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These delicious Vegan Snickers Bars are made from only 6 healthy ingredients and will satisfy any sweet tooth! Naturally gluten-free, they’re easy to make and good for you too.
Picture this: a chewy nougat and gooey caramel caramel bar studded with crunchy peanuts and enrobed in a lush chocolate coating. Is your mouth watering yet? If you love Snickers candy bars, I bet it is.
I’m so excited to share this homemade Vegan Snickers Recipe with you today. Honestly, I think anyone will enjoy it – kids, adults, vegans, omnivores, whatever! They are addicting in the best way possible, made from healthy pantry-friendly ingredients, and relatively and easy to make, in terms of homemade candy.
INGREDIENTS + INSPIRATION
Snickers were easily one of my favorite candy bars as a kid (and let’s be honest- an adult). Just because I adopted a vegan lifestyle doesn’t mean I wanted to give up all my favorite treats! So, I decided to make my own plant-based version of my favorite Halloween treat. The best part? You only need 6 plant-based ingredients to make these Snickers bars! Plus, this recipe is totally vegan and naturally gluten-free. If you use chocolate that’s sweetened with coconut sugar it can be refined sugar-free too.
This recipe is made of a caramel layer made predominantly of Medjool dates, which have a natural sweetness and caramel flavor to them. Part of the caramel gets blended with some oat flour to make the nougat layer, which is thickened with oat flour.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SNICKERS BARS
This recipe requires only about 20 minutes of hands-on time – the longest part is waiting for the nougat and caramel layers to set in the freezer!
- Soak your medjool dates, then blend them with peanut butter, vanilla, and salt to make a caramel.
- Mix a portion of the caramel with some oat flour to make the nougat layer
- Layer the nougat and caramel with some peanuts, freeze until firm, then slice to make bars.
- Dunk in chocolate, then serve and enjoy!
My only regret about this recipe is that I did not make it sooner. Snickers Bars were my favorite candy as a teen, and I will admit that I missed them a little when I went vegan. But I don’t have to worry about that any more — now that I know how easy these are to make, and how wholesome they are too, they’ve gotta become a regular event.
COOKING TIPS + FAQ
- Mould: I used a silicone mold to make my bars, but you could also line a loaf pan, rectangular baking dish, or tupperware container with parchment paper.
- Chocolate Selection: I recommend using a high-quality dairy-free chocolate for this recipe, as it will melt into a silkier consistency. You can use chocolate with a lower cacao percentage for more of a milk chocolate flavor, or use a higher percentage for a dark chocolate flavor. See the recipe card for more info!
- Dipping the Bars: It can be a little tricky to coat these bars evenly in chocolate if you use your hands. For best results, I recommend melting your chocolate in a bowl with a wide base (so the bar can completely sit on the bottom) and using two forks to rotate / dunk the Snickers.
- Got leftovers? That’s doubtful. but try serving them on top of this Baked Vegan Snickers Cheesecake! Or maybe just double the recipe?!
If you’re looking for more veganized candy bar recipes, you’ll also love these Homemade Almond Joy Bars, these No-Bake Almond Butter Bars, and these Homemade Peanut Butter Cups.
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations. Or, leave a comment and star-rating on this post if you end up loving them as much as I do!
Vegan Snickers Bars
These delicious Vegan Snickers Bars are made from only 6 healthy ingredients and will satisfy any sweet tooth! Naturally gluten-free, they’re easy to make and good for you too.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes (in Freezer)
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 Bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the Caramel Layer:
- 1 packed cup (280 g) pitted Medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Nougat:
- 1/4 cup (75 g) date caramel, above
- 2/3 cup (68 g) oat flour*
To Finish:
- 1/2 cup (70 g) unsalted dry roasted peanuts
- 8 ounces (225 g) high-quality vegan chocolate (see notes)
Instructions
- Prep: Transfer the pitted dates to a larger bowl and cover with hot water. Soak for 5-10 minutes, depending on how soft they were to begin with. You can also just cover the dates in water and microwave for 80 seconds if you want to be efficient. Drain the dates, but reserve the water for step 2. Line a baking sheet or cooling rack with parchment paper to place the completed bars on (step 6) and set aside.
- Make the Caramel: Drain any excess liquid off of the dates (they should be relatively moist, but not dripping) and add them to a food processor with an S-blade. Add in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Process until thick and smooth, scraping the sides of the device if necessary. If the mixture is too thick, add in the reserved date water in 1 tablespoon increments until you get an evenly smooth mixture.
- Make the Nougat: Remove the date “caramel” from the food processor. Add the oat flour to the food processor (no need to rinse) with 1/4 cup (75 g) of the caramel and process until well incorporated. This should form a slightly sticky “dough” that will hold together when you pinch it.
- Assemble & Freeze: Firmly and evenly press the nougat into a small and narrow container (see notes). Use a spatula to spread the remaining caramel evenly over the nougat, then sprinkle the peanuts on top. Use your fingers to press the Peanuts into the Caramel layer, so they stick. Place this in the freezer for 60 to 90 minutes, until firm.
- Make Bars: Remove the frozen “filling” from it’s container, then use a sharp knife to cut it into bar-sized pieces. Return these to the freezer while you melt your chocolate. Melt your Chocolate using either a double boiler or the microwave:
- Double-Boiler: fill a small pot with 1-2″ of water, then place a glass bowl over the top. Bring the water to a simmer over high-heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. While the water is warming, add the chocolate to the glass bowl. Use a clean and dry spatula to stir frequently, until the chocolate is around 80% melted. Then, carefully remove the bowl from the pot. Stir with the spatula until completely melted.
- Microwave: Place your chocolate pieces in a glass bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Once the chocolate is around 75% melted, stop microwaving and stir the mixture with a spatula until completely melted.
- Chocolate: Moving quickly, place 1 candy bar into the bowl of melted chocolate. Use two forks to “flip” the bar, until it is coated in chocolate on all sides. Remove the bar from the melted chocolate, letting any excess chocolate drip off. Then, place it onto the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining bars.
- Serve: Place the bars in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes, to allow the chocolate to harden. Serve and enjoy! Bars are best stored in the refrigerator and will last there for up to 10 days. You can also place them in the freezer, where they will last for up to one month – just let the bars thaw for 5 or so minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- Mould: I used a narrow silicone mold that actually fits in my bento box. However, you can use any narrow dish that you would like (such as a loaf pan, or even a square or rectangular tupperware). If your dish is not flexible, I would recommend lining it with parchment paper before you add the filling layers into it, so they will be easy to remove once frozen.
- Chocolate: I would recommend using a chopped up chocolate bar for this recipe unless you can guarantee that your chocolate chips are wax-free (which manufacturers are not required to disclose on the label). If you do opt to use chocolate chips and find the mixture to be too thick, add 1-3 teaspoons of refined coconut oil while melting to help thin it out. Use a dark chocolate for a less-sweet finish.
- Oat Flour: Your oat flour should be very fine (almost like regular flour) for best results. I recommend you use a blender (not a food processor) and process for at least 45 seconds.
- Nut-Free: If you cannot eat peanuts due to an allergy or preference, you can substitute the PB with any nut or seed butter of choice – same goes for the whole nuts in the bars. Obviously the final result will taste different, but still be delicious! I would recommend cashew or almond butter.
- Update: The original recipe added an optional 1 teaspoon of maca powder, which you can still add if you wish – but we found that the added “caramel” flavor was minimal.
This post was updated on 10/2021 with new photos, copy, and a slight modification to the recipe.
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It’s after 1 a.m. and I normally can’t be bothered to comment on recipe blogs but: Wow. These bars taste even better than the real deal, I’m absolutely amazed and SO happy that I found and tried your recipe!! Thanks so much and greetings from New Zealand 🙂
Thank you so much, Ven!
I only have a jar of concentrated date juice (essentially a date syrup – the consistency is like a slightly thicker maple syrup) and I don’t have a blender. How much would you recommend I use in both the filling and base? Any help would be much appreciated! 🙂
Hey Helen, I have not tested this with date syrup, so I really can’t say! The fiber from the whole dates helps to add volume to this recipe so I don’t think it will turn out as well with the syrup. If you still want to try it, I would start with half of the amount of dates the recipe calls for, and go from there.
Hi Caitlin,
For some reason I rarely comment on recipe blog posts but I just HAVE to say THANK YOU!
My parents always buy ice cream bars in the summer and my mom’s faves are the snickers one… I wanted to have my own version so I could enjoy it with them since summer’s coming up. And these are SO GOOD and so similar to the real stuff that after trying them my parents decided not to buy any this year… we’re just gonna make a whole bunch of these and freeze them 🙂 My family is opened to reducing their animal products consumption but there are certain things that they aren’t ready to give up completely so this is the kind of recipe that really makes a difference.
Sorry for the long comment, but I thought it might make you happy !
Love from France xoxo
Oh my gosh, that is so amazing Lucile! Thank you for sharing this story with me 🙂
What can you substitute for the oat flour? Would almond flour work? Can’t wait to make these!!!
Hi Teresa! I have not tested this recipe using any other flours, but I think Almond Flour should be fine. Let me know if it works for you!
We just loved them!!!I just made them for the second time….in two days in a row….and I’m the only vegan in our family!!!!Thank you!!!
amazing!!!
BEST.THING.EVER.
These look unbelievable!! Can’t wait to try them, wish I had a batch to eat right this minute as I’m super hungry!
Would lucuma powder work in place of maca?
Sure!
Oh my word! These ARE Snickers bars! I made them to take to a friend in another town, but I’m worried they won’t make it, heehee.
Great job veganizing a classic favorite!
I never comment on recipe blog posts but I thought I should for this one because it’s so incredible!! Easily one of my favourite things ever now! I made my omni friends try it and even they were floored.
Thank you Theresa! I’m glad everyone enjoyed 🙂
I made them yesterday evening and tasted this morning – OMG they are soo good and taste exactly like original snickers! Finally i found some good healthy recipe with inexpensive ingredients 🙂 Thanks! 😀
Hi Caitlin,
Just found you on U tube the other day and had to make your Snicker bars as they seem so easy. Wow! Indeed, even better than the real thing. But, Snickers were never my fave candy, so please, please, make a Mars one! Thanks and I will keep trying your stuff, it will keep me busy during this awfully cold weather we have in the Netherlands.
Hi Alex! I believe a Mars bar is the same as a Snickers, just without the peanuts 🙂
I just made these and was thinking how great this would be to make a whole food Mars bar! Mars were my favorite candy- they were like Snickers but with almond instead. I think just switching out the PB for almond butter, and using slivered almonds on the carmel would be fantastic! It’s amazing how much the oats add to this. Thanks for making my day!
Could I use regular dates for this? Medjool dates are not as accessible here. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yes, just make sure to soak them first so they are soft!
Thanks I will make them today! 🙂
Who the heck will buy snickers again after making at home?! Snickers company is going to go bankrupt haha.
Petra xx
Hello! In England dry roasted peanuts have a flavoured coating… I’m assuming this isn’t what is needed in the recipe? Thank you! Violet
Hello! That’s right; the sort of dry roasted peanuts we have are just bare peanuts that have been simply roasted and nothing else. Here in the states we can usually find them roasted and unsalted quite easily.
Thanks for this. Most recipes have a ton of coconut oil. Even without oil I still wouldn’t exactly call this healthy. Dates may be a whole food but they still have a ton of sugar. Maybe more like a decantant treat with slightly less calories than a real snickers and much better quality incredients? They actually taste better than snickers and are dang tasty…too tasty…I already had 2! What size was your baking mold? I ended up making mini bites using the silicon mold from my Ninja blender because the first container I tried was too big.
Hi Mary! I linked the baking mold I used in the recipe notes. Also, I would still consider this food to be healthy to me, because all of the ingredients used are health-promoting foods. Even though dates have a lot of sugar, they also have a lot of fiber as well as other vitamins and nutrients! I wouldn’t say eating the whole batch would be the best choice for anything, but I personally consider them to still be good for me 🙂
This tastes EXACTLY like a Snicker’s bar! I even gave one to my non-veg roommate and she loved it, and is asking me to make another batch ASAP!
Awesome!!!
This is the best thing I have come across in recent memory. These healthier snickers bars look even better than the original!!!
This recipe is like a total breakthrough! I haven´t eaten a snickers bar in years…..but you have now turned them ino a much healthier option….this is fantastic! thanks for the recipe 🙂
These bars look AMAZING!
It’s Sounds Yummy Yummy Delicious but it’s I’m Very Allergic to Caramel can’t U make without it inside of it ???
What part of caramel are you allergic to? This caramel does not have any ingredients of a traditional caramel