Healthy Vegan Snickers Bars with Dates

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These Healthy Vegan Snickers Bars have a soft nougat layer, a creamy caramel center, and the crunch of peanuts, all covered in chocolate. These delicious bars are the plant-based version of the classic Halloween candy.

A vegan snickers bar sliced in half to reveal the nougat, date caramel, and peanuts inside.

I love caramel. I always have. Except many caramels aren't vegan. And all of them are made with lots of refined sugar.

Luckily, there's a sneaky vegan trick to making caramel using whole foods: dates.

And I LOVE dates. They naturally taste very sweet and caramelly. So when you blend them up you get a thick texture and caramel flavor. Perfect for using in a candy bar like this.

All that to say: I'm very excited to share this recipe for vegan snickers. These bars are incredibly decadent and are full of soft nougat and sweet date caramel. Divine!!

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What is a vegan snickers bar?
Why I love these Healthy Vegan Snickers Bars
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
How to make Healthy Vegan Snickers Bars
FAQs & Expert Tips
Recipe Prayer
More vegan Halloween recipes
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What is a vegan snickers bar?

There are quite a few chocolate covered candy bars out there. Snickers bars have a layer of nougat that's topped with caramel, then peanuts, all encased in milk chocolate.

This vegan version of snickers bars still has all the traditional snickers bar elements. There's a plant-based nougat layer made from oats and maple syrup. Then a caramel layer made from dates. The peanut layer. And then a chocolate coating.

These vegan snickers bars are make from entirely plant-based foods for a healthier version of the classic candy.

Why I love these Healthy Vegan Snickers Bars

Dietary needs - these bars are plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free
Healthier version of a classic - these snickers bars are made with whole food plant-based ingredients so you can avoid the sugars, oils, and other processed ingredients in the store-bought version
Freezer friendly - if you don't eat the entire batch in one sitting, these bars store very well. They'll last in the freezer for several months

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

These bars have three parts: the nougat, the date caramel & peanuts, and the chocolate layer.

Nougat Ingredients

Oat Flour: I love using oat flour because it is easy to make at home and very cheap. You can also use almond flour for the nougat layer
Nut Butter: like cashew butter or almond butter
Maple Syrup: maple syrup helps create the correct nougat texture and sweetness. For a completely fruit-sweetened candy bar, use date syrup instead - though this will change the color of the nougat layer
Vanilla
Salt

Caramel Ingredients

Medjool Dates: medjool dates are the softest type of date and easiest to blend. If you want to use a different type of date, soak the dates in hot water for a few minutes to soften them before blending
Peanut Butter: I recommend using natural peanut butter with no ingredients other than peanuts and salt. You don't have to use peanut butter in the caramel layer, you can use another nut butter. But I love how the peanut butter helps enhance the overall peanut flavor.
Peanuts: use dry roasted peanuts to avoid added oils

Chocolate Ingredients

Vegan Dark Chocolate: I used a mix of 100% unsweetened chocolate and vegan semi-sweet chocolate. If you prefer a sweeter chocolate, you can use any vegan dark or semi-sweet chocolate like Enjoy Life or Pascha.
Kosher Salt

How to make Healthy Vegan Snickers Bars

Step 1. In a large bowl mix nougat ingredients until combined. Press into a 9x9" pan lined with parchment. Freeze until solid, 20 minutes.

Step 2. Blend dates and peanut butter in a food processor. The mixture will form a ball.

Step 3. Press the date mixture on top of the nougat. Then press the peanuts into the dates - make sure they are secure. Freeze again to set, about 10 minutes.

Step 4. Remove the pan from the freezer and lift the parchment out of the pan. Slice into bars - I made 18, but you can make more or less.

Step 5. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the chocolate on 50% power. Stir every 30-60 seconds to avoid burning the chocolate.

Step 6. Using a fork, dip each bar in chocolate. Then place on a wire rack to drip. Sprinkle with salt and top with a few peanuts, to decorate. (Alternatively, drizzle the chocolate on top of the bars - this is much quicker.) Return the bars to the freezer for 5 minutes to set. Serve and enjoy!

FAQs & Expert Tips

Nut free option

Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of nut butter. And replace the peanuts with sunflower seeds or omit them entirely.

Grain free option

Use almond flour instead of oat flour in the nougat.

Storage

Store in the fridge or freezer. Avoid leaving the bars on the counter for too long to prevent melted chocolate. These bars will last for several weeks in the fridge and several months in the freezer.

Recipe Prayer

Thank you God for these delicious treats. We are grateful to celebrate Halloween and nourish our bodies. Amen.

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