20+ Homemade Candy Recipes- Secretly healthy!

These homemade candy recipes are healthier versions of ALL your favorite candy bars! No baking required and using simple and wholesome ingredients- sugar free and dairy free options.

Sugar Free Candy Recipes

When Halloween comes around, I’m never one to buy candy. Sure, there are some novelty flavors but the amount of sugar and hydrogenated fats in each candy bar is quite astonishing.

Now, I’m someone who preaches a balanced diet, and everything in moderation. While I do enjoy candy on occasion, I’d rather enjoy a gooey brownie or slice of cake instead.

The only exception is when I make my OWN candy.

I’ve been making my own healthy candy bars for years now, ever since I realized just how easy they were to make! What started off as a homemade Twix soon turned into kit kat and before long, I had over TWENTY of my favorite candy bars, all given a healthy recipe makeover!

No butter, no eggs, and no refined sugar needed, but you’d never tell- They taste JUST as good as their traditional counterparts, if not even better.

I brought a sampling of all of them to my friend’s potluck recently and NO ONE believed me when I said they were healthy.

Whether you follow a vegan or gluten free or paleo diet– there is something for everyone!

Key ingredients to make the recipes

You’ll notice that many of my homemade candy recipes contain similar ingredients. There are obviously a few changes to each one, depending on what the recipe is. However, these are some staples that will be common amongst most of them!

Nut + Seed Butters

Unless specifically stated, you can use any nut or seed butter for whatever you have on hand. Granted, some recipes would taste better with a particular kind (e.g. peanut butter over another).

I typically use cashew butter or almond butter, as they are both mild tasting and add a delicious texture. Peanut butter is great, but be sure you are a fan, as the flavor can be overpowering.

For those with nut allergies, sunflower seed butter, tahini, or soy nut butter are fantastic. Tahini can be quite bitter, so just be wary if you opt to use it.

Sticky Sweeteners

To keep recipes 100% sugar-free, I recommend using this monk fruit sweetened maple syrup. Alternatively, pure maple syrup or agave works well. I don’t recommend using an artificially sweetened syrup, as it doesn’t have the thickness or texture to allow the candy bars to form.

Grains and Flours

The two most common flours used are coconut flour or almond flour. I know some readers aren’t a fan of coconut flour, so please read the recipe notes for any suggestions or substitutions recommended. Coconut flour is tricky, in which it cannot be replaced cup for cup with other flours.

I also recommend using oat flour, which can easily be made by grinding up rolled oats. A fantastic substitute for it (texture wise) is quinoa flakes.

Other extras-

Chocolate is a common ingredient, so be sure to use either sugar free chocolate chips or dairy free chocolate chips if you have dietary restrictions. The latter is paleo and vegan-friendly, and melt beautifully. If you have no issues with chocolate, use a good quality baking brand.