Mystery surrounds the existence of Aussie Crunch; my meagre research suggests that it may be of British origin – it can be found with alternating success is some bakeries – but as far as I can tell, it’s not particularly well known in Australia. Perhaps no one has thought to inform the Aussies of their namesake, so I shall take up that baton (some of you lot must be from Down Under!). Still, they ought to be proud to have such a devilish and delicious snack named after them.
Full of chocolate, butter and sugar, Aussie crunch isn’t exactly favoured by those conscious of health. Even I was a little perplexed by the quantity of not-so-beneficial constituents being poured into the mixing bowl. However, the effect of such decadence proved extremely favourable – as you can imagine. These are enough to rival the best rocky road, brownie or tiffin around!
I’m sure you’ll agree that this is a rather interesting recipe – it contains both coconut and cornflakes after all. However, the overall effect is magical – it is both a pleasure on the tongue, but crumbly and cakey all at the same time. There really isn’t anything else quite like Aussie Crunch. It’s a great alternative to other chocolate-based snacks, particularly as it’s rather unknown and is therefore likely to pique the interest of visitors! As it happens, I’m really rather intrigued as to whether any of you have heard of this shadowy treat?
Aussie Crunch
Makes 1 20cmx20cm cake tin (around 12)
Ingredients:
• 220g butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 80g desiccated coconut
• 75g crushed cornflakes
• 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder
• 150g self raising flour
• 250g dark chocolate, melted
Method:
1. Grease your cake tin and preheat the oven to 180C. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the sugar, syrup, cocoa powder, coconut, cornflakes and flour. Mix thoroughly.
2. Tip this into your prepared tin and level. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Leave to cool before covering with the chocolate and cutting into squares/rectangles/triangles.
Cost: Though rather divine and extremely decadent, these Aussie Crunch bars aren’t exactly costly. Indeed, the entire batch should set you back no more than around £3.20.
69 replies on “Aussie Crunch”
Looking good!!
oh my these look soooo yummy, I gotta try them out soon.
PS beautiful pics~ 🙂
As an Aussie girl I have never heard of Aussie Crunch, but my mother used to make an almost identical slice called “Square dance slice” THe only difference was that she used a chocolate icing rahter than melted chocolate on the top. I feel compelled now to trawl through some old CWA (Country Women’s Association) cookbooks to see if I can find another recipe for Aussie crunch.. The librarian will go to work!
Decadent! I will try this….can’t really give honest comments without sampling now can we?
This looks amazing. Apart from the cornflakes it’s very similar to a type of chocolate biscuit cake that I’ve made. I’ll have to try this to compare i think! As Swedenole say, it wouldn’t be fair not to sample it 😉
OOh, I do like that saying “it wouldn’t be fair not to taste it!” 😀
Yes as another Aussie Girl…have not seen this recipe or name before and Slices are passion in the family…have made similar using the coconut/weetbix combination..looks wonderful though will try for sure!!
Thank you for enlightening us Australians to our (apparently) famous namesake!
Although I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it before, I can say that it immediately reminded me of a snack well known to all Aussie kids – Cocoa Pops slice.
Made with the popular breakfast cereal comprising of chocolatey, sugary, puffed rice, this treat has been contributing to childhood sugar highs for decades…
Aussie here and NOPE. I’ve had something yummy that looks similar, but nope. I wish I could try make it but I’m on a diet at the moment and have lost 3kg so far, so sorry. hehe
You’re going to get a barrage of replies from Aussies probably all saying they’ve never heard of it 🙂 But it does remind me of a combination of chocolate coconut slices and chocolate crackles. Doesn’t really matter, does it, because this recipe looks amazingly delicious !
That looks absolutely amazing, Nick! I love crunchy things and this is right up my alley. Btw, how did you manage to cut the bars so cleanly?!
Magic!
Another Aussie denying previous knowledge! I have recipes for many similar slices, but with more descriptive names like chocolate crunch. Looks delicious anyway
This sounds so amazing, a nice combination of textures, and who could resist that thick layer of chocolate on top.
Exactly – I love a thick layer of chocolate!
That layer of chocolate on top looks so decadent!!!
As an Aussie, i can honestly say i’ve never heard of this! Looks interesting, almost chocolate crackle-ish (crackles using Rice Bubbles rather than Cornflakes though) I’ll be happy to give it a go though…looks kind of delish 🙂
I’ve certainly never heard of these jacked-up super cornflake cakes but they do look and sound incredible!
J
Coconut + cornflakes = magic.
That’s science.
Well, speaking as an Aussie, I’ve never heard of this one, but it sounds like what you’d get if you crossed chocolate crackles, honeyjoys and ANZAC biscuits, so I’m willing to accept it as an all purpose Aussie cereal-based dessert if you are…
love
Catherine, who wants to make it now
Give it a go and give me the aussie opinion!
Hahaa… I love Catherine’s comment. As a fellow Aussie, I agree that it’s pretty much a cross between all of our favourite sweet snacks (honeyjoys, ANZAC biscuits, chocolate crackles and some hedgehog slice too!). I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for… uh, educating us about ‘our own’ namesake slice!
As an Aussie, I can confirm, hand on my heart I have never heard of the Aussie Crunch before! How funny
We used to make this in a cafe where i worked its amazing
I love the chocolate on top! Looks delicious!
Yum. Maybe it’s not so bad for you if you just have small pieces? 😉
YUM!!
I have never heard of this before but they look REALLY tasty!
Forget bikinis were ever invented and dig in!
I don’t wear them anyway…
Gorgeous photos. I don’t usually comment on desserts but this is really lovely. What is “golden syrup”? Is it first tap maple?
Golden syrup is made from cane sugar. It’s not a whole lot like maple so I wouldn’t suggest it as a substitute, it’s closer (from my understanding) to molasses.
No, it’s a sugar syrup a little like molasses but with no nutritional benefits whatsoever. I’m not sure what it would be called overseas. It’s bloody nice though! Maple syrup doesn’t hang slice together, but golden syrup is very sticky and can act as a binder.
Well, the Aussies may have missed it (as have the Americans—I’ve never heard of it), but you’ve done a real service by bringing this to everyone’s attention. Looks absolutely delicious!
No problem 😀
Deeeelicious! And a child-friendly recipe too, mine love making this. Never used cornflakes before though; good idea, shall give it a go…
Sounds and looks like more!
Looks like a fabulous treat! Love that nice thick layer of dark chocolate on top!
Nothin’ like a thick layer of dark chocolate!
This is one Aussie who hasn’t heard of it but willing to accept it as our own! Looks and sounds delicious.
Looks delicious! Great pics too! Will definitely give this a try. Cheers
oooh my! When I saw the picture, I thought, yum! I needed a dairy free dessert for DH but then I read the ingredients and did a happy-toes-dance under my desk, he hates coconut but it’s my favorite!
good god those look yummy!! great shots as well!
Wow, as an Aussie I can honestly say I didn’t know we had a whole treat named after us. It reminds me a bit of the chocolate slice my mum made when I was young, though we just called it chocolate slice. Potentially we invented chocolate slice, and when it went overseas it go the name? My mum used to make marshmallow as a topping to chocolate slice, which I think would work well with this as well.
Oh wow! I saw this post come through my inbox and just now had time to read it. I’ve never heard of Aussie Crunch but so glad you posted it! Making this one today. My tea time treat!
I think you have to try it…
Cornflakes and coconut with chocolate. Sign me up!! Love it. Pinning it. thanking you while doing both! 🙂
Haha – thanks! Glad you approve.
Australian crunchie! My mum is Australian and she taught the recipe to myself and my friends as children back in the 80’s!
Mouthwatering!!
Hi, I just found your blog tonight while searching for a curry powder recipe for tonight’s dinner, haha. Anyway, I’m from Aus and have never hear of this! Looks similar to a bar that my Canadian grandmother used to make though, which was delicious
Wow!
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
My excuse for trying this delicious recipe would have to be ….. the kids will love it! Feck the diet 😉
Do you think I could use coconut oil instead of butter for this recipe? And I know it would give a different texture but could the flour be skipped?
Give it a go – what could go wrong?!
Nice answer, thanks! I’ll let you know…
Your blog rocks by the way. I’m so happy to fall upon it. Your recipes really fit my way of cooking and your philosophies, hints and tips make sense. Better than any cookbook I’ve come across. Please keep up the good work. Thanks!!!
Thank you so much!
Hi – I was brought up in New Zealand and now live in Australia – I grew up on a recipe almost identical to this in NZ – I like it best with the cornflakes, and my mother used to put in sultanas instead – which I didn’t like at all! It was just called chocnut slice (as in chocolate coconut slice) – not terribly original! Never seen it here but I do make it for my kids. Being a Kiwi, I don’t particularly like it being called an Aussie slice! Bit like the Brits taking something Scottish and claiming it as their own! Ce la vie, it is after all only a slice! Great Blog btw, will become a regular subscriber.
THANK YOU!!! Finally a recipe for ozzy crunch!! If you come to Bolton, northwest England, everyone here has heard of ozzy crunch, the delicious treat we could buy at lunchtime in school!
If ever I’m there, I’ll keep an eye out!
It’s just known as chocolate slice in Australia, though none I’ve seen we’re quite as neat as yours. Another closely related aussie slice is known as hedgehog and has broken Maire biscuits (similar to milk arrowroot biscuits in place of the coconut & cornflakes. I’ve found that a half-half mix of coconut oil and other oil works well in slices like these, but it’s trickier to find a golden syrup substitute. Treacle’s a bit strong, but you could cut it down with honey. Just steer well clear of corn syrup, it’s revolting stuff, for lots of reasons!
I’ll have to look hedgehog up – sounds nice. Yes, I don’t use corn syrup… we don’t even get it in Britain! Thanks for the info.
Aussie crunch has been a very well known and popular treat in the Bolton area (UK) for years and years, no idea why – it just is!
That’s very interesting. I guess it just varies by region.
Something very similar to this has been made in Australia for more than 50 years, just known as chocolate slice. It used weetbix or cornflakes but I don’t remember it using golden syrup. Also it had chocolate icing rather than chocolate on top.
Well – there’s no point the Aussies calling it an Aussie slice!
I’ve a funny feeling there was a recipe for Australian Crunchie in a BeRo book we had… But I could be wrong.
yes I made this at school back in the 80’s, known as chocolate crunch also. It is the best, maybe time to introduce my kids to it.
03/01/2020
The Aussie Crunch I’m looking for is used at OUTBACK in their Steakhouse Salad. It is a little, one-half inch sized, noodle-looking tidbit, and crunchy to the bite. Maybe they were baked somewhere along the way. I can’t find them anywhere, but would surely love to. No one seems to know where they come from…not even the restaurant staff…or they mean to keep it a secret! Any input you can offer, please let me know!
Thanks,
Ms. Carter
ccarterun@aol.com