These Healthy Snickers are delicious no-bake dessert bars with a sweet date caramel, a soft almond base, and a crunchy chocolate top made with no dairy and no gluten, and no refined sugar!
I love making healthier versions of classic bars, like my No-Bake Twix Bars and Healthy Puffed Rice Bars so I had to give the classic Snickers the same treatment!
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss further down my step-by-step process shots, ingredient swap suggestions, and tips and tricks to make them perfect every time.
Like This Recipe?
Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!
Healthy Snickers
These Healthy Snickers are delicious no-bake dessert bars with a sweet date caramel, a soft almond base, and a crunchy chocolate top made with no dairy!
Print
Review
Share on Facebook
Pin
Save in Email
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 254.7 kcal
Ingredients
Base
- 1 ¼ cups Almond Flour - (note 1)
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- 2 tablespoons Melted Coconut Oil - (note 3)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Date Caramel
- 8 Medjool Dates - (note 4)
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter - (note 5)
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 2 tablespoons Water
- ¼ teaspoon Salt - if peanut butter is unsalted!
Filling
- ½ cup Roasted Peanuts - (note 6)
Chocolate Layer
- ½ cup Dark Chocolate Chips - (note 7)
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch x 6-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Base Layer
- In a mixing bowl, stir all the base ingredients: almond flour, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract using a rubber spatula It will look crumbly at first, but as you stir and press the ingredient together – you can also squeeze the batter by hand if it's easier – it comes together into a sticky dough. If too dry, add an extra 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to bring everything together.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to press the batter evenly and flat at the bottom of the pan. Pop the pan into the freezer while making the filling.
Caramel Peanut layer
- In a food processor, add pitted dates, lukewarm water, peanut butter, and salt.
- Process at medium-high speed until it forms a paste. You may have to stop the food processor a few times, scrape the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula, and repeat until it forms a smooth, thick, and sticky caramel. Feel free to blend in an extra tablespoon of water if your dates are too dry and don't form well.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and drop dollops of the sticky caramel paste all over the base. Then, use the back of an oiled spoon to press and gently spread the thick caramel on top. It's messy, so work slowly so as not to break the base as you press the caramel. You want to entirely cover the base with the caramel.
- Evenly sprinkle the roasted peanuts on top and press to melt in the caramel paste.
Chocolate Layer
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in 30-second bursts until melted and shiny.
- Pour over the peanuts and tilt the pan to spread and cover the whole top of the bar.
- Freeze the pan for 15-20 minutes until the chocolate has hardened.
- Release the bar on a chopping board and use a long sharp knife to slice into 12 snickers bars.
Notes
Note 1: Almond meal works too, but the texture of the base will be a bit grainy and the color darker.
Note 2: You can also use agave syrup, coconut nectar, or any liquid sweetener you love.
Note 3: You must use coconut oil for this recipe, or the base won’t firm up. You can’t use olive oil or other types of oil. The only coconut-free option is melted cocoa butter.
Note 4: Other date types are too dry to form a creamy caramel. You can try, but you will need more water to form a paste and won’t reach the same caramel taste that naturally occurs in Medjool dates.
Note 5: You can also use almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option.
Note 6: You can also use roasted almonds, cashews, or seeds if preferred.
Note 7: I am using 85% dark chocolate as the filling is already very sweet, but if you like sweet Snickers, go for 55% dark chocolate or 70%
Storage: Store the bars in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze them in Ziploc bags for up to 1 month and thaw them in the fridge the day before.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 254.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.4g | Protein: 6.3g | Fat: 16.5g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 106.6mg | Potassium: 248.1mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 17.2g | Vitamin A: 24.6IU | Vitamin B12: 0.02µg | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 71.8mg | Iron: 0.9mg | Magnesium: 31.8mg | Phosphorus: 61.2mg | Zinc: 0.6mg
Ingredients and Substitutions
This paragraph gives you all my tips about picking the right ingredients. For the full recipe with measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!Go to Full Recipe
You only need a handful of ingredients for this delicious recipe. Here’s how to pick them.
- Almond Flour – To form the base of the bars. Almond meal also works, but don’t use coconut flour. All-purpose flour is not safe to eat raw, so don’t use it!
- Maple Syrup – To sweeten the base and the date caramel. Agave syrup or coconut nectar also work.
- Melted Coconut Oil – To bind the base ingredients. Melted cocoa butter is the only coconut-free option that works.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor in the base and caramel.
- Medjool Dates – For the caramel layer. Other dates may be used, but Medjool dates are by far the best.
- Peanut Butter – To add creaminess and flavor to the caramel. Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter are fine.
- Water – Helps create a smooth caramel.
- Roasted Peanuts – Add crunch to the bars. Roasted almonds, cashews, or seeds also work.
- Dark Chocolate Chips – Forms the chocolate topping. Choose your preferred percentage of dark chocolate. I like at least 70% cocoa for a strong chocolate taste.
- Coconut Oil – To help melt the chocolate smoothly.
How to Make Healthy Snickers
This recipe is quite easy to whip up, here’s how in pictures.
Combine the base ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Press the base in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Combine the peanut butter, dates, maple syrup, water, and vanilla in a food processor.
Blend the caramel layer ingredients until it forms a smooth paste.
Transfer the date caramel on top of the snickers base.
Press roasted peanuts on top of caramel paste.
Melt the chocolate chips with coconut oil and stir until smooth.
Pour the melted chocolate on top of the bars and leave the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Carine’s Tips
Let me share a few more tips for perfect snickers bars!
- Moist Dates – If your dates are dry, soak them in warm water for a few minutes before blending.
- Baked Base Option – Bake the almond flour base for a crunchy biscuit layer.
- Caramel Extract Boost – Add a teaspoon of natural caramel extract to the date paste for a boost of caramel flavor.
- Nut Variations – Swap roasted peanuts for almonds or cashews to create different snickers flavors.
- Caramel Consistency – If the date caramel is too thick, add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Chocolate Tempering – For a glossy chocolate finish, temper the dark chocolate before pouring it over the bars.
- Even Peanut Distribution – Press the roasted peanuts firmly into the caramel layer for even distribution.
- Clean Slicing – Use a warm, sharp knife to slice the bars for clean, even cuts.
- Portion Control – Slice the bars into smaller portions to manage the richness and sweetness.
- Freezer Firming – Ensure the chocolate layer is fully hardened in the freezer before slicing.
Delicious!
Could you use raw nuts instead of roasted ??
Sure, I simply don’t like the taste of unroasted nuts, but if you do, feel free to use that.