Happy Friday guys, we made it to the weekend and I for one am very excited. No emails, no work texts, just two chill nights, and a couple of days where we’re free to do whatever. I’m excited. And, I’m making this weekend even better with my healthier take on everyone’s favorite candy bar…the Snickers Bar! Over the years I’ve had fun recreating some of my favorite candies and/or childhood favorites. Ones that I wouldn’t necessarily eat today because I now know of all the junk they have inside. Thus far, I’ve made homemade Twix Bars, Nutter Butters, and even Samoa cookies, but Snickers bars have long been on my list of candies to make. Well, today I am crossing them off my list. I’m very excited to share this shockingly simple and easy recipe with you guys! Just in time for Friday night! Growing up, hands down my favorite candy was Reese’s peanut butter cups, but, Snickers definitely would have been my second choice. My mom uses Snickers in her Death By Chocolate recipe that she reserves solely for Christmas Eve…and Christmas Eve only. So Snickers will always be somewhat of a special indulgence around here. We love the sweet, salty, and chewy bars. But the homemade version is even better, and so much healthier.
the “nougat” layer
What is a Snickers Bar?
I think most of us probably know what is Snickers Bar is, but just to recap, it’s a chocolate-covered candy bar with a sweet and chewy layer of nougat, crunchy roasted peanuts, and sweet caramel. It’s a very, very sweet chocolate covered bar, and as we all know, it’s delicious. There are a lot of recipes out there for homemade Snickers, but this is a little different. I wanted to create a bar that was easy to make and free of any overly processed ingredients or sugar. I wasn’t sure it was even doable. But after some serious rounds of testing, I feel like I came out with the perfect bar. I can’t say they taste identical to a Snickers, but these are pretty darn close, and regardless, they are DELICIOUS.
Making these Vegan Snickers is easy…
Start with the “nougat” layer. Nougat is a sweet filling very similar to marshmallows. It’s made with sugar or honey, roasted nuts, whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. It’s very chewy and used in a lot of dessert recipes and bars. For my “nougat”, I got a little creative. How I could easily replicate this layer without using eggs and sugar? Enter creamy cashew butter, coconut oil, and honey (maple if you’re vegan, but honey is best flavor-wise). Mixing these three ingredients together creates a creamy, sweet layer that tastes very similar to a classic nougat. Mix this layer up, then spread it out into a square baking dish. Add peanuts on top, then freeze until the layer sweetens up. Absolutely nothing fancy. If you don’t often use cashew butter, you can use almost any butter or even tahini, but I like the flavor of cashew butter best. It’s neutral but creamy and buttery. It is important to note that all nut butters are different, some are thick, some are oily. I typically use raw cashew butter, which gives the “nougat” a light coloring and the perfect flavor. If using a roasted cashew or almond butter, you might have darker colored “nougat”.
covering the snickers in chocolate
While the “nougat” layer sets up, make the caramel. This is not your average caramel, but it’s just as delicious. There are not one, but TWO caramel layers. The bottom layer is thicker and the top layer is much gooier. For the first layer of caramel, I use maple for sweetness, coconut milk for creaminess, and peanut butter to thicken the caramel up enough to stay inside the bar, yet still leave you with a nice creamy and chewy caramel. For the second layer of caramel, I simply use maple, coconut milk, and a splash of vanilla. This leaves you with a runnier, gooier caramel that’s a little messy, but so delicious. Once the “nougat” layer is set, pour the first caramel layer over top, then freeze while you make the second layer. Pour that gooey caramel overtop, sprinkle with peanuts, then freeze until firm. You’ll only need to freeze them for thirty minutes or so. The freezing step is really just to help the bars set up quicker, to make them easier to cut through. It also makes them solid enough to dip into the chocolate, which is the final step. I like to use melted dark chocolate to cover each bar. Then I finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for that salty, sweet flavor combination. The family’s verdict? Not exactly a Snickers Bar, yet close enough. But most importantly…beyond good!
A few tips for success…
Tip one, use full-fat coconut milk and only use the cream, discard or save the coconut water for another use. You’ll want to use just the cream to ensure your caramel sets-up nicely and is still creamy, and not runny. Tip two, make sure the bars are thoroughly chilled before dipping them into the chocolate. This is probably my biggest tip. If the bars are frozen, the chocolate will quickly set-up and be easier to work with. Trust me, freeze the bars, then dip them through the melted chocolate. Tip three, if you want a thick chocolate-coated candy bar, dip your bars once, re-freeze until set (which will only take a matter of minutes), then dip into the chocolate again. This is not NEEDED, but it sure is a good idea. Double the chocolate is always best. Tip four, keep these Snickers bars in the fridge. When left at room temperature, they get a little soft and then become messy while eating.
What do these Vegan Snickers really taste like?
A Snickers bar, but 2.0. These are definitely not an exact replication, but they have the same flavor profiles. The biggest difference is that these bars are made minus any processed sugars, unhealthy fats, and instead of a sugar-induced headache, these will leave you feeling your best. Like you were able to indulge a bit, but without all the sugar and processed ingredients. I love keeping these in the fridge for an afternoon snack or late night dessert. They’re that perfect salty, sweet, chewy, and crunchy candy bar that satisfies all your cravings. OK ok, and lastly, I have to ask, what’s your favorite candy? Is it a Snickers? Or is it something else that I need to try and recreate?
Looking for more homemade versions of your favorite desserts? Here are a few to try: Healthier Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies Healthy…ish Homemade Samoas Cookies Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts Lastly, if you make these easy Homemade Vegan Snickers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
