These gooey sweet healthy candy bars are packed with good for you ingredients like fruit and nuts, but taste 100% like a legit rich chewy candy bar! These paleo and vegan candy bars are gluten free, egg free, dairy-free and free of refined sugar.
I contemplated making paleo candy bars for some time. It turned out that an overwhelming response on Instagram to DO IT finally got me to go for it!
I didn’t want to call these “snickers” bars, even though they are sort of modeled after them. Maybe it’s because no matter how long I eat paleo, those favorite childhood candy bars always hold a place in my heart. Plus, I don’t want to go overboard on the drama and say these taste EXACTLY like a real Snickers bar.
I mean, they taste UH-MAZING, do not get that wrong. But they’re paleo, healthy candy bars. Made with ingredients like cashews, dates, coconut cream, and really not much else, believe it or not! They wound up being a total hit in my house too, by the way, devoured by kids and adults alike.
I mean, in two weeks I’ve already made two batches, and one batch makes a ton of bars. Are they addicting? YES – you’ve been warned! And they are also SO worth trying out!
What You Need To Make These Paleo + Vegan Healthy Candy Bars
Like I said, the ingredients are really very simple. Even I was once again surprised how magical they turned out the first time! Here’s what you’ll need to make healthy candy bars:
Medjool Dates
Raw Cashews
Refined Coconut Oil
Blanched Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
Pure Maple Syrup
Vanilla Extract
Coconut Cream
Nut Butter
Sea Salt
Dark Chocolate (Paleo Friendly)
And Yes, those ingredients include all the delicious layers in these bars! Here are the details for each layer:
First the “nougat”. It has a cashew base and is entirely sweetened with dates. Some almond flour and coconut flour firms it up enough to press into the bottom of a baking dish after chilling. The dates and cashews create a slightly chewy texture and sweet nutty flavor.
Second, the caramel. I made a traditional date caramel, but added coconut cream and a little bit of nut butter to thicken it. The flavor is ridiculously good – you’ll struggle not to eat a ton of it right out of the blender!
The chocolate. I didn’t make a homemade chocolate shell, but rather melted up some Hu Chocolate – which is completely Paleo – for an easy dipping chocolate. I decided to just dip the bottoms of the bars and drizzle more chocolate over the top. They’re SUPER rich and perfect this way!
How to Make Paleo + Vegan Healthy Candy Bars
The ingredients are one thing, but, you might be wondering how they become creamy dreamy bars! the key is a good blender.
I always use a Vitamix for blending up cashews and dates because I find it gets them super creamy. A good food processor should work as well. It might take several minutes of blending, scraping the bowl, and pulsing to get everything nice and smooth.
You’ll layer the nougat and caramel in a parchment lined baking dish (8″ or 9″ works) and sprinkle chopped nuts all over the top. At that point, the bars will need to chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours so they’re firm enough to cut into and dip.
Tips for getting These Healthy Candy Bars to Work
- Be patient blending each layer if you want nice creamy nougat and caramel. Even with a Vitamix, it will probably take several minutes, with breaks in between to stir and scrape, to get a nice creamy mixture.
- Make sure to chill long enough. If you have the time, making the bars the day before will work best, since you can chill them overnight in the freezer before cutting. I like using a large, very sharp knife to cut them into bars for the least amount of fuss
- Make sure they’re cold and firm before dipping in chocolate. Sure, they’ll still be good if they fall apart a little, but it’s easier when the bars are still chilled from the freezer to dip them. After cutting, you might want to return them to the freezer to make sure they’re nice and firm.
How To Store These Paleo Candy Bars
After the chocolate has hardened, these can be stored in either the refrigerator or freezer. I personally prefer the freezer to give you that “frozen snickers” effect! They’re a bit more firm in the freezer and a little bit gooier when you refrigerate – it’s totally up to you. When stored covered in the freezer, they’ll last for a month or longer.
I hope you’re ready for something seriously delicious, so rich, and basically a paleo candy dream come true! Soak your cashews, grab your dates (and start pitting them!) because it’s time to go! Enjoy!
Healthy Candy Bars {Paleo, Vegan}
Healthy Candy Bars {Paleo, Vegan}
Ingredients
Nougat:
- 1 1/4 cups Cashews soaked for at least 2 hours in warm water
- 1/4 cup Coconut oil melted
- 10 medjool Dates pitted and softened
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
Caramel:
- 20 medjool dates pitted and softened
- 1/2 cup Coconut cream this is the thick part of a separated can of coconut milk. You can also buy it separately.
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cashew butter or almond butter, or peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup chopped roasted salted nuts of choice cashews or almonds work well
- 9 oz Hu Gems or other dairy free, soy free chocolate chips/morsels
Instructions
Nougat:
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Line an 8 x 8” baking pan with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides. Blend the first 3 ingredients in a high speed blender like a Vitamix until smooth. This might take several minutes depending on your blender. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the almond flour and coconut flour. Chill for 30 minutes, then press into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Place back in the freezer.
Caramel:
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While the nougat layer chills, make the caramel. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until very smooth and creamy. Again, this may take several minutes of blending/pulsing depending on your blender. Spread this mixture over the chilled nougat and sprinkle with the nuts, pressing them gently into the caramel layer. Cover and place in the refrigerator or freezer for 2 hours (or more) to set.
Dipping in Chocolate:
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Once set, cut the bars. Remove from the pan and with a very sharp knife, cut into 20 bars or desired size and place on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place back in the fridge or freezer while you melt the chocolate.
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Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in increments of 30 seconds, stirring between each one, until melted and smooth.
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Carefully dip the bottom of each bar in the chocolate and place back on the parchment, then drizzle chocolate over the top of each bar. Refrigerate or freeze 20 minutes so the chocolate hardens, then serve and enjoy! Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap in the freezer or refrigerator. They’ll stay good in the freezer for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
*Prep time does not include the time needed to soak the cashews.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo + Vegan Chocolate Treats? Try One of These!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Double Dark Chocolate Truffles
Turtle Candy {Cashew Caramel Clusters}
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Your recipes and creations never cease to amaze me! These are perfect for Halloween (and all times of the year!)
Hey do u have any samples they really look yummy thank u for sharing
I haven’t taken them out of the freezer yet for dipping, but I did lickthe spoon after each stage and I’m madly in love!!!
These look incredible! Will they hold up at room temp? Also, I assume that you drain the cashews?
I was wondering if you could use cashew butter and how much would you need? I just made some the other day & wondering if I could just use it instead of soaking & pulsing all over again? Can’t wait to try your recipe out!
A bit time consuming, but oh so with it! Glad I made them and trying not to eat them too fast.
Absolutely delicious. I do wish that I could actually hold it like a real candy bar. Mine were quite soft even after being frozen for several hours. I may reduce the amount of dates next time and see if that helps any.
Just wanted you to know that I have made these bars TWICE now. Finishing up our second batch now. I absolutely love them. My son won’t stop eating them! At first I thought the directions were just too involved for me. After making them, darn the recipe is so easy!!
I can’t do peanuts or cashews. Is there another nut I can substitute?
These are in the freezer waiting to be dipped…I can’t wait! Hubby isn’t home…he doesn’t have to know I made them, right??? hahaha
They didn’t take as long as I thought…you can clean up and get ready for the next layer while the blender is doing it’s job. Yummy! Thank you!!
I’m making the again tomorrow because they were AMAZING the first time. I so think I may have made a mistake though. When it says blend ALL the ingredients for the nougat layer are you meant to leave out the nuts to put on top OR do you sprinkle with extra nuts?
Chocolate has always seemed to be loved by everyone as its great flavor for cakes.
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but am planning to (it looks delicious!). I assume the chocolate at the bottom of the list of ingredients for the caramel is the chocolate for dipping and not included in “all ingredients” blended for caramel? Can you clarify whether the chopped nuts and sea salt are blended into the caramel or are sprinkled over the bars? Thanks!
Never mind – I had only looked at the recipe itself. I went back to read the blog and found my answer. Thanks again.