Homemade Snickers Bars

Insanity.

That’s what this is. Pure In.San.It.TEEEEE.

You know those days when you’re in desperate need of sugar and you’ve already downed more gummy vitamins than recommended while seriously considering how many more you can ingest without causing severe harm to your internal organs? They’re just so gooooood.

Well… in that case you should make some homemade snickers bars. Because I definitely did that.

And I KNOW you know what I’m talking about.

I spent the majority of my pre-pubescent and adolescent years scheming just how I would be able to steal my brothers’ Halloween candy. Snickers were always my favorite, and the boys weren’t huge fans so more often than not, they would hand them over. But sometimes… they kept them just to spite me. Brats.

Then I went through a SERIOUS phase of those Snickers ice cream bars. I swear they only had like 4 in a package or something but I could easily take down 2 for dessert. As kids, we were rarely allowed candy bars, but my mom had no issue with buying bags of fun-sized candy because, well… when things are fun-sized it means the calories don’t count.

And that you can eat a million of them.

These days, it’s rare that I crave actual candy, often preferring some chewy cookies or super rich cheesecake or a bar of amazing chocolate that costs thrice as much as the recent organic meyer lemons I purchased. But snickers are in my blood.

They are the peanut butter to my jelly.

The salt to my pepper.

The broccoli to my… wait, no.

This recipes comes from my friend Nikki who, well… I didn’t even know until Instagram and Twitter.

But now Nikki is like my bestest friend ever. Because when someone emails you a recipe for homemade snickers bars, they are your BFF for life. I mean, who else has my best interests at heart like that? I don’t even know.

And the fabulous part? This is SO EASY. So, so, so, so, so easy. Like, had-five-drinks-and-a-recent-breakup-easy. It has four distinct steps and in print seems slightly intimidating, but it isn’t whatsoever. I promise. I swear. I even had every single ingredient on hand. And not just because I’m a hoarder. Would I lie to you?

I’m not even going to waste your time trying to convince you to whip up a batch because, uhhh…. look at them. They are irresistible. Literally… considering they ruined two of my family members’ January diets.

Now that’s a win.

Homemade Snickers Bars

[recipe from Nikki, who lightly adapted it from and old Taste of Home recipe]

makes one 9×13 pan

bottom chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Thoroughly grease you baking pan. Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the baking dish and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

nougat layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped, roughly chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in fluff, peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely.

caramel layer

1 14-ounce bag of caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth – this took about 10 minutes for me. Pour over nougat layer and let cool completely.

Top chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour over caramel and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, then cut as desired. These can stay at room temperature, but they do get gooey. I like them refrigerated best!

Note: for best results, buy one of the half-sheet aluminum cake pans at the grocery store. That way, you can pop the entire square out and cut from there!

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Pure Strawberry Macaroons with Vegan, Paleo, Chocolate-Covered and No Bake Options

After discovering the freeze-dried fruit trick and using it to make this Strawberries ‘n Cream Chocolate Cups recipe, I had one more idea to put to the test: Strawberry Macaroons.

Almost all the recipes I’d seen for dairy-free or vegan macaroons were simple vanilla or chocolate, but readily available freeze-dried fruit made this healthy but decadent treat a delicious reality. Each delicious bite is infused with pure strawberries, and the intensity can be customized up or down to your personal taste.

I got the initial thought to make macaroons when brainstorming for ideas to feature So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk (basically the equivalent of a really, really good quality canned coconut milk with thick rich cream). It’s so versatile that the list was a mile long, but macaroons jumped out from the page – yes, I still use good ‘ol pen and paper to write out many of my ideas. The process of writing just hits on parts of the brain that screens and typing just can’t do – don’t you think?

And then, after freeze-dried fruit entered my world, strawberry macaroons became a must! And, I have a real treat for all of my special diet friends. This nutritious dessert is not only dairy-free, it’s also naturally egg-free, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free, too! But to those of you who are “just” dairy-free or not dairy-free at all, but a fan of coconutty macaroons, trust me, you will love them! Honestly, Tony even claims he doesn’t like coconut, but he gobbled up every last one! Okay, he left the “hers” heart for me.

But even with the already nutritious and free-from nature, I couldn’t stop at just one version of these strawberry macaroons … oh no. The basic recipe is naturally Paleo (really!) with a simple swap to make it Vegan (seamless!). Then, in my taste-testing process, I discovered that the dough is pretty amazing on its own. One little ingredient addition to bring it all together, and a No Bake strawberry macaroons recipe was born (Tony really loved these!)

And what would Valentine’s Day be without a Chocolate-Covered option?

Note that So Delicious Dairy Free Culinary Coconut Milk (both the Original and Lite) is sold with the shelf-stable milk alternatives in some stores, but in other grocers you’ll find it in the Asian section with the “canned” coconut milks. That said, the Culinary Coconut Milk comes in cute little BPA-free cartons with a spout. The packaging makes it SO much easier to use than the cans.

Special Diet Notes & Options: Pure Strawberry Macaroons

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, top food allergy-friendly, optionally vegan / plant-based, vegetarian. refined sugar-free and optionally paleo! See the strawberry macaroons recipe for all variations.

As mentioned, I created this strawberry macaroons recipe for So Delicious Dairy Free, but I’ve been buying and using their Culinary Coconut Milk since it first came out! It is one of the purest on the market and the Originalproduces a thick decadent, dairy-free cream. Even their Lite version is more full-bodied than most.

5 from 1 reviews

Pure Strawberry Macaroons with Vegan, Paleo, Chocolate-Covered and No Bake Options

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

The amount of freeze-dried strawberries you use in these strawberry macaroons is customizable! 2 cups will produce much more of a sweet-tart taste and a pinker color (like the no bake variation pictured above), while 1 cup will offer milder notes.

Author: Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free

Serves: 30 strawberry macaroons

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 cups freeze-dried strawberries
• 1 cup So Delicious Original Culinary Coconut Milk (this is a full-fat coconut milk with a rich cream)
• ⅓ cup honey (for paleo) or agave nectar (for vegan)
• 4 teaspoons tapioca starch (can sub potato starch, non-GMO cornstarch, or see Alternative below)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2¼ cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
2. Grind the strawberries into a powder using a spice grinder.
3. Whisk the coconut milk, sweetener, and starch together in a small saucepan until smooth.
4. Place over medium heat, bring to a simmer, while whisking, and bubble for about 2 minutes, while whisking, or until thickened.
5. Remove from heat, whisk in the strawberry powder, vanilla, and salt. There will probably be some little bits of strawberry, but otherwise it should be pretty smooth.
6. Stir in the coconut.It will come together into a relatively thick batter/dough. If it is too soft or sticky to handle, chill for 30 minutes.
7. Scoop by the level tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets, and with lightly damp hands, shape as desired (they don’t spread).
8. Bake for about 15 minutes (I prefer to bake 1 sheet at a time), or until lightly browned on the bottom edge. Let cool completely on baking sheet before removing – they’re very soft when hot, but do firm up on cooling.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator (we like them chiled!) or even freezer.

Notes

Starch Alternative: Not a fan of starch? You can sub 2 tablespoons of your favorite flour, and even use packedalmond flour if you wish (though that version wouldn't be nut-free). Note, however, that coconut flour will yield different results. If trialing it, I would use just the 4 teaspoons.

No Bake Option: Skip the baking step! Instead, whisk in 2½ tablespoons coconut oil while the dough is still warm. Scoop onto parchment paper or wax paper (you an chill the dough at this stage for 15 minutes if it is too sticky to handle) - I use a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon to measure and shape. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or longer. Can store, covered or wrapped, in the refrigerator or freezer.

Chocolate-Covered Option: Briefly chill macaroons (or longer, if you like). Melt ⅔ cup dairy-free chocolate chips with 2 teaspoons coconut oil. Place macaroons on a wire cooling rack placed over parchment or wax paper (to catch drips). Drizzle chocolate over macaroon tops (if too thick for your liking, whisk in another 1 teaspoon coconut oil, if too thin, melt and whisk in another handful of chocolate chips). I use Pascha Chocolate Chips, which are dairy-free, top allergen-free, and vegan. They offer 55%, 85% and 100% (paleo!) chips. When going low sugar, I add a few drops of alcohol-free stevia to the 100% chocolate chips, to taste.

ABOUT AUTHOR

ALISA FLEMING

• Website

Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Senior Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

PALEO SEX IN A PAN

This recipe is a Paleo recreation of traditional Sex in a Pan, which is layers of pudding, cream cheese and whipped cream stacked on a sweet crust. I changed the ingredients to be dairy-free and grain-free, but still accomplished six layers of decadence!

I don’t know where the name originates, but the first time I came across a recipe for Sex in a Pan was Chocolate-Covered Katie’s version. I immediately resolved to make a Paleo iteration sweetened only with dates and bit of honey, and yet preserve amazing taste. Developing my version was quite an adventure: more than an hour was required to put together the layers! I was worried that the textures would simply fail (would layers upon layers of dessert goo really work when it came to slicing and eating?) but with the addition of palm shortening, the chilled final result is actually quite firm.

When I served the first slice to the best taste-tester a girl could ever have, I crossed my fingers and waited for the verdict. Which turned out to be… “Oh, babe! You nailed it. But what the hell is this?” Ha, it was a success but nothing else is quite like Sex in a Pan, especially Paleo Sex in a Pan!  If you’re wondering why there’s some pieces missing from the pan in the photos, it’s because I couldn’t bear to stop and photograph it before sampling! Particularly good with a glass of icy black coffee.

Ready to experience Sex in a Pan?

Paleo Sex in a Pan

Serves 16

This is the Paleo version of the unrepentant dessert Sex in a Pan, which may get its name from its SIX layers, or may get its name because it's awesome.

Prep Time

1 hr 30 min

Total Time

1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

1. CRUST
2. 1 1/2 cups pecans
3. 3/4 cup dates
4. 4 tbsp coconut oil
5. SECOND LAYER
6. 2/3 cup cashew butter
7. 1/3 cup palm shortening
8. 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
9. 1/2 tsp lemon juice
10. Pinch salt
11. THIRD LAYER
12. 2/3 cup arrowroot flour
13. 1/2 cup coconut flour
14. 1 cup coconut milk
15. 2 tbsp honey
16. 1 tsp vanilla extract
17. FOURTH LAYER
18. 1/2 cup coconut milk
19. 1/2 cup palm shortening
20. 1/2 cup cacao powder
21. 2 tbsp honey
22. FIFTH LAYER
23. 1/2 cup palm shortening
24. 1/4 cup coconut milk
25. 2 tbsp honey
26. SIXTH LAYER
27. Grated chocolate, at least 80% cacao

Instructions

1. To make the crust, roughly chop the pecans then pit and chop the dates. Load both into a food processor and pulse until ground but still crumbly. Transfer to a bowl and work in the coconut oil, then press the sticky mixture into a single smooth layer at the bottom of a square 8x8 cake pan.
2. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill while you begin the second layer. To make the second layer, combine its ingredients very well in a medium mixing bowl. Spoon over the chilled crust, smoothing as much as possible with the back of a spoon. Place the pan back in the fridge.
3. To make the third layer, mix its ingredients together in a mixing bowl and then spoon over the chilled, hardened second layer. Smooth as much as possible, then chill.
4. Add the fourth layer by combining its ingredients and then layering it into the pan in the same way as the previous layers.
5. For the fifth layer, mix the palm shortening, coconut milk and honey with a hand mixer until very smooth and spoon over the chilled fourth layer.
6. Before placing the pan back into the refrigerator after adding the fifth layer, grate very dark chocolate over the top to the depth of your preference. Chill the pan for an additional half hour or more, then slice with a sharp knife and serve.

Notes

1. The layers may seem fiddly but the technique is so simple once you're in the thick of it: just mix the ingredients, spoon into the pan and chill!

Adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie's "Sex in a Pan"

Mini Chocolate Banana Cream Pies

Banana “ice cream” has been a dessert staple for me since I put it between vegan snickerdoodles a couple weeks back. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of frozen treat season, so whenVega sent me some of their maca chocolate to experiment with, I knew I wanted to pair it with banana “ice cream” somehow. The result: vegan frozen mini chocolate banana cream pies.

Each vegan mini chocolate banana cream pie has four layers: a date and walnut crust, banana “ice cream,” dark chocolate and coconut whipped cream (finished off with some more chocolate). They are small and healthy enough to eat without feeling guilty, but nourishing and decadent enough to leave you satisfied.

WHY THEY’RE HEALTHY// Each mini chocolate banana cream pie is low in added sugar, vegan, gluten-free and paleo. The nuts, dates and bananas provide fiber, the coconut whipped cream and nuts provide healthy fats and the banana and dates provide nutrient dense carbohydrate. Bananas are chock full of minerals, particularly the mineral electrolyte potassium. You can read about the health benefits of dark chocolate in our Sweet Potato Brownies post. //

I used Vega maca chocolate for these, but any dark chocolate (70% or above for best health benefits) will work. You can also use our homemade chocolate recipe in lieu of store-bought. These mini chocolate banana cream pies take a bit of forethought (you’ll need to refrigerate the canned coconut milk overnight), but they’re the perfect summer treat.

MINI CHOCOLATE BANANA CREAM PIES

Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

Frozen chocolate banana cream pie in mini form! Each individual pie is vegan, gluten-free and paleo: the perfect healthy summer treat.

Author: Our Four Forks

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 7-8

Ingredients

For the crust:

• ½ cup raw walnuts
• ½ cup dried Medjool dates (or regular dried dates, soaked at least 4 hours)
• pinch of salt

For the banana “ice cream:”

• 3 bananas, cut into coins and fully frozen
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the chocolate:

• 6 oz dark chocolate (I used Vega maca chocolate, but you can also make homemade chocolate)

For the coconut whipped cream:

• 1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice, or stevia to taste)

Instructions

For the crust:

1. Add the walnuts and dates to a food processor and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Set aside

For the banana ice cream:

1. Blend the frozen bananas in a food processor until they are the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. You may need to occasionally stop the food processor and use a spatula to scrape down the sides. Be patient: it takes several minutes to get to the right consistency, but you’ll know when you get there. Put in the freezer until after you’ve prepared the chocolate and coconut whipped cream.

For the chocolate:

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (being careful not to burn) or in a double boiler (bowl over a pot of boiling water). Set aside and allow to cool a bit.

For the coconut whipped cream:

1. Open your can of refrigerated coconut milk and pour off any liquid, saving just the thick cream. Add the cream to a bowl, add your sweetener and whip using a hand-mixer until light and fluffy.

Assembly:

1. Lightly grease (or line with cupcake liners) a muffin tin. Press about 1 tablespoon of the crust mixture into 7 or 8 muffin cups.
2. Put a heaping tablespoon of banana “ice cream” on top of the crust and spread evenly.
3. Spoon just enough melted (and slightly cooled) chocolate to fully cover the banana ice cream layer. Leave 2 tablespoons in the bowl for garnish.
4. Divide the coconut whipped cream between the mini pies and place the entire muffin tin the freezer.
5. Allow the pies to fully freeze overnight or at least 4 hours.
6. Once frozen, carefully use a knife to pop out the pies from the muffin tin (if you didn’t use cupcake liners). Allow to thaw slightly and enjoy!

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