Snickers Bars {Video}

These homemade Snickers are a re-make of the classic Snickers bars. Like the original, these bars consist of three layers – soft nougat, sticky caramel, and crunchy peanuts, all enrobed in a layer of decadent chocolate. Homemade Snickers bars are just as satisfying as your favorite candy bar! The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, and refined sugar-free.

Read more: Snickers Bars {Video}

Snickers came onto the market in 1930 and quickly became one of the best-selling candy bars in the world.

Interestingly, the Mars family’s early advertising emphasized the bar’s ability to satisfy hunger, positioning Snickers as a more substantial snack rather than a candy bar. With 29 grams of sugar, 14 grams of fat, and only 4 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber, I don’t see how this bar is anything but candy.

The original Snickers recipe is a nougat base made with egg whites, sugar, and vanilla (a mixture Mars calls “frap”). Then, freshly roasted peanuts are covered in caramel, and the caramel mixture is layered on top of the nougat. Finally, the mixture is cut into bars and covered in milk chocolate.

Not surprisingly, Snickers bars are many people’s favorite candy (it was always one of my favorite candy bars growing up), which is why I decided to make a more wholesome, vegan version of these bars.

While this homemade Snickers recipe isn’t an exact copycat, I hope you’ll find these bars equally delicious.

Tips for Making Homemade Snickers

Ingredients

Homemade Snickers call for quite a few ingredients. It’s no wonder, considering the multiple layers Snickers bars consist of, each requiring different ingredients. Let’s look at the ingredients layer by layer:

Nougat Layer

The nougat in commercial Snickers is sweet, peanut-buttery, soft, a little crumbly, and slightly aerated. To achieve a similar flavor and texture in this vegan nougat, I used the following ingredients:

• Cashews: these slightly sweet, soft nuts are the base ingredient of the nougat. I considered using finely ground almond flour but decided to grind cashews into flour instead. They add a great texture to the nougat without being grainy.
• Peanuts: have you noticed how peanut buttery the nougat in Snickers bars (compared to Mars bars, for example) is? That’s because it contains peanuts. I used raw peanuts (to keep the Snickers raw), but roasted (unsalted) peanuts would provide a much nuttier flavor and more crunch. You could also use peanut butter.
• Coconut cream: the aeration in Snickers nougat results from whipped egg whites. Whipped coconut cream is a great replacement, adding also richness and creaminess. You can use raw coconut cream or canned.
• Maple syrup: a liquid sweetener adds the sticky sweetness to the bar. I prefer maple syrup, but agave, coconut nectar, honey (if not vegan), or monk fruit syrup are all great options.
• Coconut oil: a little bit of coconut oil helps to bind the ingredients
• Vanilla extract: nougat typically contains vanilla to add warmth and depth. You can use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.

Caramel Layer

On top of the nougat layer sits sweet, chewy caramel. The chewiness of the caramel contrasts the nougat’s light and airy texture. The chewiness is also essential for the peanuts to stick to the caramel. I used this date caramel, which is not your classic caramel with butter and heavy cream but is indulgent nonetheless.

Next come peanuts, again. Believe it or not, there are about 16 peanuts in one 57-gram Snickers bar! Again, you can use raw or roasted peanuts.

Chocolate Layer

Lastly, each bar is enrobed in luscious milk chocolate. I opted for dark chocolate to balance the sweetness of the nougat and caramel, but you can use milk chocolate if you’d like. The chocolate should be tempered to make the coating glossy and give it a well-defined snap.

How to Make Snickers

These vegan Snickers are raw, which means no baking. Another great thing about these vegan Snickers is that you can make all the layers in a high-speed blender. Here’s how:

1. Blend the nougat ingredients. Add all the nougat ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. The mixture will be soft but thick, so you will need to use a tamper to push all the ingredients down into the blade.
2. Chill the nougat. Transfer the nougat into a parchment paper-lined 8 x 4 inch/20 x 10 cm loaf pan and spread it into an even layer. This pan size is great, as the most common Snickers is four inches long. Then, transfer the pan to the freezer to let the nougat firm up slightly, for 10-15 minutes. Ensure the nougat is not completely frozen before adding the caramel; otherwise, the caramel might not properly “stick” to the nougat.
3. Blend the caramel ingredients. Add all the caramel ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
4. Mix in the peanuts. Add the peanuts to the blender and mix them in. You can use the pulse function on the blender but don’t blend the peanuts. Snickers bars contain large pieces of peanuts. Alternatively, you can spread the caramel on top of the nougat first, then gently press the peanuts into the caramel.
5. Chill. Pour the caramel with the peanuts on top of the nougat layer in the loaf pan, and smooth the top with a spatula. Then, transfer the pan to the freezer to let the nougat and caramel firm up, for at least 1 hour.
6. Cut the Snickers into bars. Once firm to the touch, remove the Snickers from the loaf pan (by lifting the parchment paper) and cut them into 8 (1-inch wide) bars. You could also cut them into smaller squares for a bite-sized treat. Allow the bars to come to room temperature for 5 minutes before enrobing (to prevent shocking the chocolate).
7. Melt the chocolate. Using a double boiler or a microwave, melt the chocolate. The chocolate should be smooth and glossy. I also like to temper the chocolate to get a shiny and snappy coating.
8. Enrobe the bars in chocolate. Place one Snickers bar at a time into the liquid chocolate and turn it over a couple of times to coat. Lift the bar with a fork, allowing any excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl, then place the bar back onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. 
9. Chill. Transfer the Snickers bars to the refrigerator to set, for about 10 minutes.

How to Store Homemade Snickers Bars

• Refrigerating: transfer the Snickers bars to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 1 month. Snickers bars with tempered chocolate can be kept out at room temperature, ideally below 75°F/23.9°C, to enjoy. Homemade Snickers bars enrobed in untempered chocolate must be stored in the refrigerator; otherwise, the chocolate will soften/melt.
• Freezing: transfer the Snickers bars to an airtight container and freeze them for up to 3 months.

More Chocolate Candy Recipes

• Bounty bars: If you like the original Bounty bar, these copycat Bounty bars are a must. They have a sweet, creamy, and slightly chewy coconut filling covered by a thick layer of rich, decadent chocolate.
• Almond butter cups: somehow, chocolate and nut butter together are even more magnificent than they are when eaten solo. These almond butter cups have a wonderful contrast of crunchy yet smooth dark chocolate and rich, creamy almond butter filling. 

Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review and rating below.