it will make your life easier to do both). Mix up the crust and break it evenly up over the pan.

Step 2: Pat crust and bake. Press the crust pieces evenly into the prepared pan, building up the edges some (TIP: use the bottom of a measuring cup). Bake just until it begins to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool and reduce the oven to 300 degrees.

TIP: Place a baking pan larger than the pan with the crust on a lower rack of the oven to catch any drips that may occur.

Step 3: Make caramel nut layer. Combine the butter, sugar, honey, and maple syrup in a saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 2-1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream, vanilla, salt, and nuts. Pour onto cooled crust and spread evenly. Place in oven on a rack (over the larger pan) and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling in the center.

Step 4: Cool, cut, and drizzle. Cool on a wire rack 8 hours or overnight. Remove from pan using the parchment overhang and cut into squares. Melt the chocolate in a cup in the microwave for a few seconds and then drizzle over the squares using a spoon or by adding to a baggie and squeezing the chocolate out of a tiny bit of corner cut off.

Storage

Once the chocolate has solidified, you can layer the nut squares on top of each other with parchment or waxed paper between them. Keep them at room temperature for a couple days. For longer storage:

• Fridge: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freeze: Keep them in the freezer (airtight container or baggie) for 2-3 months

Now that I think about it, nuts, caramel and chocolate are probably a pretty universal love – aren’t there a lot of commercial candy bars that are based around these three things?

In fact, these bars are easy to customize to make your favorite candy bar flavor – use all peanuts and call them “Snicker Squares,” all pecans and they are “Pecan Squares,” all walnuts and they are….well, you get the idea.

I hope you enjoy these chocolate drizzled nut bars like we do – be sure to leave a review to let me know!

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5 from 3 votes

Chocolate Nut Squares with Honey and Maple Syrup

Chocolate nut squares sweetened with honey and maple syrup are simple to make, easy to slice, and perfect for sharing with family and friends.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Cooling Time8 hours hrs

Total Time9 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Yield: 5 dozen

1x2x3x

Author: Jami Boys

Equipment

• 11×7-inch baking pan
• Large saucepan

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup + 6 tablespoons butter (equals 1¾ sticks)
• 1 egg
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:

• 1 ¼ cups butter
• 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 3 ½ cups whole or lightly broken nuts any combination- I used mixed nuts and walnuts
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (decrease to 1/4 teaspoon if using salted nuts)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips for drizzle

Instructions

Make Crust:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 11×17-inch baking pan AND line with parchment paper (trust me, it will make your life easier to do both) leaving a 1-inch overhang on two ends to make it easier to remove the bars.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream sugar and butter until light; add egg and beat well.
• Add flour, salt and baking powder and mix until the dough comes together. Pat evenly into the prepared pan, building up the edges some.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes until the crust just begins to brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Reduce the oven to 300 degrees. Place a baking pan larger than prepared pan on the bottom rack of the oven to catch any drips that may occur.

Make Filling:

• Combine the butter, brown sugar, honey, and maple syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for exactly 2-1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in cream, vanilla, salt, and nuts. Pour onto cooled crust and spread evenly.
• Place in oven on a rack over the larger pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling in the center. Cool on a wire rack 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove from pan using the parchment overhang onto a large cutting board. Cut into squares and move them slightly apart.
• Melt the chocolate chips in a cup (or baggie) in the microwave for a few seconds and then drizzle over the squares using a spoon or by cutting a tiny bit off the corner of the baggie and squeezing the chocolate out.
• Let harden before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

*You can also use only all purpose flour or 2 cups all purpose + 1 cup whole wheat.

Make Ahead & Storage:

• Keep them at room temperature for a couple days.
• Fridge: Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• Freeze: Keep them in the freezer (airtight container or baggie) for 2-3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

More Sweet Treats To Try

• Decadent Quadruple Chocolate Brownies
• Espresso Walnut Shortbread Cookies with Dark Chocolate Filling
• Chocolate Chip, Nut & Seed Oatmeal Cookies (gluten free)

This recipe has been updated – it was originally published in 2011, updated in 2017 and 2025.