Vegan Snickers Bars

So good I can’t cope.

Crunchy peanuts. Creamy dates with peanut butter. A crumbly oat base. Dark chocolate to cover it all. What’s not to love? These bars are honestly so good, you’ll be in disbelief. I was. And maybe still am.

Servings: 8 bars

Total time: 40 min (plus cooling time) 

For the date & peanut caramel

Ingredients

1 cup (140g) dates, soaked in warm water for 10 min and drained

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp maple syrup

5-6 tbsp oat milk

pinch of salt*

*unless the peanut butter you are using is slightly salted

add ins

3/4 cup (90g) roasted peanuts

For the Oat base

Ingredients

3/4 cup (60g) oats, made into flour

1/4 cup of the date & peanut butter caramel (see above)

for the chocolate coating

Ingredients

120g 85%-90% dark chocolate

1 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine the soaked and drained dates, peanut butter, maple syrup, oat milk and pinch of salt - blend until smooth.

2. Add the ground oats into a bowl and add in 1/4 cup of that precious date & peanut butter caramel. With a spoon or your hands (I prefer using my hands for this step), stir this mixture until well combined and a slightly crumbly dough forms. Evenly distribute this oat base into either silicon bar moulds or a rectangular dish (lined with baking paper) and press it down firmly.

3. Add about 1 heaped teaspoon of the remaining date & peanut butter caramel onto the base and with a spatula or small spoon, smoothen it out. Add the peanuts on top and slightly press into the caramel. Place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

4. Once the base & caramel have hardened, remove each bar from the moulds or, if you used a rectangular dish, slice them into bar shapes (ca. 12cm x 4cm).

5. Place the chocolate in a metal bowl along with the coconut oil and melt it over a water bath. With two forks, drop every bar into the melted chocolate so that every part is fully covered, allow excess chocolate to drip down and place them on a plate or rack lined with baking paper (use one that fits into your freezer). Once all the bars are covered in chocolate, place them back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

6. Optional: if you have a few drops of chocolate left over (I did, but we need as much chocolate as I stated in the recipe to ensure enough mass to roll the bars in), I suggest you made chocolate bark: simply pour the chocolate onto a plate or other flat dish lined with baking paper and spread out thinly. While the chocolate is still liquidity, sprinkle granola, roasted nuts and seeds, raisins or figs on top and finish with a pinch of sea salt and/or cinnamon. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes - 1 hour and break into chunks. Don’t to forget to share though!

7. Store in the freezer but mind you that these won’t last long. If they do, it would be the surprise of a century!