Soft nougat, creamy caramel, crunchy peanuts and a thick layer of chocolate are what dreams are made of! These vegan and gluten-free Snickers tick all the boxes when it comes to an indulging snack. But don't be fooled by the description, these homemade snacks are a lot healthier than the original Snickers bars.
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We've tried homemade Snickers before, but there was always something wrong. They were either too dry, too sweet or too complicated to make. So we had to make our own version! These turned out soft and gooey, sweet but not too sweet and so damn easy to make.
To all the Snickers lovers out there: if you love Snickers bars and could eat them for breakfast, you might also like these Snickers overnight oats.
Are Snickers gluten-free?
Let's address the elephant in the room. Snickers are free from gluten-containing ingredients. However, they are not certified gluten-free, which means that there could be traces of gluten in the candy bar (due to cross-contamination in the manufacturing facility). As a result, snickers are not 100% safe for people with celiac disease. You can read more about it here.
Snickers ingredient list (from the product label): Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor), Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Palm Oil, Skim Milk, Lactose, Salt, Egg Whites, Artificial Flavor.
Making this homemade version of a Snickers bar is therefore your safest bet! Plus, they are going to be healthier, too!
Why you'll love this recipe
- These chocolate bars make a delicious sweet treat if you have a sweet tooth. It's the perfect afternoon snack for kids and adults.
- While the original candy bars contain egg whites, milk and milk derivatives, this homemade version is vegan and dairy-free. It's also free from soy.
- This recipe is made without Medjool dates (which –let's be honest– makes things a lot easier).
- You can make these bars without a food processor or blender of any type. All the ingredients are combined in mixing bowls.
Key ingredients
Cashew butter makes up the base of the soft nougat layer. You could replace it with almond butter but we prefer cashew butter for its relatively neutral taste.
Peanut butter is key to making peanut-flavored Snickers. We use it to make the 3-ingredient homemade caramel that will make you want more.
Almond flour thickens the nougat layer and gives it that perfect nougat consistency.
Use dark chocolate or dairy-free chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate to keep these vegan.
Unsalted peanuts provide some crunch.
Pure maple syrup is used to sweeten the bars. Feel free to replace it with the liquid sweetener of your choice.
Elo's tips
- Microwave the peanut and cashew butter if they are too thick, dry or coming out of the fridge. They will melt with the heat and be easier to mix with the other ingredients.
- Use a small rectangular container to make thick Snickers bars (smaller than an 8x8" pan). If using a container that is too large, your bars will end up very flat with a lot of chocolate versus caramel.
- Freeze the mixture to be able to cut it easily into bars. If you only refrigerate the bars, the caramel will be too soft to be easily cut into.
- If you don't want to bother with dipping the bars into chocolate, simply pour it on top of the caramel layer. Freeze for 2 hours and then cut it into bars.
Step-by-step with pictures
Make the nougat base. Add the cashew butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to a mixing bowl. Mix with a spoon or rubber spatula. If the cashew butter is really thick and dry, pop the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add in the almond flour and mix to combine.
Make the caramel layer. In a separate small bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup and plant-based milk (or water). Stir in the whole peanuts. You should obtain a thick but soft caramel.
Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Press the nougat layer into the pan with a spatula. Gently spread the caramel layer on top.
Freeze for 90 minutes (or even overnight).
Cut the frozen block into 8 equally-sized bars. To help you cut the bars (especially if you left them in the freezer overnight), run a sharp knife under hot water. The hot blade will slide through much more easily.
Coat the bars with chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave (at 20-second intervals at 700W). Dip each bar into the melted chocolate and place it on a cooling rack the let the chocolate drip off. Once it has dripped off, remove them from the grid and place them on a plate (to prevent the bars from sticking to the grid).
Drizzle with more chocolate once the chocolate has solidifiesdif you'd like a beautiful pattern on your bars. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired. Store in the fridge.
Watch the video!
Nutritional information
| "Real Snickers bar" (source) | Homemade Snickers bar |
| 1 bar: 2 oz (57 g) Calories: 280 kcal Carbohydrates: 35 g Sugar: 29 g Fiber: 1.3 g Protein: 4.3 g Fat: 14 g Saturated Fat: 5.2 g | 1 bar: 60 g Calories: 313 kcal Carbohydrates: 21 g Sugar: 10 g Fiber: 4 g Protein: 8 g Fat: 24 g Saturated Fat: 8 g |
Note that the nutritional information of the homemade Snickers bars is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.
- Homemade snickers have double as much protein as the popular candy bar.
- They are 3 times lower in sugar (10 grams versus 29 grams of sugar).
- They are 3 times higher in fiber.
- These bars have similar fat contents and calories.
Although the homemade bars are lower in sugar and higher in protein, they remain candy bars that should be eaten in moderation.
Frequently asked questions
Once the Snickers are coated with chocolate store them in the refrigerator for a soft nougat and gooey caramel. Keep them in an airtight container for up to 14 days.
You can freeze the bars for 3-4 months in an airtight container. Note that the nougat and caramel layer will be a lot harder than when they come out of the fridge. But they taste just as good!
Snickers and similar chocolate candy bars (e.g., Mars, Milky Ways) are high in sugar and saturated fats and cannot be considered healthy. Homemade Snickers bars definitely contain healthier, whole-food ingredients but should be consumed with moderation.
More gluten-free no-bake snacks
- Vegan chocolate truffles
- Chocolate peppermint truffles
- Apple cinnamon energy bars
- Carrot cake energy balls
- No-bake lemon cookies
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The recipe
Gluten-Free Snickers Recipe (Vegan, No-Bake)
Ingredients
- 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate
For the nougat layer
- ½ cup (130 g) cashew butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) maple syrup
- 1 cup (100 g) almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the caramel layer
- ½ cup (140 g) peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons plant-based milk or water
- ¼ cup unsalted peanuts
Instructions
- Combine the cashew butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds if the cashew butter is really thick. Then, fold in the almond flour (see video).
- In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter, maple syrup and plant-based milk. Add in the peanuts.
- Line a small rectangular baking dish (preferably smaller than 8x8") with parchment paper. Press the nougat layer firmly into the pan. Spread the peanut caramel on top.
- Freeze for 90 minutes or overnight.
- Once solid, cut the block into 8 equally-sized bars.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. Dip the bars into the chocolate (act fast) or simply drizzle chocolate on top of each bar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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