This year, I’ve been working on my raw dessert skills. I do not really like fruity raw cakes, but I do enjoy other raw treats, such as energy/bliss balls, pralines, fudge, brownies, etc. One of my favorite desserts are the vegan snickers bars.
They are perfectly sweet, chewy and crunchy at the same time. I haven’t had this kind of a sweet treat for years as you can’t get the vegan version in shops (or dairy free for that matter), and I wasn’t confident enough to try and make them at home. But once you do, there is no way back. My husband loves them too, and I make them almost every other week (upon his request).
I must admit that I wasn’t sure how to make them, so I checked and tried different recipes until I found what worked for me. I combined ingredients from various recipes and created my own version. I hope you will like it.
Nougat layer
1 ¼ cup almond flour
10 pitted dates (or 5 medjool dates)
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp peanut butter
Caramel layer
200 g pitted dates (about 30 dates or 15 medjool dates)
1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp oat milk (or any other plantbased milk)
½ cup roasted peanuts
Chocolate coating
200 g chocolate (70% cocoa content)
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
Let’s start with the nougat layer. I have used medjool dates as well as normal dates and I can honestly say that there is almost no difference. I asked my husband and he said that it’s as good as ever. I use medjool dates when I have them at home but it’s quite difficult to get them where I live, so I usually end up using the normal ones. And the price difference is huge, so I leave it up to you to decide.
First, I soak the dates for about 10 minutes in hot water (in two separate bowls – one for nougat and one for caramel). I don’t soak medjool dates as they are juicy and soft.
While the dates are soaking, line a baking tray with parchment paper. I used 15*23 cm.
Once soaked, squeeze the excess liquid and place the dates in the food processor/blender. Add the almond flour, vanilla and peanut butter and blend until nice and smooth. It might take a few minutes (depending on your machine). Give your machine a break if needed and keep scraping the sides of the bowl. Place the mixture in the baking tray and use your hands to spread it evenly. Be careful as the mixture might be quite hot. Press the mixture firmly and place it in the freezer to set while you’ll be working on the caramel layer.
Place all the ingredients (except of the peanuts) in the food processor/blender and process until smooth and glossy.
Remove the baking tray from the freezer and spread the caramel evenly on top of the nougat layer. The mixture is very sticky, and I find it easy to spread it with wet hands as it doesn’t stick that much to my fingers. I’ve tried it with a spoon or a spatula, but I prefer to do it with my hands.
Once done, spread the peanuts all over the caramel layer.
As you can see, I didn’t have enough peanuts, so I added some pecan nuts. You can add whichever nuts you fancy. Be creative 😊 With your fingers, press the peanuts in the caramel and place the baking tray in the freezer to set. I usually leave it in the freezer over night before I coat it in chocolate.
Remove the baking tray from the freezer and place the big snicker bar on a cutting board. It should be very easy as it’s firm. Slice it as thick and as long as you wish and coat it in melted chocolate mixed with melted coconut oil.
I store mine in the freezer as I’ve noticed that they never freeze completely, and you can eat them directly out of the freezer. If you wish to have them little softer you can store them in the fridge for about a week. But I’m sure they will be gone by that time.
Thank you for visiting!
Cheers!
