Vegan Snickers Bars

A chocolate lover’s dream! This vegan Snickers recipe will totally knock your socks off. If you’re the type of snacker who loves something sweet and rich with a tangible texture, you’re really in for a treat. These heavenly, crunchy candy bars are miles better than any commercial brand.

I mean, we know that homemade is better than packaged when it comes to candy, right? In this case, we can really taste the difference. The whole food, natural sweetness of the dates creates a taste that makes both the base and the inner caramel layer many steps above pre-prepared versions. Lastly, you can rest assured that you won’t be ingesting any harmful preservatives, colors, flavors, or ingesting any dairy products that caused suffering to animals.

Now, let’s make some candy!

Peanut Powerhouse

Sadly, peanuts are sometimes overlooked as part of a healthy diet. With a creamy crunch and classic nutty aroma, they’re super for occasional snacking. Plus, they are crucial to the making of your vegan Snickers! If you’re not sensitive to these little legumes, think about adding them into your diet as a great source of vitamins and nutrients such as:

• Mono and polyunsaturated fats
• Dietary fiber (one third of your daily dose in 100 grams)
• Potassium, magnesium, calcium, and B-vitamins
• Low in carbs, high in protein

Plus, they’re pretty inexpensive and will last a while if you keep them in the freezer. Pro Tip: If adding extra peanuts to the top of your chocolate-coated candy bars, give them a quick whiz in the food processor or coffee grinder. That way, they’ll more easily stick to the chocolate and also have a more toothsome texture.

How to Serve Up Your Vegan Snickerz

Even though these sweet little treats are super filling on their own, there are always ways to add to this recipe to make it even more special. Which one do you think you’ll try?

• Build Your Own Blizzard – Chop up a few vegan Snickers bars into little squares for blending into a delightful non-dairy ice cream, like our Fresh Strawberry or Rocky Road recipes.
• Colossal Cookie Construction – Before popping a pan full of cookies into the oven, consider adding a chunk or two (or three!) of these sensational little snacks to the top. They’ll be extra decadent and delicious. Our super easy chocolate chip or sugar cookies would be perfect for this!
• Select the Smaller Size – Though making twelve larger bars might seem to be the best plan, our recipe testers preferred the smaller, snack-like size of 24 bars much better. Plus, you’ll have more time to savor and more left to share. (If you want to, that is!)
• Double Dose of Chocolate – Do yourself a favor and make a double batch of the chocolate for dipping. When covered by two layers of creamy chocolate, these super cool candies are even more scrumptious!
• Special Salty Sprinkle – If you’re not sensitive to a little extra salt, consider adding an extra shake to the tops of your candies before they completely harden. Using coarsely ground or flakes will allow you use less and still give you a boost of flavor.

Simple Storage

If you have any bars left over from this vegan Snickers recipe, they should be stored in a covered container in the freezer until ready to eat. Otherwise, you may have a melty mess on your hands! If stored properly, the bars will last 2-3 months in the freezer.

Equipment You’ll Need

• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Food Processor
• Baking Dish
• Parchment Paper
• Mixing Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Blender
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Double Boiler
• Cooling Rack

If you try this Vegan Snickers recipe, let us know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more vegan recipe inspiration.

Vegan Snickers

Author: Christina Leopold

5 from 9 votes

These vegan snickers are a perfect combination of sweet caramel, salty peanuts, and creamy chocolate—making these bars one of my most popular recipes. Made using plant-based, mainly whole-food ingredients, these chocolate bars are the ultimate nostalgia-inducing and cruelty-free dessert.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Freezing time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 large or 24 small bars

Ingredients

Snickers Base:

• 2 cups raw, unsalted peanuts, (292 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 10 Medjool dates, pitted

Caramel Filling:

• 10 Medjool dates, pitted (see Note)
• ½ cup rice milk, (120 ml)
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, divided, (258 grams)
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup roasted peanuts (use unsalted if preferred), (146 grams)

Chocolate Coating:

• 9 ounces vegan-friendly chocolate, (255 grams)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil, solid

Instructions

• To make the base of the bars, blend the peanuts in your food processor until they form a light crumb. Add in the salt and dates and blend further for a few minutes, until completely combined and the ingredients stick together to form a doughy consistency.
• Line a 12 x 3½ –inch (30.5 x 9 cm) baking dish or similar-sized container with parchment paper and press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the dish using a rubber spatula. Set aside in the fridge while you make the caramel filling.
• For the caramel, put the dates, rice milk, ½ cup (129 g) peanut butter, salt and vanilla extract in a high-speed blender and blitz until completely smooth. Transfer the caramel to a bowl and add the remaining ½ cup (129 g) peanut butter, then stir well to combine. Using your spatula, spread the caramel on top of the base.
• Add the roasted peanuts on top of the caramel in an even layer. Place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Once set, remove the slab from the dish and place it on a cutting board.
• Run hot water on your knife to heat it, then cut the slab into 12 large or 24 miniature bars. Place the bars back in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate coating.
• For the coating, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler over simmering water.
• Dip the bars into the chocolate and sit them on top of a cooling rack lined with parchment paper to set. You can dip them a second time for a thicker layer of chocolate!
• Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or enjoy straight from the freezer.

Notes

Dates are nature’s caramel. They are not only naturally sweet, but they also help by working as a binding agent for many dessert bases. I usually opt for Medjool dates because of their soft texture and rich caramel flavor. Feel free to experiment with different varieties, and if using dates with a firmer texture, you can soak them in warm water beforehand to help soften them up.

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 688mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 3mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword homemade candy, vegan candy, vegan snickers

About the Author

Christina Leopold, creator of the popular blog, Addicted to Dates, is vegan recipe developer and food photographer from Ireland. Her passion for a plant-based diet has served her well and she has been sharing brand new and also veganized cooking creations, mostly desserts and gluten-free recipes. A degree in the Culinary Arts has reinforced her already considerable skills and prepared her for working with the food industry.

She shares that her goal with her blog and cookbook is “to show that you don’t have to compromise on treating yourself while living a more compassionate and sustainable lifestyle.” We think that’s an amazing ambition and applaud her for contributing such appealing, luscious, and super yummy plant-based creations with the world.

In addition to the vegan Snickers, our favorite recipes from this cookbook include: Jammy Wagon Wheels, Mojito Tart, Cookie Dough Cheezecake, Vanilla and Chamomile Ice Cream, Lemon & Lime Curd Tartlets, Banoffee Cupcakes, and Salted Maca Caramel. If only we could make them all!

More Super Sweet Treats to Try:

• Best Vegan Dessert Recipes
• Vegan Chocolate Truffles
• Date and Walnut Balls
• Hazelnut Chocolate Covered Vegan Crepes
• Vegan Nutella Spread
• No Bake Crispy Caramel Squares
• Almond Joy Bars Veganized
• Vegan Double Chocolate Donuts
• Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Slices

We want to thank our amazing recipe testers Lexia Cicone, Milan Shah, & J.J. Steele for helping us perfect this recipe!

This Vegan Snickers recipe was reprinted with permission from the No-Bake Vegan Desserts: Incredibly Easy Plant-Based Cakes, Cookies, Brownies and More cookbook by Christina Leopold (Page Street Press, November 10, 2020). Photography by Christina Leopold. Article written by Gina House and edited by Amanda Meth. Please note that this article contains affiliate links that help support our work at World of Vegan!