If you love the flavor of a Snickers bar but want an easy dessert that comes together in minutes, this chocolate caramel poke cake is your new best friend. It starts with a boxed cake mix and ends up rich, gooey, and irresistible. Every bite has chocolate, caramel, and peanuts—the perfect sweet-and-salty combo.
It's Fast: Starts with a box mix—no fancy ingredients.
It's A Crowd-pleaser: Always vanishes at potlucks, bake sales, and Sunday dinners.
It's Budget-friendly: Simple pantry staples you probably already have.
It is full of Old-fashioned comfort: The taste of homemade goodness without the fuss.
One day, I decided to see how quickly I could whip up a dessert that tasted like a candy bar. I grabbed a cake mix, caramel syrup, and a handful of peanuts, and before I knew it—bam—Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake was born.
😉 So chocolate, caramel, and peanuts, right? I mean, does it get any better? I'm a thrifty chick, so I started with a basic chocolate cake mix I bought on sale and stuff I had in the cupboard and the fridge.
Here's a little tip I use to keep track of the cake mixes in my old kitchen, with its inefficient 1954 cabinets.
I like to keep cake mixes on hand, so I buy them when they're on sale. You never know when someone from church or school will call about someone who needs a cake!
As you put them on the shelf, use a magic marker to identify the type of cake and the expiration date. It only takes a few seconds. In food service, the term is FIFO (first in, first out).
Use this handy tip to help avoid shoving an expired mix into the back of the cupboard. (As if that has NEVER happened to me.) Keep in mind that I first wrote this post a few years ago, if you are wondering about the dates!
Bake a chocolate cake according to the directions on the cake mix package, and while it's still hot, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke lots of caramel-catchin' holes in the cake. They need to be fairly big, thirsty holes.
Next, pour about a cup of ready-made Hershey's caramel ice cream syrup. I use the one that comes in a plastic squeeze bottle. While the cake is still warm and welcoming, drizzle that golden caramel sauce lovingly into the awaiting cake craters.
You'll notice I had a few "oopsies" when I pulled the spoon out, but I knew the thick cloak of chocolate frosting would hide them beautifully. I wanted to make sure that my chocolate caramel poke cake had a nice caramel glaze, so I added a bit more caramel topping for good measure.
Then, let the cake rest on a cooling rack until you can't feel any warmth on the bottom of the pan. This is important — so be patient! The cake must be cool to frost neatly.
You could use a boxed frosting mix or the kind that comes in a can, and maybe I will sometime if I'm in a huge time pinch.
But...the knock on them is they tend to be kinda skimpy for my taste, and I don't believe for a minute that frosting was ever meant to be thin!
Years ago, I found a chocolate frosting recipe on the side of a Hershey's cocoa tin that's so quick and easy and tastes so much better that it's been my go-to recipe forever. It's called lickety-split frosting, and I always really enjoyed the lickety part!😊
While the poke cake was cooling, I whipped up my frosting using this time-tested recipe!! When the cake was nicely covered with frosting, and before it set, I tossed on about 3/4 cup of coarsely chopped, salted peanuts. I used the kind they call "party peanuts" because they are similar to the ones in the famous candy bar!
Whenever you combine chocolate and caramel, you can be sure it will be amazing. Have you ever wondered why? Both chocolate and caramel are sweet ingredients, but they each have distinctly unique types of sweetness.
Caramel has a rich, deep sweetness with hints of toffee and molasses, while chocolate offers a slightly bitter sweetness that balances the caramel's richness. And when you add some crunchy, salty peanuts, all your busy taste buds will bust out into a happy dance!
That's it! This cake is so easy and delicious, you can be assured it will be a hit with your family. If you take a chocolate caramel poke cake to a potluck, you'll always come home with an empty pan!
This is a recipe for a quick and easy "poke" cake that starts with a basic chocolate cake mix poked full of caramel topping. Top it with thick chocolate frosting and chopped peanuts!
A simple "scratch" chocolate buttercream frosting made from just 6 basic ingredients you probably have on hand. Hershey's cocoa made this frosting famous.
Who doesn’t love cake? If you enjoy baking simple homemade cakes that taste like pure comfort, you’ll love these other favorites from GB’s Kitchen:
Each recipe starts with an easy mix and ends with homemade goodness your family will ask for again and again.
If you liked this Snickers-flavored Poke Cake recipe, you are my people! If you did, please share it on your social media accounts, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter! It would sure tickle me, and I would be ever so grateful!
If you haven't already, please look for me on Facebook and Pinterest, where I will share easy, delicious, family-friendly recipes every week!
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Looks divine!
It sure looked good but I gave it away!
One of these days I’ll make it again and keep it!! Feeding people gives me joy!
It gives me joy to share as well. Love to see people’s faces when you share your goodies.
I can’t wait to give this a try . I was thinking of doing this to cupcakes! Delicious
Oh my gosh, that sounds great, I bet the family will love them!! Let me know!!
Why does one have to scroll through 50 pages of insignificant garbage before you get to the recipe? Don't have time.
Try this: copy and paste https://gbskitchen.com/gbs-candy-bar-poke-cake-recipe/ and let me know please!!
I have no idea what you ran into and I'm totally with you when I encounter this on the internet I usually just get disgusted and move on. I don't blame you for complaining!!!
This is a nice recipe, thank you for the detailed recipe.
Thanks, it is wonderful and so simple to do! Enjoy!
I love your website design and your beautiful images. I am a food lover and enjoy making muffins on the weekend when time allows me to make cakes.
Thanks! It’s good therapy isn’t it? 😊
We really love your blog, it has unique articles, Have a great day!
Gosh thanks!
Hello, Thank you for the lovely awesome recipe, It is nice to find easy to understand recipes like this one on your food blog. I love baking scones and jams for my family in in the freezing winter months and ice cream in summer.
Hello, Thank you for the beautiful delicous recipe, It is nice to find nice recipes like this one online. I love baking tart and chutneys for my Nan in the winter months and ice cream in the summer months.
Can I come over for supper? 🙂
Thank you for the great recipe! My son LOVES chocolate! Do you have to heat the caramel?
No! I use it straight from the bottle! Sooo good!!
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