It’s probably because I love the peanut butter chocolate combination so much that Snickers is my all-time favourite candy bar. I love it! And yet, apparently post-30 metabolism means if I do eat a full-size Snickers, I will need to sleep for two days straight after that. Which is why I’m so excited about this healthier version that does actually taste like the real thing! With an oat base, date caramel layer, roasted peanuts and a divine salted dark chocolate coating. Adulting is finally worth the hassle 🙂
Healthier homemade candy bars often involve ingredients I don’t always have on hand. Coconut flour, coconut oil, stuff like that. But I did have lots of oats and peanut butter, and did a bit of Googling till I came across a recipe on From My Bowl that seemed straightforward and didn’t need anything more than what I already had in my kitchen. The recipe is largely unchanged, but I made a thicker base using more oats so I could use a standard loaf tin to mould the bars. I also found I needed more melted chocolate to coat all of them and a bit more peanut butter for a stronger flavour.
I will admit coating the bars in dark chocolate is messy, to put it politely. You do need to work quickly and make sure the bars are frozen for at least 2 hours before you dip them. I found that cutting them in half (like fun-sized Snickers!) made the dipping process a lot easier and the bars don’t accidentally break while lifting them out of the chocolate. After they’re coated, you can sprinkle some coarse salt over the bars for an extra flavour kick!
I love these straight from the freezer, where the chocolate remains hard and crackly like a traditional Snickers bar and the inside is somehow still chewy. The flavour is very very authentic and having these bars on hand is incredible when the sugar cravings strike! Speaking of sugar, use a naturally-sweetened vegan chocolate if you want to keep these bars completely healthy. I used a standard cooking chocolate that does contain sugar and possibly dairy. This doesn’t worry me but check the ingredients on the pack if you want to be sure.
Anyway, I hope you’ll make a batch of these today, they’re so great for weekday snacking! Let me know how you like them 🙂
Healthier Snickers Bars
Ingredients
- 1 lightly heaped cup pitted dates
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup finely ground oats or oat flour
- 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, salted if you like
- 170 gms dark cooking chocolate, finely chopped
- Optional: coarse salt or sea salt
Instructions
- Add the dates to a bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Place a lid on the bowl and set aside for 20 minutes. Then drain, and add the warm dates, peanut butter, vanilla and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender. Blitz till you have a smooth and thick 'caramel'. If needed, add a couple of tablespoons of water to help it along.
- Scoop the caramel out into a bowl, then add the ground oats along with 1/3 cup of the caramel back into the food processor. Blitz until a soft and thick dough forms.
- Line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with non-stick baking paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Now press the oat mixture into the base of the pan, packing it down firmly and evenly. Spread the remaining caramel over it, then scatter the peanuts all over it. Press them in lightly. Place the pan in the freezer for 2 hours.
- After this base is firm and very cold, slice into 8 to 10 equal sized bars. To make the coating step easier, I prefer to cut each bar into half again to make mini Snickers, but this is optional.
- Place the sliced bars on a baking tray lined with the same sheet of paper, and stick the tray in the freezer.
- Now melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in a double boiler, or in the microwave. Don't let the mixture over heat. If there are still lumps of chocolate, stir to help them melt and become smooth.
- Spread the melted chocolate on a rimmed plate, and dip each bar in it, quickly using a fork or your fingers to turn it over, coating all sides. This is messy work and I found a blunt knife was useful to spread the chocolate smoothly on all sides. Lift each bar out with a fork and place back on the baking tray.
- Once all the bars are coated, sprinkle the tops with coarse salt, then place in the freezer for 30 minutes before digging in. I prefer to store these in the freezer at all times where they will keep for a few weeks without becoming rock-hard. You could also store them in the fridge but I wouldn't recommend room temperature. Happy Snicker-ing!
Notes
Shop this recipe!
[amazon_link asins=’B01DKGL1QW,B077VQDH9L,B07CZTCG8W,B01B1IDRKO’ template=’ProductCarouselNoheader’ store=’thedessertedg-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’a39b1325-a691-4478-82bb-99f7b1a22a38′]
Check out a full list of my baking essentials here!
This post contains affiliate links.
Leave a Reply