Imitation treats that were made of whole foods, dairy and gluten free, used to be my specialty. I guess they still are, but for a while I felt I had over done them, and at the time everyone else seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon. As soon as I made these protein snickers like bars, well actually when I sliced into one of them once complete and saw how awesome they had turned out, I remembered instantly why I used to love recreating candy bars so much!
Snickers, Mars, Twix… they are all the candy bars that are off limits. Chocolate is never an issue, there are so many dairy free alternatives out there, but both dairy and gluten are rampant in most. Also, key throughout my eating disorder recovery was to ensure I didn’t restrict certain foods because they were “junk” or empty calories. There is room for a little bit of everything. I know the perception can be that when one doesn’t eat gluten or dairy it’s for “health reasons”, but for me it simply just because it causes too much digestive discomfort.
I would love to be able to eat yogurt, ice cream and slices of toast, and of course the occasional Snickers! So that’s my reasoning, I’m not trying to create a healthier, lower calorie or lower fat option, it’s merely just an alternative with a few additional health benefits, as well as one that I know will meet a wide variety of people’s dietary requirements!
Plant Based Snickers Protein Bar
Print RecipeIngredients
- Base Layer
- 160g @pulsinandbeond pea protein
- 80g @meridianfoods cashew butter
- 80g honey or maple syrup
- 30g @drcoys coconut flour
- 30g oat flour
- 250ml water
- Caramel Layer
- 100g pitted Medjool dates
- 30g smooth peanut butter
- 60ml hot water
- 2 tbsp chopped salted peanuts
- Chocolate Coating
- 200g 60% dark chocolate or use Pulsin’s No Sugar Added Chocolate Drops!
- 1 tbsp (7g) coconut oil
Instructions
Blend together all ingredients for the base in a food processor.
Place into a 9 inch loaf tin that has been lined with baking paper.
Wipe out your food processor and blend dates to a paste. Add remaining caramel ingredients except for the chopped peanuts and blend until smooth.
Spread over the base layer. Sprinkle over the peanuts and press lightly into the bars.
Allow to set in the freezer for 2 hours.
Slice into 8 or 16 bars. Return to the freezer on a baking paper lined plate or tray while you melt the chocolate.
Melt chocolate in a microwave safe jug; heat for 30 seconds, stir and heat for 30 seconds more until fully melted. It should take about 2 and half minutes total.
One at a time place the bars into the chocolate using a large spoon. Ensure they are fully coated before lifting up with the spoon and transferring to a fork. Tap off excess chocolate and place onto the baking paper lined plate to set. Place into the fridge to set fully.
I prefer these at room temperature so that the base is fudgy and the caramel is soft and gooey!
Will keep in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to one month.
