Vegan Snickers Bars (Gluten-Free)

These Vegan Snickers Bars are just as delicious as the real thing: chewy nougat, gooey caramel and crunchy peanuts coated in silky chocolate! They're rich and indulgent and perfectly salty-sweet! They're also refined sugar free, gluten-free, relatively healthy and easy to make. They make excellent edible gifts for Valentine's Day, Easter, Christmas, and everything in between!

How to make the nougat

Scroll down to the bottom of the post.

• Soak the cashews in cold water overnight or in boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Place in a food processor with the cacao butter, maple syrup and vanilla.

Tip: You can get hold of cacao butter online, in local health food stores or large supermarkets.

• Whizz until completely smooth.
• Taste and adjust flavour accordingly.

• Transfer the mixture to a one-pound loaf tin lined with baking paper.

• Smooth over the top.
• Place in the freezer to firm up while you make the caramel.

How to make the caramel

• Place the dates, peanut butter, maple syrup and salt in the food processor.

• Whizz until completely smooth.

• Making sure the nougat layer has firmed up, spread the caramel over the nougat in the loaf tin.

• Sprinkle the peanuts over the caramel and press them down into the caramel so that the surface becomes quite even.

• Place in the freezer for about one hour until completely firmed up.

To assemble

• Making sure the nougat and caramel layers have firmed up completely, slice it into six bars.

• Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the coconut oil.

Tip: Using a wide-bottomed bowl makes it easier to dip the bars into the melted chocolate.

• Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir regularly until melted.

Tip: Make sure not to overheat it as the chocolate will ‘split’ if you heat it too much.

• Use a small fork to carefully lift the bars one at a time into the melted chocolate and spoon the melted chocolate over the bar until it has been completely covered in melted chocolate.

• Use the fork to lift the bar out of the melted chocolate and onto a rectangular baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the bars to decorate, if desired.

• Place in the fridge for a couple of hours until the chocolate has hardened completely.

How long do they keep for?

These Vegan Snickers Bars keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days.

Can you freeze them?

Yes! If you like Snickers ice cream, you can store these in the freezer - they taste just like ice cream! They keep in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

Substitutions you can make

• You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
• You can replace the peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini.
• You can replace the peanuts with cashew nuts, macadamia nuts or pecan nuts.
• For a refined sugar free version, use a refined sugar free chocolate.

More vegan chocolate treats

• Healthy Snickers Ice Cream Bites
• Matcha Chocolate Truffles
• Chocolate Truffles
• Hazelnut Chocolate Truffles
• White Chocolate Truffles
• Strawberry Chocolate Truffles
• Chocolate Bars
• Twix Bars

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

Vegan Snickers Bars (Gluten-Free)

These Vegan Snickers Bars are just as delicious as the real thing: chewy nougat, gooey caramel and crunchy peanuts coated in silky chocolate! They're rich and indulgent and perfectly salty-sweet!

4.41 from 20 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegan chocolate, vegan snickers bars

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 bars

Calories: 534kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the nougat:

• ▢ 100 g (⅔ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in boiling water for 15 minutes
• ▢ 50 g (1.8 oz) cacao butter
• ▢ 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the caramel:

• ▢ 65 g (⅓ cup) pitted dates soaked in cold water overnight or in boiling water for 15 minutes
• ▢ 65 g (¼ cup) smooth peanut butter (or sub almond butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ Pinch salt
• ▢ 65 g (½ cup) roasted peanuts

For the chocolate:

• ▢ 150 g (5.2 oz) dark chocolate ** (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

For the nougat:

• Drain the soaked cashews and place in a food processor along with the cacao butter*, maple syrup and vanilla.
• Whizz until completely smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a loaf tin lined with greaseproof baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).
• Make sure you get rid of any air bubbles and make sure the top is completely smooth.
• Place in the freezer to firm up while you make the caramel.

For the caramel:

• Drain the soaked dates and place in the food processor along with the peanut butter, maple syrup and salt.
• Whizz until completely smooth.
• Making sure the nougat layer has firmed up, spread the caramel over the nougat layer in the loaf tin.
• Sprinkle the peanuts over the caramel and press them down into the caramel so that the surface becomes quite even.
• Place back in the freezer for about 1 hour until completely firmed up.

For the chocolate:

• Making sure the nougat and caramel layers have firmed up completely, slice it into six bars.
• Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the coconut oil (using a wide-bottomed bowl makes it easier to dip the bars into the melted chocolate).
• Place the bowl over a pan of boiling water and stir regularly until melted – make sure not to overheat it as the chocolate will ‘split’ if you heat it too much.
• Use a small fork to carefully lift the bars one at a time into the melted chocolate and use a spoon to spoon the melted chocolate over the bar until it has been completely covered in melted chocolate.
• Use the small fork to lift the bar out of the melted chocolate and onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Drizzle the remaining melted chocolate over the top of the bars to decorate, if desired.
• Place in the fridge for a couple of hours until the chocolate has hardened completely.
• Keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days.

Video

Notes

*If your food processor isn’t very powerful, it may have trouble with the cacao butter. In this case, melt the cacao butter first using a bain-marie before adding to the food processor.

**For a refined sugar free version, use a refined sugar free dark chocolate 

• You can replace the peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini.
• You can replace the peanuts with cashew nuts, macadamia nuts or pecan nuts.

If you like Snickers Ice Cream, you can store these in the freezer - they taste just like ice cream! They keep in the freezer for up to a couple of months.

 

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Snickers Bars (Gluten-Free)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 534 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 17g85%

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 115mg5%

Potassium 569mg16%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 6g24%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 10IU0%

Calcium 69mg7%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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