Vegan Peanut Butter Snickers

These homemade vegan peanut butter snickers are naturally gluten-free, made with all natural and unrefined sugars, and taste amazingly delicious. It’s a layer of creamy nougat, another layer of luscious peanut butter date caramel, then loaded with peanuts and coated in dark chocolate. This vegan treat is the way to anyone’s heart!

the perfect Valentine’s Day treat – vegan peanut butter snickers

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make homemade candy for your loved ones (or just to treat yo self!). What better way to show someone you care than with chocolate + peanut butter candy goodness!

And let me tell you…these vegan peanut butter snickers will steal anyone’s heart. First, they taste AMAZING! I shared them with my younger brother, an avid snickers fan, and he was blown away. He said they were way better than the real thing and he couldn’t get enough of them!

Also, these vegan peanut butter snickers are made with all real, wholesome ingredients, so you can feel good eating and gifting this candy!

ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• raw, unsalted cashews
• pure maple syrup
• stevia sweetener, I prefer Whole Earth Sweetener
• coconut oil
• plant-based milk
• coconut cream
• dates
• peanut butter + peanuts
• vanilla
• dark chocolate, I used Enjoy Life

how to make vegan peanut butter snickers

These take a few steps, but are totally worth the effort. It just requires the right equipment and a little patience.

Equipment Needed

I preferred a uniform shape, so I used THIS candy mold. It’s inexpensive and makes for pretty candy bars that closely resemble the real thing.

If you don’t want to buy candy molds, you can also use a 9×9, 8×8, or 11×7 pan. Just make sure you grease and line the pan with parchment paper so the candy is easy to remove.

Finally, you will need a high-powdered blender or good quality food processor. This helps fully break down the cashews and dates (used for the nougat and caramel) to an ultra creamy and smooth texture.

Step-by-Step Process

First, soak both the dates and cashews in very hot water in separate bowls for 1-2 hours. Drain both. This helps them process better and become smooth and creamy.

Take out two silicone candy bar molds or grease and line with parchment paper an 8×8, 9×9, or 11×7 pan.

For the Nougat, add the soaked and drained cashews and remaining ingredients to a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes (depending on the power of your machine).

Divide the mixture between the candy bar molds (it will make about 10 bars). To make this easier, I add the nougat mixture (and caramel layer) to a piping bag or freezer bag with a corner cut off, and pipe the mixture into the molds. If using a pan, pour the entire mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

For the peanut butter caramel layer, add the soaked and drained dates, peanut butter, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons plant-based milk to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If not blending well and seems too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until smooth and creamy (I used a total of 4 tablespoons). Fold in the peanuts. Divide the mixture between the candy bar molds.

If using pan, pour the entire mixture into the prepared pan on top of the nougat layer and spread out evenly.

Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until fully set. Pop the candy bars out of the molds or remove from the pan and cut into about 10 bars.

For the chocolate, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil over a double boiler ( a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water) to fully melt the chocolate. Add each candy bar to the melted chocolate and fully coat in chocolate. Top with the crushed peanuts.

Place in the freezer to set for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

how are these healthier

This candy is the best of both worlds – completely vegan and gluten-free + taste better than the real thing.

The magic is simple – I used real, all-natural ingredients to make this a wholesome treat. There is no refined sugar, processed ingredients, or corn syrup. Just beautiful, real ingredients, which are all listed above!

other delicious treats

• fudgy sweet potato brownies
• banana bread energy bites
• healthier brownie cookies
• vegan chocolate raspberry cupcakes

enjoy!

These Vegan Peanut Butter Snickers make for a delicious, easy, and nutrient rich treat perfect for Valentine’s Day!

If you make these Vegan Peanut Butter Snickers, please leave a comment below.  I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest so I can see your creations!

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The BEST Vegan Peanut Butter Snickers

These homemade vegan peanut butter snickers are naturally gluten-free, made with all natural and unrefined sugars, and taste amazingly delicious.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Author Danielle

Ingredients

Nougat

• 1 ½ cups raw unsalted cashews
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1-2 teaspoons plant-based stevia sweetener I used Whole Earth Sweetener, to taste
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons plant-based milk
• 1/3 cup coconut cream cream at the top of the can of cold coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch salt

Peanut Butter Caramel

• 10 large pitted dates
• 1/2 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy works
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons plant-based milk
• 1/2 cup roasted and salted chopped peanuts plus 2 tablespoons for topping
• pinch salt

Chocolate Coating

• 2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup coconut oil

Instructions

1. Soak both the dates and cashews in very hot water in separate bowls for 1-2 hours. Drain both.
2. Take out two silicone candy bar molds or grease and line with parchment paper an 8×8 or 9×9 pan.
3. For the Nougat, add the soaked and drained cashews and remaining ingredients to a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes (depending on the power of your machine).
4. Divide the mixture between the candy bar molds (it will make about 10 bars, see note) or pour the entire mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

5. For the peanut butter caramel layer, add the soaked and drained dates, peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and 2 tablespoons plant-based milk to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. If not blending well and seems too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until smooth and creamy (I used a total of 4 tablespoons). Fold in the peanuts. Divide the mixture between the candy bar molds (see note) or pour the entire mixture into the prepared pan on top of the nougat layer and spread out evenly. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or until fully set. Pop the candy bars out of the molds or remove from the pan and cut into about 10 bars.

6. For the chocolate, combine the chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler ( a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water) to fully melt the chocolate. Add each candy bar to the melted chocolate and fully coat in chocolate. Top with the crushed peanuts.
7. Place in the freezer to set for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note: If using candy bar molds, I find it easiest to use piping bags to evenly divide the nougat and caramel mixtures between the molds.
Store extra candy bars in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. 

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