Vegan Snickers inspired Chocolate Bars

(vegan and gluten-free!)

The recipe that started it all. ✨

When I first became vegan I missed certain sweets so much and there were no vegan alternatives yet, so I had to try and make my own! Luckily, a lot of amazingly creative vegan food bloggers had already tried different approaches to those heavenly peanut-caramel-chocolate bars, so I started to do a proper deep dive into the vegan recipe sphere back then!

Following this deep dive, I tried and tested quite a lot of them (I also gave the trials to my family and friends every time and let them vote what’s best hihi) and then I finally came up with my personal favorite combination and recipe! This was basically what started my love for making sweets and desserts and to this day, this is the thing that most of my friends and family always want me to make for them, so it really must be THAT GOOD! :’)

(Also if you like this recipe, I’m sure you’ll also love my vegan ‘twix’ copycat recipe!)

AND here is the recipe for:

Vegan 'Snickers'-inspired Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

(makes between 7-15 bars, depending on preferred size)

for the first layer, aka the oat ‘nougat’ base:

130g oats
130g peanut caramel *(see following second layer)

for the second layer, aka the peanut caramel filling:

250g all natural, unsweetened peanut butter (the smooth, runny kind)
200g liquid sweetener (my favorite combination here is 100g of maple syrup + 100g of coconut blossom syrup for best flavor, color and consistency!)
1-2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maca powder (optional, brings out a stronger caramel-esque flavor)

for the third layer, aka the peanut layer:

100-150g roasted and salted peanuts

for the fourth layer, aka the chocolate coating:

150-200g vegan dark (or ‘milk’) chocolate
1 tsp coconut oil (optional, for melting the chocolate)
more chopped peanuts and maybe eben flaky salt to sprinkle on top (optional)

Instructions:

Start by preparing the peanut caramel. For this, combine all ingredients for the peanut caramel and mix continuously until it reaches a thick, caramel-esque consistency. (Mixing for quite a few minutes is the key here, as the consistency will thicken and become more gooey the more and longer you stir it!)
Blend the oats in a blender of food processor until you get fine oat flour. Then combine with 130g of the peanut caramel to get a soft dough-like consistency.
Press the oat ‘nougat’ dough into a prepared rectangular dish lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking and create the first layer. (This layer should be about 0,5-1 cm thick, but you can adjust that however you like.)
Now spread the peanut caramel on top of the first layer and sprinkle the salted peanuts on top. Press the peanuts a little into the caramel to make them stick.
Then place the whole dish into the freezer for at least 2hrs, so the first 3 layers harden up enough to be cut into bars later on. (I even recommend leaving them in the freezer overnight or for as long as possible as they’ll thaw again very quickly once you coat them with the melted chocolate, but I sometimes can’t wait that long either hehe, so it works with less time too.)
Once the bars are cold enough, cut them into bigger or smaller bars and melt your chocolate. Coat each bar with the chocolate and decorate with some more chopped peanuts, flaky salt or any other topping you’d like.
Now place the bars back into the fridge and freezer and keep them cold* until serving and you’re done!
*(They will keep for at least 1-2 weeks in the fridge but I like to keep them in the freezer, where they’ll stay fresh for up to several months!)