This healthy Snickers bar recipe makes it easy to enjoy the flavors of your favorite candy bar but with simple, wholesome ingredients you'll feel good about! With its creamy caramel layer, chewy nougat, crunchy peanuts, and dark chocolate coating, it's the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Keep a stash in the freezer for a sweet treat any time!
As a Registered Dietitian, I know firsthand that sugar cravings are part of life. We often find ourselves craving the treats we enjoyed as a kid. But, have you noticed that chocolate bars don't even taste as good anymore? Once you get a little older, they all seem to taste way too sweet!
That's part of what I love about these healthier Snickers bars. They're made with real, simple ingredients and are naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup. They're still plenty sweet, but with a richer, deeper flavor. Plus, dark chocolate chips are infinitely better than the usual chocolate coating.
I promise - they will satisfy all of your chocolate cravings and are the perfect treat for the holidays, special occasions, and more!
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Ingredients
There are three specific components here: the date caramel, chewy nougat, and melted chocolate shell. None of the elements are hard to make, but make sure you follow the instructions carefully to help everything set just right!
Caramel layer:
- Medjool dates: Dates are sugar-sweet yet high in fiber so they don't spike your blood sugar the same way as white sugar. They also have a rich, caramel flavor ideal for this recipe.
- Peanut butter: Look for creamy peanut butter, ideally made without any added sugar.
- Vanilla extract: For a little extra flavor.
Nougat layer:
- Whole wheat flour: This helps hold the nougat together and offers extra fiber.
- Maple syrup: For just enough sweetness.
- Peanut butter
- Melted coconut oil: This is my go-to replacement for vegetable oil since it adds a mild coconut flavor that works wonderfully in desserts.
Other:
- Vanilla baking salt or flaky sea salt: Salt enhances flavor, making these Snickers bars taste even more delicious with less sugar.
- Roasted peanuts: To get that peanut crunch, we need to sprinkle peanuts over the caramel layer.
- Dark chocolate: I like to melt dark chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar for the chocolate layer.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil will help the chocolate coating get a nice, crispy snap.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Homemade Snickers Bars
- Prepare the dates: Remove the pit from the dates and soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes. This will help soften the date so you can easily blend them!
- Line the pan: Prepare an 8x8 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
- Make the caramel: Once the dates are done soaking, drain the water and add to a food processor along with the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Blend for a few minutes and pause a few times to scrape the sides until you see a paste forming. Set aside.
- Heat treat the flour: Preheat the oven to 350°F and on a lined baking sheet, add the flour. Bake for about 7-10 minutes. Let cool.
- Mix the nougat: In a mixing bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, maple syrup, peanut butter, and melted coconut oil. Press the mixture evenly in the 8x8 parchment paper-lined dish.
- Start layering: Spread the “caramel” layer evenly over the nougat layer.
- Add peanuts: Top the caramel with peanuts and press them into the caramel layer a little bit. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour.
- Melt the chocolate: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second increments and stir each time.
- Glaze: Once the chocolate has melted, pour the chocolate over the Snickers bars. Top with salt.
- Freeze and slice: Place the bars back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, cut it into 12 bars. Enjoy!
- Prepare the dates: Remove the pit from the dates and soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes. This will help soften the date so you can easily blend them!
- Line the pan: Prepare an 8x8 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
- Make the caramel: Once the dates are done soaking, drain the water and add to a food processor along with the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Blend for a few minutes and pause a few times to scrape the sides until you see a paste forming. Set aside.
4. Mix the nougat: In a mixing bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, maple syrup, peanut butter, and melted coconut oil. Press the mixture evenly in the 8x8 parchment paper-lined dish.
5. Start layering: Spread the “caramel” layer evenly over the nougat layer.
6. Add peanuts: Top the caramel with peanuts and press them into the caramel layer a little bit. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour.
7. Melt the chocolate: Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second increments and stir each time.
8. Glaze: Once the chocolate has melted, pour the chocolate over the Snickers bars. Top with salt.
9. Freeze and slice: Place the bars back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, cut it into 12 bars. Enjoy!
Hint: To soften the dates, soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes.
Why Do I Need to Heat Treat the Flour?
You need to heat treat flour before eating it raw because raw flour can carry harmful bacteria like E. coli. Just like raw eggs, flour hasn’t been processed to kill germs, so eating it straight out of the bag (like in cookie dough or other no-bake treats) can potentially make you sick. Heating the flour to at least 160°F helps kill off any bacteria and makes it safe to eat.
Substitutions
- Gluten-free: To make this recipe gluten-free, you'll need to replace the whole wheat flour with a gluten-free flour. Try a 1:1 gluten-free flour replacement or oat flour. Almond flour may work, too, but will have a slightly different texture.
- Dairy-free: The only dairy comes from the chocolate chips, and you can easily use dairy free chocolate instead.
- Vegetarian: This healthy Snickers bar is naturally vegetarian and vegan without any modifications.
Variations
Change the nut butter: Replace the peanut butter with almond butter or even sunflower seed butter.
Adjust the shape: You don't have to cut the mixture into bars if you don't want. You can cut little bite-sized squares to stretch the batch even further!
Use milk chocolate: Dark chocolate is higher in antioxidants and contains less sugar, but if it isn't your favorite, feel free to use milk chocolate instead.
Nutrition
Unlike conventional candy bars, this homemade version will feel much better to eat! The quality of the ingredients is much higher than the store-bought versions, plus you have real, whole food ingredients, like dates, peanut butter, and coconut oil.
The maple syrup and dates are both naturally lower-GI sweeteners, too, which means they won't spike your blood sugar the same way as regular sugar. Plus, you get extra fiber and healthy fats to help your body feel more satisfied.
Don't worry - you still get the chewy, crunchy bite and delicious chocolate peanut butter flavor, but will actually feel good after eating one. They're great!
Storage
Store any leftover Snickers bars in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. They are best softened slightly at room temperature, so place them on a plate on the counter to thaw before serving.
Top tip
To soften the dates, soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes.
FAQ
The chewy nougat is a key part of the Snickers experience, but these bars are also great without it! The combination of the chewy caramel and the crisp chocolate coating tastes like chocolate covered caramels. So good!
Technically, you do not have to since most of the ingredients are safe to store at room temperature. However, they'll stay fresh for longer when stored in the fridge or freezer, and the caramel and nougat will hold their shape much better.
Related
Looking for more healthy dessert recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
Serve your Snickers bar with a delicious drink and take a moment to unwind.
Did you try this recipe? I would love to see what you made! Tag me (@bewelltable) on Instagram and leave a 5 ⭐️ review below!
Healthier Snickers Bars
Ingredients
Caramel layer:
- 1 cup medjool dates
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nougat layer:
- 1 ½ cups heat treated whole wheat flour
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 4 tablespoons peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Other:
- ½ cup roasted peanuts
- 1 ½ cups dark chocolate
- 3 teaspoons coconut oil
- Vanilla baking salt for flaky salt for garnish
Instructions
- Remove the pits from the dates and soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes. This will help soften the date so you can easily blend them!
- Prepare an 8x8 dish by lining it with parchment paper.
- Heat treat the flour by preheating the oven to 350°F, and add the flour to a lined baking sheet. Bake for about 7-10 minutes. Let cool.
- Once the dates are done soaking, drain the water and add to a food processor along with the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Blend for a few minutes and pause a few times to scrape the sides until you see a paste forming. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the whole wheat flour, maple syrup, peanut butter, and melted coconut oil. Press the mixture evenly in the 8x8 parchment paper-lined dish.
- Spread the “caramel” layer evenly over the nougat layer.
- Top the caramel with peanuts and press them into the caramel layer a little bit. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour.
- Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second increments and stir each time.
- Once the chocolate has melted, pour the chocolate over the Snickers bars. Top with salt.
- Place the bars back into the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, cut it into 12 bars. Enjoy!
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