Bear Paws

A quick and easy candy with so much delicious flavour! Melted milk chocolate coats a mound of thick and gooey caramel and salted peanut goodness. One bite of these Bear Paws is all it takes to win over just about anyone!

A couple of days ago, I shared my recipe for Oreo Polar Bear Pops with you. They are super cute and easy to make, but not everyone is a lover of Oreos. Keeping with the bear theme, let me introduce you to what is now our favourite sweet treat! These Bear Paws are absolutely delicious and they are tremendously easy to make. All you need to do is melt caramel and chocolate!

Speaking of caramel, do you love it or hate it? There seems to be two schools of people when it comes to caramel. There are people that absolutely love it and can’t get enough of it. And, then there are those who don’t like it at all. Are there any in-between people? I really don’t get what’s not to love. It’s thick and gooey, sticky and sweet, and tastes buttery and creamy. Um, excuse me while I run to the fridge to fetch another Bear Paw. Be right back!

Okay, while I eat yet another one, I need to clear something up. Caramel and Carmel are not the same things! So, my dear American friends, stop pronouncing it “car-mel;” there’s an extra “a” in there for a reason. It’s “car-a-mel.” Carmel is a small section of waterfront land in California most commonly known as Carmel by the Sea.

Anyway, I won’t preach from my pulpit of English and Literature righteousness today. Today, we are going to talk about these not-so-pretty, but deliciously decadent Bear Paws!

NO-BAKE RECIPES

I used to think that the term no-bake meant that a recipe was more of an assembly-type recipe. Something like a salad, for example. It sounds simple enough, right? Toss the lettuce and any other veggies you want into a bowl. Top it with cheese, croutons, avocado, hard-boiled egg, etc. Add some dressing and you’re all done! But, no-bake actually just means no baking. There still might be some stove-top cooking needed – or even a microwave, for that matter.

To prepare these Bear Paws, you will need to use your microwave. So, even though they’re no-bake and kid-friendly, you will still need some way to melt the caramels and milk together. You could use a stovetop too. I’d still consider this recipe to be no-bake!

Some other no-bake-type holiday recipes you might enjoy are these Rudolph’s Red Nose Cookies. Hairy Moose Droppings are delicious and always quite the conversation starter! Just like these Caramel Peanut Slices were a favourite of my mom’s so were these Marshmallow Coconut Balls and so were these Christmas Crunch Cookies. You can find many more no-bake cookie recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen by using the search field at the top of this page.

LORD BYRON’S 12 SNACKS & TREATS OF CHRISTMAS

Another holiday series, Lord Byron? Yes – why not!? Welcome, Dear Reader, to my last Christmas series this holiday season! I’m calling this series Lord Byron’s 12 Snacks & Treats of Christmas. Unlike the 24 Cookies of Christmas series that ended a few days ago, this series will focus on easy-to-make snacks and treats that are both delicious and festive.

I will try to keep the recipes in this series quick and easy too. Most of them will require the help of a microwave rather than an oven. And, a bunch of them will involve more assembly-type tasks rather than preheating, beating, whipping, etc.

Just like every other series that I’ve shared here, this series will also see a new snack or treat recipe shared with you, Dear Reader, each and every single day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday snacks and treats year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW SO THAT YOU NEVER MISS OUT ON NEW RECIPES!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Snacks & Treats of Christmas! Fresh off of my 12 Edible Wreaths of Christmas, my 12 Bars and Squares of Christmas series, and Volume 5 of my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas series, I’m ready to plow through the next 12 days with you once again.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday recipe countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. Are you ready!!??

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Kraft Caramels – These individually wrapped soft caramels are the only caramels I ever use! They’re a pain to unwrap, but it’s worth the effort in the end!
• Milk – Whenever I bake or cook with milk, I use whole milk unless stated otherwise.
• Butter – I used salted butter because I knew the salt would help to balance the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract
• Salted Peanuts – I love the crunch of the salted peanut bits in contrast to the chewiness of the caramel. You can use other nuts like pecans or cashews too. Salted peanuts were an easy choice for me to offset the sweetness. You can use unsalted nuts.
• Milk Chocolate Chips

KRAFT CARAMELS

I mentioned in the ingredient list above that you will need individual Kraft caramels to make this recipe. You will need 40 of them. Most commonly, unless you are shopping at a baking supply or bulk store, Kraft caramels are sold in bags. To take out the guesswork for you, 40 individual caramels translate to about 330 grams. In my neck of the woods, caramels are usually found in packs weighing 246 grams, so I needed to buy 2 packages.

I’m including this tidbit of information because you might not have access to Kraft caramels. Even if you do, you have the option of using other brands. I used Kraft because it’s a brand I trust when baking. You can use Mackintosh’s caramels, which I think is a Scottish-made candy. You can also use Werther’s. Just make sure they are the originals. Brach’s is also a great brand.

In the United States, you can find Kraft Caramel Bits. I love those things! A few years ago, I used them on a chocolate bark recipe and they were amazing! A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine brought me back some caramel bits from the US. I have not yet used them, but every time I go into my pantry I see them there and I can’t wait to put them to good use.

HOW TO MAKE BEAR PAWS

Before you start, place a baking sheet in your freezer to chill. A cold baking sheet will prevent the melted caramel from spreading out too much.

Place the caramels, milk, and butter into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals, stirring well with a rubber spatula between each interval until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Once melted and smooth, stir in the vanilla extract. Then, add the peanuts and stir to combine. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

Fetch the baking sheet from the freezer and line it with a sheet of parchment paper. Drop heaping tablespoons of the caramel and peanut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, keeping each at least two inches apart. Once done, set the tray in your freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the caramel and butter mixture.

Next, add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals, stirring well with a rubber spatula between each interval until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

Lift the caramel peanut paws off of the parchment and dip to fully coat in the melted chocolate. Tap off the excess and place it back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the paws are coated in melted chocolate. Set aside for 3-4 hours to allow the chocolate to fully set.

Once firm, your Bear Paws can be packaged for gift-giving or transferred to a food-safe container. Keep refrigerated.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most snacks and treats, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. They will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Bear Paws, you certainly can! Once the chocolate has hardened, pack them into food-safe containers. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these paws for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen pops as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. If packaging, wait until the condensation has evaporated. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

With all of that said, you really don’t need to freeze snacks and treats, because for the most part, they are ready in very little time and you should easily be able to prepare them the day you plan to eat them or serve them to guests.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!