Recipes using Balanced Bites spices Recipes using Balanced Bites spices

NO-BAKE SNICKERS BARS

nightshade-free
egg-free
gluten-free
  • Servings: 8 bars

These No-Bake Snickers Bars can be made keto or paleo and are a fun and delicious recipe from Brittany Angell's new book, The Ultimate Keto Cookbook. An at-home twist on traditional candy bars, these No-Bake Snickers Bars are a fun way to spend an afternoon with the family.

These bars may even be better than Snickers bars you can buy in a store!

The fresh ingredients send the flavors over the top.

Keep these bars in the refrigerator or the freezer for an indulgent treat to keep your diet on track.

If you love Payday bars you can omit the chocolate from this recipe and eat the bars with just the nougat bottom with caramel and peanuts.

If you can't eat peanuts, try swapping in an alternate nut.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup macadamia nuts (100 g)
  • 1/3 cup coconut butter (80 g)
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream or heavy whipping cream (60 ml)
  • 2 tbsp sugar-free maple syrup or sugar-free honey (30 ml)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil (30 ml)
  • 3 tbsp coconut flour (25 g)
  • 1 recipe Keto Caramel
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped salted toasted peanuts (75 g)
  • 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (dairy or nondairy) (252 g)
  • 1 tsp coconut oil (10 ml)

Keto Caramel

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream or coconut cream skimmed off a can of full-fat coconut milk (180 ml)
  • 1/4 cup keto brown sugar (50 g), (I recommend using Sukrin Gold brand for this recipe)
  • 1/4 cup sugar-free maple syrup or sugar-free honey (60 ml)
  • 4 tbsp salted butter (dairy or nondairy) or coconut oil (56 g)
  • 1 tbsp molasses (15 ml)
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Instructions

Line an 8 x 4-inch (20 x 10-cm) loaf pan with parchment paper. Line a small baking sheet with another piece of parchment paper. Set both aside.

To make the nougat, place the macadamia nuts, coconut butter, coconut cream, maple syrup, coconut oil, and coconut flour in a blender. Blend, stopping to stir and scrape down the sides, to ensure a smooth texture. If your blender does not fully break down the macadamia nuts, that is OK, the bars will still be delicious.

When the mixture is smooth, pour it into the prepared pan and top with the caramel. Sprinkle the caramel layer with the chopped peanuts. Place the pan in the freezer and allow the mixture to set for at least 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the freezer and pull the frozen bars out using the parchment paper. Slice it into eight bars and place the bars on the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes.

To make the chocolate coating, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until the mixture is smooth and fully melted. (You can also use a double boiler for this step.) Pour the melted chocolate into a bowl wide enough to dip the bars into. Dip the bars, caramel-side down, into the chocolate and rotate side to side once so that the top and the sides are covered. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off, then place each bar back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, chocolate-side up.

Place the bars in the freezer for 1 hour to fully set the chocolate, then serve. Keep these bars in the refrigerator or freezer at all times, as the chocolate will melt at room temperature. Store them for up to 1 month in a sealed container.

To make the Keto Caramel:

Add the heavy cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, molasses, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. 

Stir to combine the ingredients and allow the mixture to gently boil for 20 to 30 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness. Store the caramel in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

Notes

The bars do not have to be fully covered with chocolate; another option is to melt only 3/4 cup (125 g) dark chocolate with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil using the process above. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the frozen bars on parchment in the baking sheet. This will cut the carb count down, and will be a less messy process.

If you use Sukrin Gold brand brown sugar and sugar-free honey your caramel will remain a thick sauce that doesn't solidify unless frozen. This would be helpful in recipes where you want a looser, more pourable sauce.

If you use another brand of keto brown sugar + sugar-free maple syrup, your caramel will solidify as it sits at room temperature. This can be useful in recipes that call for dipping the caramel in chocolate.

If the caramel starts to separate while it is cooking, add more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time and whisk well.

Molasses does have carbs and sugar. Using a little in the Keto Caramel does wonders for the flavor. The recommended amount for this recipe is 1 tablespoon but you can use as little as 1 teaspoon.

Substitution notes: 

To make this dairy-free, use butter-flavored coconut oil in the caramel and dairy-free dark chocolate chips. 

To make this Paleo, use butter-flavored coconut oil in the caramel and dairy-free dark chocolate chips, and use real honey or maple syrup instead of sugar-free honey and sugar-free maple syrup.