No-Bake Snickers Bars

Hopefully I'll end this post right before my fingertips freeze because today is officially the coldest day in Barcelona, seriously...I need the biggest mug of hot tea right now. Hot chocolate will work too, thanks! I'm sick of rainy cold days, can't wait for spring and longer days when I don't have to worry so much because there's no natural light and I can't shoot a new recipe. It's a pain in the ass to find a good spot with beautiful natural light during winter, also my old DSLR camera sucks and I'm in desperate need of a new camera to shoot in low light conditions with good results (hello people at Canon! Will you please make a broke food blogger happy and send her a Canon EOS 5d Mark IV???).

Even though I've been instagrammin' these weeks sharing my collaborations with food brands and some quick recipes (like this vanilla chia pudding) it feels really good to be back and do the blogging thing properly. I know there are a lot of food bloggers who lately are using only Instagram to promote and share their works, but even though I love the platform I don't find it as complete and visually attractive as a full blog post with big pictures and clear instructions (bold fonts, text spaces wherever and whenever are needed, etc) . Scrolling down through an endless caption to finally find the recipe with brief and poor descriptions is not my thing. I like to post quick and super easy recipes on IG but you'll always find the rest on my blog, as always.

So to brighten up your day (and mine) here's one of those mouth-watering recipes that I love so much, with a little bit of lusciousness and a little bit of chocolate and caramel. I can't remember the last time I ate a Snickers bars, always been one of my favorite chocolate bars but since I became more aware of my body and what I should put in it I stopped buying that kind of crap. I'm not trying to say that my homemade snickers are super healthy and that you can eat them every day, they are super (super) rich and packed with a good quantity of peanut butter, coconut syrup and full-fat coconut milk so these should be enjoyed with a little bit of self-control (insert laughs here).

Anyways, these bars are so friggin' good, delicious and irresistible I can't blame you if you eat the whole batch in the blink of an eye...I treated myself with one bar after my cardio workout several times last week, lol. One thing's for sure, they are waaaay healthier than the "real" Snickers cause mine are made with REAL ingredients and zero artificial flavorings, corn syrup, palm oil and other hydrogenated fats.

I hope you are all staying warm and cozy! xo

¡Receta en español aquí!

No-Bake Snickers Bars
(makes 12 big bars or 24 mini bars)

Ingredients
- For the nougat layer:
1 cup coconut flour.
1 cup whole grain oat flour.
1/2 cup natural peanut butter.
1/2 cup coconut syrup.
- For the date caramel layer:
5 big medjool dates, pitted.
1/4 cup coconut sryup.
2 tablespoons full-fat coconut milk.
1 tablespoon tahini.
A pinch of pink Himalayan salt.
1/2 cup peanuts, lightly roasted and salted.
- For the chocolate coating:
2 cups dark chocolate ( I use 70 % dark or higher), around 340 g/12 oz.

Notes:

- You will have leftover melted chocolate but you will need a good amount of chocolate to properly pour it over the bars and get a good coating. No need to throw away that chocolate! I melt again the leftovers, fill a silicone mini ice cube tray, put it in the freezer and have chocolate chunks available whenever I need them.

- To make this recipe 100 % raw: use raw coconut syrup, and raw tahini. The chocolate coating should be like this one. Also, don't roast the peanuts.

- If you want this recipe to be 100 % gluten-free make sure you use a certified GF oat flour.

Directions

Start with the date caramel by placing the pitted dates, coconut syrup, coconut milk, tahini and a pinch of salt in the bowl of your food processor and blend until no bits of dates are visible and a silky smooth caramel sauce forms. You might need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times; for this particular recipe I like my caramel to be more on the sticky side to create a nice layer.

Store the caramel in an airtight container refrigerated until ready to use.

To make the nougat layer simply put all the ingredients in the food processor and process until a thick paste forms, it should have a similar consistency to energy balls (thick enough to roll into balls). Press down the dough firmly into a single layer, I recommend using a nougat mold or a rectangular pan to get an even layer. Let the nougat layer set in the fridge for a few minutes.

While the nougat layer is setting in the fridge roast the peanuts in a large frying pan lightly coated with coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil, stir frequently with a silicone or wooden spatula until they are golden brown; sprinkle with a pinch of salt while they are still hot and leave them to cool.

Once the nougat layer is firm divide into 12 equal bars or 24 mini bars (depending on the side of your mold or how much you rolled the dough/how thick your layer is). 

Spread around 2 teaspoons of the date caramel for each bar and put the roasted peanuts on top, as much as you want until all the peanuts are used.

Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in a Bain Marie. Place a cooling rack over a lined baking sheet, transfer the bars to the cooling rack and pour the melted chocolate over them until fully coated. Save the leftover chocolate and use for another project or to make chocolate chunks.

Let the bars set at room temperature until chocolate is solid again. Store the snickers bars in an airtight container, refrigerated.

To fully enjoy the texture of the caramel layer and the chocolate flavor in all its deliciousness let the bars at room temperature a few minutes before serving.