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These snickers protein bars look and taste like the original candy bar, but healthier! Packing over 15 grams of protein each, these bars take less than 10 minutes to make.
Protein bars are one of my favorite snacks between meals.
Sure, I’d like a candy bar or French fries, but for me to be satisfied, I need some protein.
Some of my favorite high protein snacks include protein brownies, a protein cookie, or a snickers protein bar.
You may have seen Snickers protein bars at health food stores and online but honestly, they are NOT healthy at all. They contain just as many calories as standard snickers bars and tons of sugar.
Like my favorite coconut protein bars, you can make your own homemade version!
Why you’ll love this snickers protein bar
- No baking required. No ovens required, and it’s a three layer process to perfection.
- Vegan and gluten free. No dairy and no grains needed, so it ticks the diet boxes.
- Over 15 grams of protein each. This makes the perfect high protein snack.
What I love about this recipe is how similar it tastes to the original candy bar. This homemade version is made up of a thick, chewy bar, a layer of caramel, a thin layer of crushed peanuts (or almonds) and covered in chocolate. Same texture makeup, same layers of ingredients, and just as delicious.
Ingredients needed
For nougat layer
- Coconut flour– Keeps the base sturdy and thick, without evident coconut flavor.
- Protein powder– Vanilla or unflavored protein powder. I used brown rice protein powder, but casein or pea protein work.
- Maple syrup– Adds some sweetness and natural sweetness.
- Water– Only add if the mixture is too thick/crumbly.
For caramel layer
- Peanut butter- What is a snickers bar without peanut butter? Choose creamy peanut butter with no added sugar.
- Maple syrup- Acts as a binder and sweetener.
- Coconut oil- You can skip adding coconut oil, but by adding it, the batter will be firmer.
- Peanuts– Finely chopped to add a delicious crunchy element!
For chocolate coating
- Chocolate- Either vegan chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate chips.
How to Make Snickers Protein Bars
Line a pan with parchment paper: Take an 8 x 8 or deep dish pan to line it with parchment paper. Once done, set this pan aside.
Make the nougat base: Combine the coconut flour, protein powder, and maple syrup into a mixing bowl and mix until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add some water. Transfer the mixture into the lined pan.
Prepare the caramel: Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 20-second spurts until everything is melted. Whisk together until smooth and pour over the nougat.
Freeze: Freeze the nougat/caramel bars for at least an hour. Once firm, slice into bars.
Coat with chocolate and refrigerate: Moving quickly, dip each bar in melted chocolate. Refrigerate them until the chocolate has firmed up.
Dietary and ingredient substitutions
- Make it sugar free. Use sugar free chocolate chips and keto maple syrup for the sweetener.
- Swap out the peanuts. Almond butter and chopped almonds are a fantastic alternative.
- Make it coconut free. Swap out the coconut flour for either almond flour or oat flour.
Storing and freezing instructions
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to four weeks.
- To Freeze: Place the snickers protein bars in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More protein bar recipes to try
- Cookie dough protein bars
- Coconut protein bars
- Keto protein bars
- Chocolate protein bars
- Carrot cake protein bars
Frequently Asked Questions
For a healthy snack, a snickers protein bar is a fantastic option. It should not replace meals.
Yes, easily substitute the coconut flour for almond flour.
Replace the peanut butter with alternatives like almond butter, tahini, or sunflower seed butter.
Snickers Protein Bars (No sugar!)
Video
Ingredients
For the nougat layer
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup protein powder
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup milk of choice * See notes
For the caramel layer
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons peanuts chopped
For the chocolate coating
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 square pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your coconut flour, protein powder, and maple syrup and mix well. Add the milk of choice and mix until a thick batter remains. Transfer into the lined pan and refrigerate.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil and microwave in 20-second spurts until warm. Whisk together until smooth. Pour the caramel over the top of the nougat base. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top. Place the pan in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until firm.
- Remove from the loaf pan and cut into bars. Melt your chocolate chips and pip each snickers base in the chocolate until evenly coated. Refrigerate until chocolate has firmed up.
Wow on photo this looks just like Snickers. I must try it as I love Snickers so much.
I ended up using unflavoured protein powder (small mistake!) so added more maple syrup (I used your keto syrup recipe – awesome!) and man, you got the texture pretty spot on. I used natural peanut butter too, so not so much chemicals and sugar, again needed extra syrup. It’s much less sweet than I’m sure your original recipe is, but I love it.
I need to try this. Usually I always buy Snickers or something with peanuts. I never made some recipe with peanuts before.
Wow they look like normal snickers. I must try it.
Hi,
Can I use Vitafiber powder instead of maple syrup?
I haven’t tried that before but you are welcome to experiment and see!
Not sure you can say no sugar with that much maple syrup- was there a sugar free sub?
I made these and love them. Unfortunately they have good bad as i left them outside tge fridge. I used common milk so i think they have ti be in the fridge.
How do you get the chocolate coverings so perfect? I would have thought that the topping would slid off a fair bit and the bottom be spread all over the place. Answer to your secret PLEASE :-).
Hi shelley- Use two forks to dip the bars in it
Can you add more protein powder into this recipe? If so do you increase the amount of any other ingredients? Thank you 🙂
Not that I’ve tried but feel free to experiment and see!
How many grams of protein is in 1 serving? I know it depends but can you tell me roughly?
Feel free to calculate it using myfitnesspal or similar 🙂
Can i replace coconut flour with ground blanched almonds
You can totally try that out- Double the amount though 🙂
Can i replace the coconut flour with almond meal & if so how much?
Also i only have raw chocolate protein do you think that will matter ?
Thank you! love your recipes !!
That should be fine but double the amount. I haven’t used that protein powder so feel free to experiment.
It was amazing!!!!!!!
I think peanuts and legumes are the only reasons why I would never go on a Paleo diet permanently, hahaha! And a candy that always comes around in my life would have to be chocolates, specifically Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, truffles, and anything dark filled with a sweet caramel!
can you estimate how many carbs would be in a 2 inch by 2 inch square?
For sure! If you go to myfitnesspal and plug in the ingredients, you can estimate the macros! Enjoy!
What can I use in place of the coconut flour and protein powder?
You can use oat flour or almond flour, but double the amount!
So 2 cups of each oat and almond to replace the 1 cup coconut and 1 cup protein powder??
How much flour do you use if you omit the protein powder?
Just leave it out completely and reduce the milk of choice 🙂
Hey, what do I do if not using protein. Powder do I just leave out that step or replace with more coconut flour? Thank you
Just leave it out 🙂
The candy bar King smacks down another amazing re-make!
It says “optional” by the protein powder. Does that mean I can just not use it, or do I need to replace it with something else? I’m wanting to make these today because they look so good!
Hi there, you can simply omit it, if you use the protein powder, you’d likely need some milk to firm up 🙂