No-Bake Crunchy Chocolate Turrón With Just 4 Ingredients 🎄
In Spain, crunchy chocolate turrón is the one that always disappears first from the Christmas tray 🤗 Think of it as a homemade Crunch bar: chocolate and puffed rice, set into a thick bar. This is our homemade version of Suchard, the classic Spanish brand, and probably the easiest turrón you’ll ever make: 4 ingredients, no baking and about 15 minutes of work. The fridge does the rest.
All you need is chocolate, almond butter, butter and puffed rice. We make it with puffed brown rice, just one ingredient, and it has more puffed rice than the store-bought kind: that’s why it’s so crunchy. We explain why each ingredient matters in the 4 ingredients.
Plus, giving homemade turrón is a wonderful idea for Christmas 🎁 And if it’s your first time making turrón, don’t worry: we show you which pan to use and the tips for keeping it really crunchy.
How We Make It at Home, Step by Step
Homemade Crunch Bars (Spanish Chocolate Turrón)
Equipment
- Loaf pan Ours is 23 cm (9 in) long; a food container works too
- Saucepan For the double boiler; or use the microwave
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 200 g milk chocolate 7 oz; chocolate bars for melting
- 100 g dark chocolate 3.5 oz; or use all milk chocolate for a milder taste
- 60 g almond butter ¼ cup; 100% almonds, or hazelnut butter
- 40 g unsalted butter scant 3 tbsp; cubed
- 70 g puffed brown rice about 4½ cups; just rice, or puffed rice cereal: about 2⅔ cups
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate. All 300 g, chopped, in a heatproof bowl. Over a double boiler, with the bowl set over a pot of hot water without touching the water, or in the microwave in 20-30 second bursts, stirring in between.
- Add the butter and almond butter. When the chocolate is almost melted, the 40 g of cubed butter and the 60 g of almond butter.
- Stir until smooth. It should be a thick, very glossy cream with no lumps.
- Add the puffed rice. All 70 g at once.
- Fold gently. With the spatula, folding until all the rice is coated in chocolate.
- Line the pan. With parchment paper hanging over the sides: you'll use it to lift the turrón out.
- Pour into the pan and smooth. Spread the mixture out and smooth the top without pressing down: if you squash it, it loses its crunch.
- Chill it. At least 2 hours, ideally 8 or overnight. The longer it rests, the cleaner it cuts.
- Lift it out. Pulling up on the parchment paper by the sides.
- Cut into pieces. With a large knife, pressing straight down. It makes 16 pieces of about 30 g (1 oz).
Notes
- If you use puffed rice cereal, like Rice Krispies, use the same amount: 70 g (about 2⅔ cups). It’s the one you’ll see in the photos.
- It keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, well wrapped or in an airtight container. More in how to store them.
- Giving it as a gift? Here’s how to wrap it and when to make it.
- If you’re making it for someone with celiac disease, check the labels: many puffed rice cereals and chocolates say they may contain traces of gluten.
Any questions about the recipe? Ask us in the comments and we’ll get back to you. And if you make it, tell us how it turned out, we love hearing from you! 🤗
The 4 Ingredients, and Why Each One Matters
With so few ingredients, each one counts. None of them is hard to find: they’re in any supermarket, and all four come in organic versions too, if that’s how you like to shop.
Chocolate for Melting: Milk and a Little Dark
We use classic chocolate bars for melting: 200 g (7 oz) of milk chocolate and 100 g (3.5 oz) of dark. The dark chocolate balances the sweetness and gives it a deeper flavor. If your family prefers it milder, you can make it with milk chocolate only.
Almond Butter: The Turrón Flavor
It’s what gives it that flavor reminiscent of the Spanish original. If you read the label on Suchard, the best-known chocolate turrón in Spain, you’ll see it contains ground almonds and hazelnuts. We use 100% almond butter, made with nothing but almonds: it adds a gentle nutty flavor without any extra sugar, because the chocolate already brings all the sweetness.
You can also use hazelnut butter, which gives it a little more of a praline taste, or go half and half to get even closer to the original.
Butter, So It Cuts Without Breaking
It’s the ingredient people ask us about most. The fat in the butter and the almond butter keeps the chocolate from setting too hard as it cools. That’s why this turrón cuts into clean pieces instead of snapping into shards like a chocolate bar. We use regular unsalted butter.
Puffed Brown Rice, Just One Ingredient
These days we make it with organic puffed brown rice, which is just rice, with no added sugar. We like it even better this way: the chocolate brings the flavor and the sweetness, and the rice does what it does best, crunch.
In the photos you’ll see puffed rice cereal, like Rice Krispies, which is what we used the first few times. It works just as well, you’ll find it in any supermarket, and the amount is the same: 70 g (about 2⅔ cups).
A fun fact: in classic Suchard, puffed rice makes up 9% of the bar. In ours it’s much more, and you can tell in every bite 😋
Which Pan to Use
You don’t need a special pan. What matters is that it’s rectangular and not too big, so the turrón sets tall, like a thick bar. If the container is too big, the mixture spreads out and you end up with a thin sheet.
Any of these will work:
- A loaf pan, the kind you use for sandwich bread or pound cake. Ours is cast iron and 23 cm (9 in) long, about the size of a standard loaf pan.
- A rectangular silicone mold.
- A rectangular food storage container, plastic or glass.
- A small baking dish.
Since it doesn’t go in the oven, the material doesn’t matter. Just line it with parchment paper and leave some overhang on the sides: then you lift it out by the paper and the turrón comes out whole, without breaking.
Tips for Extra-Crunchy Homemade Crunch Bars
Melt the Chocolate Gently
Over a double boiler, set the bowl over a pot of hot water without letting it touch the water, and don’t let a single drop get in: a little water or steam makes chocolate thicken and turn grainy. In the microwave, use 20-30 second bursts, stirring in between so it doesn’t burn. It should end up smooth, glossy and lump-free.
Add the Butter and Almond Butter Before It’s Fully Melted
Add them while there are still a few pieces of chocolate left unmelted. The heat left in the bowl finishes melting everything without overheating the chocolate, and after a couple of minutes of stirring you have a smooth, thick, very glossy cream.
Fold Gently and Don’t Press
Fold in the rice with a spatula until everything is coated. And when you put it in the pan, smooth the top without pressing down. If you squash it, the rice breaks and the turrón loses some of its crunch.
Be Patient With the Fridge
At least 2 hours, but ideally 8 or overnight. The longer it rests, the firmer it gets and the cleaner it cuts. To cut it, use a large knife and press straight down in one motion.
A Homemade Christmas Gift
Homemade turrón is one of the loveliest gifts you can give at Christmas: you can’t buy it in any store, you can tell it was made with time and care, and on top of that, you get to eat it 😋
You can give it whole, straight out of the pan, or cut it into pieces and share them out in little boxes if you’d like a small gift for several people.
- How to wrap it. First in parchment paper, which keeps the grease in, then in kraft paper or a small cardboard box. Some string and a handwritten label, and you’re done.
- What to write on the label. The date and “keep refrigerated.” That way, whoever gets it knows how long it lasts and won’t leave it next to the heater.
- When to make it. It keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but make it no more than a few days before you give it, so the person receiving it has time to enjoy it.
And if the person you’re giving it to likes to buy organic, you can make it with all four ingredients organic.
If you love homemade gifts, our homemade vanilla extract is another of our favorites. Just keep in mind that it needs several weeks to steep, so start it early.
How to Store Homemade Crunch Bars
They keep perfectly for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, well wrapped in parchment paper or in an airtight container. That’s why you can make them days before the holidays.
If your kitchen is cool, they also keep outside the fridge, always away from any heat source. Keep in mind that, because of the butter, they soften sooner than a chocolate bar.
Homemade Crunch Bars FAQ
What’s in the original Spanish chocolate turrón?
Chocolate, puffed rice and nuts. If you read the label on Suchard, the best-known chocolate turrón in Spain, you’ll see it contains ground almonds and hazelnuts. That’s why our homemade version uses nut butter: we use almond, but you can also use hazelnut, or half and half.
Are these the same as rice krispie treats?
No. Rice krispie treats are held together with melted marshmallows, so they’re soft and chewy. This turrón has no marshmallows: just chocolate, almond butter and butter, so it sets firm and crunchy, more like a Crunch bar.
Can I use hazelnut butter instead of almond butter?
Yes, in the same amount: 60 g. With hazelnut it will taste a little more like praline. What matters is that it’s 100% nuts, with no added sugar or oils.
Can I use a chocolate hazelnut spread instead of nut butter?
We haven’t tried it. We use 100% nut butter because it brings the turrón flavor without adding sugar, and the chocolate already provides all the sweetness it needs.
Can I make it with only milk chocolate?
Yes. Use 300 g (10.5 oz) of milk chocolate for melting. We add 100 g of dark because it balances the sweetness, but if your family prefers it milder, it turns out just as good.
Can I use chocolate chips?
We haven’t tried it: we always use chocolate bars for melting. Chocolate chips are made to hold their shape in the oven, so they often melt thicker and less glossy. If you try them, tell us how it went in the comments.
Can I use Rice Krispies or another puffed rice cereal?
Yes, it’s the one you’ll see in the photos, and in the same amount: 70 g (about 2⅔ cups). These days we make it with puffed brown rice, just one ingredient, but both work.
Why is there butter in it?
So you can cut it. The fat in the butter and the almond butter keeps the chocolate from setting too hard as it cools, so the turrón cuts into clean pieces instead of snapping like a chocolate bar.
Why did my chocolate get thick and grainy when I melted it?
It’s almost always water or steam. Over a double boiler, the bowl shouldn’t touch the water, and not a single drop should get in. In the microwave, the usual cause is overheating: melt it in short 20-30 second bursts and stir in between.
How long does it need in the fridge?
At least 2 hours. Ideally 8 or overnight: the longer it rests, the firmer it gets and the cleaner it cuts.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, it keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge, well wrapped or in an airtight container. That’s why it’s perfect to make before the holidays or to give as a gift.
Do I need a special pan?
No. A loaf pan, a silicone mold, a food container or a small baking dish all work. Since it doesn’t go in the oven, the material doesn’t matter: just line it with parchment paper.
How many pieces does it make?
16 pieces of about 30 g (1 oz). If you’re giving it as a gift, you can give it whole or share the pieces out in little boxes.
Can I store it outside the fridge?
If your kitchen is cool, yes, always away from any heat source. Because of the butter, it softens sooner than a chocolate bar, so in a warm house it’s better in the fridge.
Can I make it with white chocolate?
We haven’t tried it yet. If you give it a go, keep two things in mind: white chocolate burns very easily, so melt it over very gentle heat or in short bursts in the microwave; and it sets softer than milk or dark chocolate, so you may need a little less butter for it to cut well. If you make it, tell us in the comments how it turned out.
Made This Recipe or Have a Question?
Any questions before you start? Ask us down below and we’ll get back to you. And if you’ve already made it, tell us how it turned out or leave us a rating: it really helps more people find the recipe 😊
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