I am not a huge ice cream fan.
Don’t feel bad for me, I certainly get my sweets in a multitude of other ways.
But, one day last week while doing my weekly grocery shopping, I got seduced by the colorful pints of Ben & Jerry’s down the frozen food aisle. I generally try and avoid the ice cream section altogether…but this day I was feeling weak.
I stood and stared at the pints full of delicious concoctions…I am less intrigued by the ice cream itself, as I am by the add-in combinations.
Honestly, ice cream is just a vehicle for my cookie dough or Schweddy Ball consumption…I could take it or leave it ~ and normally I leave it. Yep, I am one of those who picks out all the goodies and leaves a half eaten pint-full of picked through vanilla. Luckily my husband is a vanilla-man, so he doesn’t mind.
While hypnotized by the shelves of delicious ice cream flavors my eyes stopped on “Chubby Hubby“. I decided the only option at that moment was to buy it. For research. It’s a thing, trust me.
So as soon as I got home after dinner, I decided to sit down and give this ice cream a fair chance. I mean how bad could vanilla ice cream with chocolate peanut butter pretzels, and fudge and peanut butter swirls be? Well, I will tell you…not bad. Not bad at all.
In fact I was so enamored by the pretzely, chocolatey goodness that I figured there must be a more efficient way of consuming them, without having to pick through the needless vanilla.
I bring you the Chubby Hubby Bar. Full of all the salty sweetness you crave without the added ice cream calories. See? I’m really helping you out. I’m a giver.
I know I make lots and lots of bars. I thought about trying to make these in cookie-form, but I’m lazy. Bars are easy.
First make a simple cookie dough and add in some of these little gems…
Yep, the whole bag…minus like, 6 little cups. I think you’re supposed to eat those, you know, more research.
Then mix in some of these…
Then spread the batter into your trusty 9×13 pan.
Try not to eat too much of the dough. You might get a tummy ache…I mean, I hear that it’s possible…
After it’s baked you could stop there…but I think you should pour a little caramel on top.
Then spread some melted chocolate on top of that.
Balls out.
When the chocolate is set up you can share, if you’re feeling generous. Told you I was a giver.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temp
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels
- 1 (8oz) bag of Reese’s Mini cups (or 2 cups coarsely chopped full sized Reese’s)
- 1 (14 oz) bag of caramels, unwrapped
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
How to Make
- Preheat oven to 350
- Spray a 9×13 pan lightly with cooking spray.
- Beat together your butter and sugars until light and fluffy, approx 1 min.
- Add eggs and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
- On low speed add in your salt, baking soda and flour, mixing until just combined.
- Slowly add in your Reeses and Pretzels, mixing until evenly distributed.
- Spread in your prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes.
- Let cool completely. Approx 30 minutes to an hour.
- When cooled, melt your caramels and 2 Tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl stirring every minute until melted.
- Pour over your bars.
- Chill in fridge for 15 minutes to set caramel.
- Melt your chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave and spread over caramel.
- Put back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
- Cut into squares when ready to serve.
Hi! I’m Shelly and I’m an addict. Of the buttercream sort. I started this site a few years ago as a way to justify my sugary, buttery obsession with desserts. It has worked out well for me so far, because as it turns out you guys all love sugary, buttery desserts too! It feels good to know you are not alone, doesn’t it? 
I feel like I could just like my computer screen. Awesomely delicious!
Christy Denney recently posted..Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta
WOW. just wow. I happen to LOVE ice cream, and this is my favorite flavor. these sound amazing and the photos are just stunning!
Kristina @ spabettie recently posted..XGFX guest post
Um…these look insanely delicious. I can’t even form words these look so amazing!
MegSmith @ Cooking.In.College recently posted..Zucchini & Goat Cheese Socca Pizza
Yeah… those look super yummy!
Emily@SoDomesticated recently posted..Apple Cinnamon Cookie Clouds…
Chubby Hubby is my all-time favorite ice cream flavor–mainly because it is a vehicle for peanut butter, chocolate, and salt. These bars look amazing! Well done!
Kirsten is Comfortably Domestic recently posted..Sometimes I Can’t Help Myself. Others I Help Myself Too Much. Case In Point: Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes
Um, excuse me, but your child has the most gorgeous eyes. Like, is he a model? Wow. You are going to have a heart breaker on your hands!!!!
(great bars too!)
drooling! YUM!
Ka-razy good looking! If I were your neighbor I’d waddle over for some of these.
Amy | She Wears Many Hats recently posted..Soup and Stew Favorites
Oh my gracious alive! Chubby Hubby nothing – these definitely will add to my squishiness, I can tell!
Robyn | Add a Pinch recently posted..Mingle Monday {10-3-11}
Oh my…..look at all that ooey, gooey, yummy caramel. Another must try.
Oh yeah, and I can totally relate to your hubby…I’m a vanilla person too.
These are totally fat free and “light”, right? Thought so.
I’d like to make a batch tonight and go to town on them. They look FABULOUS!
Holy moley! These are my DREAM!
Katrina recently posted..Curried Corn Chowder and A Cookbook GIVEAWAY
I’ll be honest…I adore ice cream more than life itself. But when I’m trying to pretend that I’m actually not eating the ice cream, I nibble out all of the mix-ins. Mix-in calories don’t count. That’s also totally a thing.
These look amazing! I love chubby hubby…probably even better in bar form.
Joanne recently posted..Recipe: Honey Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
Oh my, these look awesome! Chubby Hubby is one of my favorite Ben and Jerry flavors. I love that you snuck in a Schweddy Balls reference as well!
Will definitely have to try these bars!
Those bars look incredible with the caramel oozing out the sides! I seriously should just keep your blog as my home page because I have been saving every single recipe lately!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet recently posted..Pumpkin Party
haha!!
dangalishious! Not good to see that picture when you’re on a diet!! First thing I will make once I go off! Wow, it’s going to be a long night! lol
You’ve made me obsessed with Chubby Hubby now. And they don’t sell it at my store. We DO however, have an abundance of Schweddy Balls there. Because you know….that’s waaaay more preferable?
I guess I will have to make these bars as a substitute.
And your little man is adorable!!
Cookbook Queen recently posted..Homemade Zebra Cakes
damn it all anyways . . . chubby hubby just happens to be one of my favorite ice creams and i figured i was safe as long as i avoid the ice cream aisle . . . sigh . . .
SMITH BITES recently posted..52 sundays; october 2, 2011 – BARN PROJECT, SEPTEMBER WINNER
I don’t think there is one ingredient that you missed to make these bars the perfect indulgence!
Mercedes@Satisfy My Sweet Tooth recently posted..Soft and Chewy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
I just sooooo pinned this! Looks amazing. Thanks for doing what you do!
The thought of the crunchy salty pretzels and that ooey gooey caramel is making my mouth water. These look incredible!
Kim recently posted..The Homesick Texan’s Strawberry Sheetcake & The Eggland’s Best Giveaway Winner!!
What a handsome little boy you have and what a great photograph. He certainly looks like he is enjoying your delicious looking bars!
Paula recently posted..Golf and Blueberry Pie
What a fabulous idea you hit upon in your research:) Mmmmmm! Your taste-tester looks pretty happy:)
Sue recently posted..Halloween Pizzas
I seriously should not look at blogs at night. These are making me want to go into the kitchen and make some right now!!
Deborah recently posted..Saturdays with Rachael Ray – Butternut Squash Risotto
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!
Lara recently posted..Cupcake al Cioccolato bianco e latticello, con ganache al Cioccolato bianco
Hi
How many bars do this recipe make.
I would say it makes about 30 bars…depending on how large you cut your bars
We only got Chubby Hubby in the UK for about 2 months, and I LOVED it, but then it was gone, never to been seen again
These bars look sooooo good!! Thank you
You are trying to kill me. Yes you are.
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted..Homemade Butterfingers {Mad Scientist Baker}
Ironically enough, this past weekend I’ve been craving ice cream like a mad woman! I love Ben & Jerry’s ice cream but never heard of the “Chubby Hubby” flavor. I must find that and then make these bars STAT!
Erika – The Teenage Taste recently posted..Caramelized Onion Macaroni & Cheese
I love chubby hubby, what a fantastic idea, these look so wonderful!
Mal @ The Chic Geek recently posted..October Giveaway: Bath & Body Works Spook-tacular Bag
Do the pretzels remain crunchy or do they get soft when baked?
I love Chubby Hubby ice cream. I may have to make these bars for my birthday instead of a cake!
they get softer but not mushy..they definitely add a texture tot he bars
hmmm, maybe I’ll mix in some pretzels with the chocolate topping also.
Pretzels + chocolate + caramel = heaven. These bars look great!
Shannon recently posted..Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Wow your the best!!!! Thank You
Can’t wait to make these
I’m the same way with ice cream. I could take it or leave it, but the adds-ins I’ll take anyday. These bars looks so yummy. Definitely remind me of a Take 5.
Kate recently posted..Mini Applesauce Cupcakes
Oh my gracious! All of my favorite flavors all wrapped up in one cookie bar?! Love it! Pinned…Tweeted…shouted out to Facebook! YUM!
Jennifer @ Jane Deere recently posted..Ile de France Cheese Giveaway & Asparagus Brie Tart
i think we’ll have a chubby hubby AND a chubby wife once i make these bars
i can’t wait!
These look crazy good! I love that picture of your son eating one, he’s a very handsome food model!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen recently posted..Marinated Roasted Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomatoes with Garlic and Thyme | Preserving Summer
Crazy good!!!
You make me feel envious of my computer screen!
Choc Chip Uru recently posted..The Monkey Within – Banana Bread #1
Stop it! I can’t take it…
I can’t.
I want. I want reallllllllllllllllllllllllly much.
Wenderly recently posted..Drying Herbs
oooo i am obsessed with pretzels and chocolate right now and i wanna make them cause my bf will get a total kick outta the name
Christina @ Ovenadventures recently posted..I Made Caramels – Twice
YUM YUM YUM!! I adore Chubby Hubby Ice cream, and the only thing that comes closest to it is the Take Five candy bar from Hershey’s (this is a blurb off their site: TAKE 5 Candy Bar
HERSHEY’S TAKE 5 provides a unique taste experience by combining pretzels, caramel, peanuts and peanut butter, and covering it all with chocolate for a delicious salty sweet snack unlike anything else.)
So being able to make it homemade is SOOOOOOOO much better, yum, thank you!!!
Yet another common bond. Ice cream is not my favorite either but I’ve found other ways
GREAT RECIPE!
sweetsugarbelle recently posted..Owl in Pumpkin Cookies {Creative Cookie Cutters}
Wow these look amazing! I don’t think I have ever tried chubby hubby before….hmmmm
JulieD recently posted..M&M White Chocolate Candy Corn Blondies
These look so caramel-y and delicious!!
Tracy recently posted..Pumpkin Pudding
Those look awesome…I love the name too….although I’m sure they will make me chubby as well as my hubby chubby if I eat them! But seriously, if I had those ingredients on hand I would make them RIGHT NOW~!!!! But there’s always tomorrow …right
Mighty Morgan recently posted..Sweet Pumpkin Delight Dessert
How can you not love ice cream, especially ben and jerry’s??? I have a small obsession over them and have set out to eat every single flavor.
Maria (Crispy’s Cafe) recently posted..Pumpkin Bread
I second that. Totally ice cream obsessed! Heading over to your blog now Maria, obviously you’ve got a good head on your shoulders
i’m a new reader and what a day to start reading on! i’ve never heard of chubby hubby bars but i can imagine they’d make other people (me) chubby too
especially those of us with no self control!
oh, you are soooooo ba-ha-haa-haad!!!….but genius
Shut. UP. Chubby Hubby is my ALL TIME FAVE. I literally lived off of it last fall. It was a great experiment (unintentionally) for that theory that it doesn’t matter what you eat, but how many calories you consume, that dictates how much weight you lose. I lost about 10 lbs on an all Chubby Hubby diet. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Ho.Ly. Crap. Am I allowed to say that? I love Chubby Hubby and these look AMAZING. Can’t wait to try them! Pinning and stumbling this one!
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray recently posted..Pasta and Pancetta in a Smoky Tomato Sauce
my husband LOVES chubby hubby – he would flip over these.
wow, You have read my mind. Chubby Hubby is my favorite! I’m going to make this immediately.
Kelly @ Free Spirit Food recently posted..Pineapple Mango Salsa
Never stop making bars!!!!! Every recipe I try from your blog is amazing and met with rave reviews. Thanks for your constant sugary inspiration!
OH WOW!!! I am so going to try these. The holidays are coming so I will have lots of people to share this with…..
30 minutes ago I just ate all the chocolate chip cookie dough balls out of my kids ice cream because I don’t like the vanilla around it.
a woman after my own heart!
These look soooo delicious. Wow. Can’t wait to get home and try these out- hopefully they look as good as those!
I have been trying a new receipe a week for the past several months (thank you Pinterest), never have I received the praise i’ve gotten with these! I have a feeling I will be making these on a regular basis! Thank you!! : )
These are going to be dangerous:)
Maria recently posted..Shrimp Tacos with Grilled Poblano Salsa
Oh my! I am so very glad I found your blog…
I discovered that they have all the ingredients to make these beautiful bars at Trader Joe’s, and I just so happened to pick them up last night to make for football this weekend. I’ll report back the (inevitable) praises of the masses
I can’t wait!!!
Yes! Definitely let me know!!
All of my favorite things in one yummy bar. I can’t wait to try these out!
Anne recently posted..More Wedding Favors
Can you reprint the last 1/2 of the instructions? They are covered by the buttons on the bottom of the page. Thanks, I really want to make these!!
ellen recently posted..Dirty Girl Scout Cookies
On the printable recipe?
How much flour is in the recipe? I’m mid-way and can’t seem to find that…
There are 2 1/2 cups of flour, it’s listed as the first ingredient in the recipe
My favorite Ben and Jerry’s flavor! Pinning and stumbling this insanity.
Amy @ A Little Nosh recently posted..Weekend Fun and Menu Plan Monday 10/10
Made these today, the caramel made them way too chewy, took away from the rest of the bar
any way around this?
Maybe add a little more water to the caramel when you are melting it…I used kraft caramels…they weren’t chewy at all when melted with a bit of water. Maybe give that a try?
If these taste half as good as they look their could be a wedding ceremony. I am making them tonight. Be on the look out for your wedding invite. I am doing a no sugar thing until thanksgiving – except a treat every 2 weeks. This will be my special treat. Whoa.
cannot wait to try these bars. love your site; excellent design and photos!
Had these at a party tonight. is it a bad thing that I am hiding the 3 I brought home from my husband and kids. Now I must say, We had these bars with a scoop of ice cream and if the actual ice cream Chubby Hubby is anything like the dish I had, I have a new favorite ice cream!
had these at a party tonight. is it a bad thing that I am hiding the three I brought home from my husband and boys? We had our bars with a side scoop of ice cream. So if the actuall ice cream Chubby Bubby is anythign like this was, I may have a new favorite ice cream.
Not bad at al!!!
I just made these and my caramel is hard…hard to cut through and hard to bite… Does that mean I over warmed it up? Oh no, I forgot the 1 tbsp of water… would that do it? bummer… I made 2 batches and they’re both like that…
Yes, without the water the caramel is going to get really chewy
Today, I separated the caramel and chocolate off the bars, put the cookie mix in my kitchenaid and re-melted the caramel and used the chocolate to dip them in – as cake balls. So, if you forget to add water to the mix, you can always make cake balls
Shut The Front Door!! These look Fabulous!!!! Must try them soon!
Just made these…in the over RIGHT NOW! Can’t wait to try them!
awesome! let me know how you like them
Let me just say that it’s almost 9:00 at night and I’m drooling looking at these pictures. I so wish I had one of these right now!
Robin @ Simply Southern Baking recently posted..Toffee Pear Pumpkin Pie Bread
Oh my gosh, Chubby Hubby is my favorite BJ’s flavor, thank you for making these!!! Thoughts of giving up sugar have flown out the window, now that I’ve seen these!
These look amazing!! I’m planning on making them for a group Bible study tonight- about how many did your recipe serve? We usually have about 20 people so I was thinking of doubling it… should I triple it, do you think?
Emily recently posted..Pumpkin Muffins & A Dance Party: Fall Cousin Movie LOVE!!!
Chubby Hubby ice cream is my fave, so I decided to make these for a party. They were delicious!!! I’ll definitely be making these again. Thank you!
Was your cookie a little gooey on the inside? I’m edging closer to 35 minutes at 350 and my inside of the cookie is still super gooey. Going to continue cooking until it’s a little gooey since that is what makes a really yummy cookie
but thought I’d ask anyway. Can’t wait to try them!
My cookie wasn’t super gooey, but I love a gooey cookie! Just let them cool completely before you cute them or you’ll have a mess
A yummy mess, but still a mess
These were DELISH – and right up there with your Caramel Swirled Pretzel M&M Blondies (which are still my all-time faves).
Anne recently posted..Caramel Apple Cookies
These look absolutely sinful. Love it!
Tessa recently posted..SRC: Caramelized Onion, Spinach, and Pumpkin Hummus Pizza on a Rosemary Crust
These look amazing!!! I will definitely have to try them. My favorite ice cream is Chubby Hubby and I recently found out I am allergic to milk… so no more ice cream. =( I will definitely have to make this recipe. Thanks!!! =D
I made these for my hubby’s bday (which is tomorrow… yay for planning ahead!) and if they taste half as good as they look/smell, I’m going to be a hero! However, I am not telling him what they’re called. Because if he ever dared make a dessert for me called Chubby Wife Bars he would be in BIG trouble
Hahaha! Let me know if u like them!
A friend of mine posted this on her FB page. I am NOT a ‘baker’ but i HAD to try these…after reading all the comments i was sure to add water to the caramel b/c i actually like it thinner and not chewy. I think i may have added as much as a half cup till it was s fairly thin consistency and it worked well. I was also sure to add the broken pretzels by gently folding them in and i think that helped them remain crunchy vs soft when they were baked.
These have been a huge hit! THANKS!
Awesome!! So glad to hear that they turned out
I think I love you…. or your website…. or both lol is that weird?
I just made these for my parents to take to a Christmas Party….I told my dad he could only have 1/4 a bar because he’s diabetic and I don’t want him to fall into a coma before Christmas…these things are AWESOME…I hope they’re a hit.
I saw these pinned on Pinterest a week or so ago…and saved them specifically to make for my work holiday cookie exchange. I made them this afternoon…and O.M.G. They are out of this world amazing!!
I made these this weekend! My chocolate breaks away from the carmel when I cut them. Anything Im doing wrong? I cooled the carmel 1st before adding the chocolate. They are still amazing!!! Very yummy!! Thanks for sharing!!
Was your chocolate cold when you cut them or room temp?
room temp when I cut them
Just experienced the rapture and reading this recipes shows me that I was chosen.
Lyn recently posted..Homecooked Ideas for Cold Weather
I made these yesterday and followed the recipe as written. They’re time consuming to make because of the cooling times and rather messy but well worth it. I brought them into work to rave reviews!!
Just made these for the second time
They are crazy delicious and lovely to make.
I just made these and they are amazing. Thanks so much for sharing this. I will be making these again!!
Lee recently posted..Best Ever Toaster Waffles
these look and sound amazing, i have yet to find ben and jerry’s “chubby hubby” ice cream here in canada(if someone knows wherre i can please let me know) but we do have this Cadbury dairy milk bar thats got peanut butter and pretzels, which is absolutely divine…so ill be definetly trying this recipe!!!
These looked so good, I was dying to try for my book group! I initially went the lazy route & got refrigerator cookie dough…let’s just say that did not go well since there is way less dough in one of those than a regular recipe & I ended up w/ a rock hard chunk of cookie/reese’s…2nd go around was better w/ real cookie dough, but I followed the instructions and added the pretzels & reeses to the mixer on the lowest setting- in the future I would either hand fold in or add the pretzels especially to the caramel instead of the dough, as they were pretty much lost in my bars, not much saltiness and no crunch at all. They are really hard to cut through as others have said, I might soften the caramel with more water in the future also.
I am thinking my leftovers are going to be awesome heated up w/ some vanilla ice cream….yum!
These sound so amazing, they won as the new recipe to try. I am taking them to the last PTO meeting, where I am the president, and we are thanking all the committee chair persons. I just know I will get asked for the recipe…so I wanted to print it out in your cool fonts with your blog address, but the print link doesn’t work. The meeting is Thursday, May 3rd 2012 at 5 pm. Is it possible to make something I can print and take with me to pass out?
Thanks so much!!
The printable feature on all my old posts somehow got disabled…I am in the process of transferring them all over to the new print recipe option. So sorry! I will work on this one today!
Thank you! Thank You!!
Guess what I just did. I won a bake-off at work using this recipe. Yes, I did. Woo hoo! Thanks for a great recipe! These are delicious!