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    Home » candy bars

    How to make homemade star crunch

    Published: Apr 6, 2022 · Modified: Jan 23, 2023 by Hannah · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Homemade star crunch have crispy rice, salted caramel, and milk chocolate.  It's a tasty, textured, explosion in your mouth.  If you love recreating childhood favorites like star crunch little debbie recipe, you'll love my cosmic brownie candy bars and oatmeal cream pie caramels.

    homemade starcrunch

    The little Debbie star crunch recipe is pretty straight forward, but please make sure to read all of the instructions before getting started.

    A couple of things about the star crunch copycat recipe:

    • This recipe is made in two main parts.
      • First, you'll make the caramel.  
      • Second, you'll use a round cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out circles.  You'll cover the circles in a chocolate rice crisp mix.  This is messy but fun.
    • You have to heat up your rice crisp.  If you don't, they will cool the chocolate down too quickly and you won't be able to cover the caramel circles.  Heat them up in a single layer on a baking sheet.
    • I use chocolate flavored candy wafers for these.  They most closely resemble the star crunch flavor.  Ghirardelli is my preferred store brand, but the hobby lobby brand will also work.  Wilton will NOT work, as they are too waxy and thick.
    • Don't have a two inch round cookie cutter?  Turn a water bottle upside down.

    Ingredients - homemade star crunch caramel

    1. evaporated milk
    2. heavy cream
    3. butter
    4. sugar
    5. brown sugar
    6. corn syrup
    7. salt 

    Ingredients - homemade star crunch chocolate crunch

    1. chocolate flavored candy melts or milk chocolate bars (not chips)
      1. I really do think that chocolate flavored candy melts are the way to go here.  They mimic the flavor profile of star crunch much more close than traditional milk chocolate.
    2. crisp rice cereal

    Equipment

    • heavy duty, large thick bottomed pot
    • two, 9 x 13 " sheet pans
    • parchment paper
    • candy thermometer
    • high heat spatula or wooden spoon
    • 2" round cookie cutter
    • large bowl for melting chocolate
    • oven
    • food safe gloves if you don't want to get your hands messy

    Storage and shelf life

    These can be stored an an airtight container at room temperature.  I like to wrap them individually in pink confectionery foil, but it is not necessary to do that.

    Star crunch cookie recipe:

    Homemade Epic Starcrunch

    A salted caramel patty wrapped in a crunchy milk chocolate coating
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Caramel Resting Time 4 hrs
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 pieces

    Equipment

    • thick bottomed heavy duty pot 8 quart minimum
    • candy thermometer
    • 2 9 x 13 sheet pans
    • parchment paper
    • high heat spatula or wooden spoon
    • 2 inch round cookie cutter
    • large bowl for melting chocolate

    Ingredients
      

    Caramel

    • 680 grams evaporated milk 2, 12 ounce cans
    • 380 grams white sugar
    • 300 grams brown sugar
    • 280 grams heavy cream fill up one of the 12 ounce cans
    • 200 grams butter
    • 570 grams corn syrup
    • 4 grams salt

    Chocolate Crunch

    • 672 grams chocolate flavored candy wafers or milk chocolate bars
    • 100 grams crispy puffed rice cereal (rice krispies)

    Instructions
     

    Caramel

    • Line a 9 x 13" pan with parchment.
    • In a heavy duty, thick bottomed pot, combine all caramel ingredients.
    • Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
    • Once boiling, increase heat to medium high.
    • Continue cooking until 239F. Pour on prepared parchment pan.
    • Cool completely, approx. 4-6 hours or overnight.
    • Using a 2' diameter circular cookie cutter, cut caramel circles out. Place on parchment paper.
    • Leftover caramel can be melted down and reused.

    Making the starcrunch.

    • Preheat oven to 350F.
    • Line a 9 x 13" sheet pan with crisp rice cereal. Heat rice crisp for 5 minutes in the oven while you are melting the chocolate.
    • Melt chocolate in a bowl large enough to combine the chocolate and rice crisp.
    • Combine melted chocolate and warm rice crisp. Make sure you completely cover the rice crisp.
    • Using your hands, apply chocolate mix completely around the caramel circle.
    • Set on parchment and allow to set up. This should not be refrigerated.
    • Store in an airtight container. Shelf life is approximately 4 months.

    Video

    Keyword caramel, copycat recipe, homemade starcrunch, how to make starcrunch, milk chocolate, starcrunch at home, starcrunch copycat recipe, starcrunch recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Candy bars you can make at home

    • Homemade snickers bars
    • Jumbo peanut butter cups
    • Fluffy nutella nougat candy bars
    • Peanut Butter Nougat Caramel Candy Bars

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    Hi, I'm Hannah! Candy obsessed and making everyone else that way too. I've spent over a decade in the candy industry, inventing sweets and snacks for the grocery store shelves. Now I'm showing you exactly how to make those top rated candies right out of your home kitchen. I want others to realize you can make real candy at home, really easily!

    More about me →

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