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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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This took me back in time and brought one of my favourite treats to life… that being snickers. It tastes exactly like it! Its almost unbelievable. and despite not having eaten snickers in years, the connection was instant for me.
The caramel was just beyond this world, i felt like i was in heaven.
My only con was that i felt the nougat was a bit dry, despite adding ingredients to the exact measurements…so i’m assuming there might have been too much oat flour/too little caramel, which i at the time of making realised, but assumed thats the way it should be. However i’ve learnt that for next time, and i wont be using as much oat flour.
Other than that this treat is to die for and i highly recommend to everyone!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for making the recipe!
Made these. Amazing.
Thanks so much!
These are so good! I will definitely make them again! Thanks:)
Thank you!
Hey just wanted to know the nutritional analysis of this recipe, also the bars were amazing thanks.
Hey! We don’t have the nutritional value on the recipes but there are some online calculators you could use to plug in the ingredients. Thanks for the kind words!
i used a silicon ice cube tray which made little bite size ‘bars’ – a tad more work to do the layering but worked beautifully!
Awesome idea!
Would you happen to have the micronutrients? I might be missing them. Can’t wait to make these for our big volleyball tourney, this weekend! I’m a new type 2 diabetic, so I’m on a very low carb diet. Praying I can have just 1 😉
I do not calculate nutrition information for the recipes on the blog, but there are plenty of online calculators that can help you out 🙂
I don’t usually rate things on the interweb but these bars were an absolute delight- vegan (I’m not), really easy (and enjoyable) to make with cheap, easy to find ingredients and they really are absolutely delicious. I made them for a party and LOADS of people were hugely impressed. If I change anything next time (and there will be a next time) I would up the amount of oats (to make flour), so there’s a slightly thicker base layer. YUM YUM.
Thank you for the review, Nathan!
just made these with almond butter, and an almond/ cashew topping. so yummy!!! thank you 🙂
sounds delicious!
Wow this looks amazing! I see the bento box you posted has 3 sizes, did you use the small or large one for this? Thank you!
I used the small rectangular one! I actually used a mold designed for the bento box, not the bento box itself 🙂
Hi Caitlin. Can you please tell me the size of the mild you usted. I see that you already told the one on amazon. But there is no size of the one you used. Can you please tell me. Thank you ????
Don’t have the dimensions from the mold BUT if you want to go the route of using a mold you can find some online or at local craft stores. Something about 3-4 inches long by 1 to 1.5 inches on height and width.
Tastes just like Snickers! 🙂 Very good. There was just one problem – the caramel layer never became firm, even if it was in the freezer overnight. I think the peanut butter I used (Urtekram Organic smooth peanut butter) was too oily and prevented it from freezing? So I couldn’t cut it cleanly and my bars weren’t very aesthetically pleasing. Bu they tasted very good so no problem ????
Holy Moly! These are amazing!! So yum and will definitely make again. Snickers heaven.
My husband and I made these and love them! So good and satisfying, thank you for sharing. We just would add extra peanuts on top next time as a personal preference.
Gluten Free means no oats, wheat, barley or rye.
How can oat flour can be gluten free?
What could be substituted instead?
Hi Stacey! I’m not sure where you live, but in the US you can purchase Gluten-Free Oats. I have had other readers substitute them with Almond Flour successfully though!
These look so good. Can’t wait to make them. Do you think i could use a cup of m maple syrup instead of dates?
Unfortunately, no – you need the fiber from the dates in order to thicken the recipe
Wow wow wow. This slice is seriously delicious. Even my husband has been scoffing it, and he’s not normally into raw slices. Friends have been asking for the recipe too. Thanks so much Caitlin!
P.S. I used ground almonds as I can’t eat oat flour, and it still turns out great. ????
Awesome! Thanks, Zoe
I justmade this bad boys bars and they’re sooooo soooo good! Thanks for the recipe
How much calories in a small bar?
Hi Zeina – I do not calculate the nutrition information for my recipes, but there are plenty of free calculators online where you can do it yourself 🙂
These are SO amazing!! Snickers were also my fave choc when I was younger. I’ve been eating dates to assist in softening my uterus (39wks preg) … the perfect excuse to devour these in a couple of days ????
Hey Caitlin! These are amazing and it’s awesome that it’s guilt free ???? do you roughly know how many calories are in one bar?
Hi Holly – I do not calculate the nutrition information for any of my recipes, but there are plenty of free calculators online where you can figure it out yourself!
Made these today and they are AMAZING!! So easy to make and so satifying! Thanks for such a great recipe 🙂
You’re so very welcome, Sara!
Giiiiirl, these bad boys are so dang good! I am harassed – HARASSED – by my coworkers to make them for work all of the time. This recipe is super forgiving as well. I add coconut sugar instead of maca, and it’s super good. I just made them and forgot to soak the dates, which messed up my nougat texture – I added a splash of hot water to the nougat in the blender, and it came out just fine. I’ve even made just the caramel once and made chocolate covered caramels with this recipe. STILL HECKIN GOOD!
Ha! Thank you so much, Kelley! I love this review 🙂 and I’m glad your coworkers are enjoying the bars as well!