Tuesday, October 1, 2013

(Healthier) Homemade Snickers Bars

Hey Kiddos..
You miss me?
Okay, okay..
Before you get angry with me for falling off the hot bliggity blog bandwagon, again..
I have a gift for ya'll.
Candy bars.
HEALTHY candy bars.
These little gems will satisfy your sweet tooth without going straight to your booty.
Cause let's be real..
Nobody wants that.
So, without further adieu, I present to you..
"Healthier" Snickers Bars
Adapted from: The Detoxinista
--- Makes 6 full-size candy bars or 12 “fun size” bars ---
Ingredients:
Nougat Layer:
1/2 cup crunchy organic unsalted peanut butter
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 heaping Tablespoon coconut flour 
Creamy Caramel Layer:
12 soft Medjool dates, pitted
1/3 cup water (quick tip: to soften the dates more & create a more smooth texture, you can let them soak in the water for awhile beforehand. But it's not necessary!)
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unrefined organic coconut oil (doesn't need to be melted, as the processing warms it enough where it takes care of itself. But you can melt it beforehand, if you so choose)
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (I used raw, unsalted organic peanuts)
Cloaked in Chocolate (totally different process):
1 heaping cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon unrefined organic coconut oil

Now, here's what to do:
Prep your nougat layer by combining all 3 ingredients in a bowl. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, use a spoon or hands to flatten out the "batter" into a rectangle. I left mine at around 1/2 inch thick.

Pop this layer in the freezer to harden up while you prep the date caramel.

While the nougat sits in the freezer becoming frigid like your ex-girlfriend, you can process together all of the caramel ingredients.

Note: You'll only need half to 3/4 of the date caramel for the 2nd layer! Save the rest for raw caramel apples or to use as a dip. Trust me, it won't last long in your fridge. Nom.

Retrieve your nougaty layer from the freezer and slather on dat caramel.

Sprinkle on your chopped nuts & lightly press them into the caramel so they won't jump ship later when you cloak the bars in chocolate.

Place the bars back in the freezer to continue chilling for 30 minutes, minimum. This will help the caramel layer harden a little before you add the final touches.

When your 30 minutes is up, melt your chocolate & coconut oil. Take the bars from the fridge and chop them up into 6-12 bars depending on if you want full sized or fun sized bars.

I found it easiest to place the bars back in the fridge and take them out one by one to cover in chocolate so they didn't get too warm & become hard to work with.

Use a spatula or spoon to put a thin coat of chocolate on the bottom of each bar, place back on parchment paper and spoon them over with chocolate.

It's the final countdown!

Place the chocolate coated candies back in the freezer for a final 15+ minutes before devouring!

Nom. Nom. Nom.
These super simple little treats deliver salty sweet perfection without giving those nasty sugar highs & lows (10g LESS sugar in the full sized bars compared to the real deal! Plus 8g protein & 4g fiber)


Happy snacking. :)


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