Vegan Snickers

Vegan Snickers is a dairy free and refined sugar free take on classic snickers bars! A thick nougat, covered in homemade caramel, and covered with chopped peanuts and extra chocolate, it requires no baking. A raw dessert sure to impress!

When it comes to homemade candy recipes, my favorite sweet treats to make are bounty bars, Twix bars, and these vegan snickers.

Why buy store bought candy or chocolate bars when you can make a healthier, homemade version with a handful of ingredients?

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of snickers. I wouldn’t necessarily say its the actual candy bar itself, but rather the combination of tastes, textures, and flavors. After making my keto snickers, I knew I had to do a vegan version. I pretty much wanted an excuse to use my 1 ingredient caramel, and that was easily achieved with these homemade vegan snickers. 

Are snickers vegan? 

Traditional snickers chocolate bars are not vegan friendly. They contain dairy and eggs, and also processed in plants where milk is prominent. 

However, my homemade vegan version is JUST as good as the original. A thick vegan nougat, layered with caramel and topped with chocolate. I shouldn’t play favorites, but I LOVE the nougat layer. It’s hard to achieve a thick and delicious nougat without dairy, but this one is a game changer!

How do you make vegan snickers?

The Ingredients

• Chocolate– vegan chocolate chips, which will be melted to form the bottom and top layers of the snickers. This also helps hold the fillings together, as they are quite fragile. 
• Cashews– Soak the cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes, to soften them up before blending. 
• Cacao butter– Also known as cocoa butter, it is the yellow extract removed from the cocoa bean. It gives the nougat the perfect texture! 
• Maple Syrup– Adds sweetness and also keeps the nougat soft. You can also use agave nectar. 
• Caramel– I used my homemade coconut condensed milk caramel that uses just 1 ingredient. You can use any caramel sauce of choice, or see my 3 ingredient caramel below, for a healthier alternative. 
• Chopped Peanuts– What is a snickers without peanuts? 

The Instructions

Start by preparing a square pan by lining it with parchment paper. Melt half your chocolate and pour it into the pan. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the other layers. In a high speed blender or food processor, combine your soaked cashews, cacao butter, and maple syrup, and blend until thick and creamy. Pour over the chocolate and place it back in the refrigerator. Let chill for 10 minutes, before adding the caramel on top. Refrigerate again for another 10 minutes, before adding the final layer of chocolate. Refrigerate the finished snickers for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate has firmed up. 

Can I make another kind of vegan caramel? 

If you’d like to make a healthier caramel, you can make a simple peanut butter caramel, using just 3 ingredients. This caramel is low sugar and a healthy alternative to the condensed milk caramel. 

To make- 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup maple syrup, 1 cup coconut oil. 

Melt all the ingredients together, either stovetop or in a microwave safe bowl. Whisk together, until the coconut oil is fully mixed into the other ingredients. 

Tips to make the best vegan snickers

• For thicker snickers, you can use a 9 x 4-inch loaf pan instead. 
• If you’d like the chocolate layers to be smoother and easier to bite into, add 1/4 cup peanut butter with the chocolate chips, before melting. 
• If you have a peanut allergy, you can omit the peanuts and use any other nut, like chopped almonds or walnuts instead. 
• For sugar free snickers, use sugar free chocolate chips and replace the maple syrup with sugar free maple syrup. 

Storing and Freezing Snickers

• To store: Snickers is best stored in the refrigerator, as the caramel is quite fragile and we don’t want it to seep out of the chocolate bars. Place the snickers bars in a sealable container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. 
• To freeze: Place snickers in a ziplock bag or freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

More Vegan Dessert Recipes to try

• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Brownies
• Chocolate Cake
• Vanilla Cake
• Flourless Chocolate Cake

Vegan Snickers Bars

4.95 from 79 votes

Vegan snickers is a dairy free and refined sugar free twist on the classic snickers bars! No baking required and BETTER than store bought!

Servings: 16 bars

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 20 minutes mins

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ 2 1/2 cups chocolate chips of choice divided
• ▢ 2/3 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
• ▢ 1/3 cup cacao butter * See notes
• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup can sub for agave
• ▢ 1 cup homemade caramel ** See notes
• ▢ 1/2 cup peanuts chopped

Instructions 

• Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, melt 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips. Pour the chocolate into the pan and spread out until completely covered. Place in the refrigerator.
• In a high speed blender or food processor, add your soaked cashews, cacao butter, and maple syrup. Pulse until thick and smooth. Pour the nougat mixture over the chocolate and refrigerate.
• While it is refrigerating again, prepare your caramel. Pour that over the nougat and bottom layer of chocolate, followed by the chopped peanuts. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Melt remaining chocolate chips and pour over everything and refrigerate until the chocolate has firmed up. Slice into bars.

Notes

* Use either cacao butter chips or buttons. 

** You can make a healthier caramel, combining 1 cup coconut oil, 1 cup peanut butter, and 1 cup maple syrup. Melt until combined.

TO STORE: Snickers is best stored in the refrigerator, as the caramel is quite fragile and we don't want it to seep out of the chocolate bars. Place the snickers bars in a sealable container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. 

TO FREEZE: Place snickers in a ziplock bag or freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1BarCalories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 5gFat: 15gSodium: 45mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 2gVitamin A: 6IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 3mgNET CARBS: 26g

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Arman Liew

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