By now, you've seen the viral tiktok date snickers hack but let me put you onto my healthy date snickers bars that are super simple to make with easy wholesome ingredients in about 30 minutes. And don't skip my expert tips to add extra protein or fiber and customize however you want. Let's get into it!
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
Simple Ingredients - I make this candy bars recipe from scratch with medjool dates stuffed with almond butter then covered in dark chocolate and few other common pantry ingredients that are often available at the grocery store or farmers market year-round. Nothing you can't read or define!
Quick & Easy to Make - Also called "date fake snickers" or the "date snicker hack" This is a no bake snickers bar recipe with no fancy tools or techniques required--just easy homemade candy bar vibes.
Sweet Tooth Satisfying - Not only do these hit the spot every time, they are made with nourishing ingredients and higher in fiber than the traditional candy bar so you'll stay full longer.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my homemade date paste recipe or my salted chocolate protein smoothie sweetened with dates!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Medjool Dates are a must here because they're plump, naturally sweet, and the best quality I've used. Grab pitted dates or whole ones and remove the seeds yourself easily.
Dark Chocolate - I like to use at least 80% cacao dark chocolate bars or Lily's dark chocolate baking chips for lower sugar content with sophisticated flavor. They melt like silk, by the way!
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Nuts and Nut Butter - I make these with almond butter and add in whole almonds for extra protein but you can use the nuts and nut butter of your choice. Date snickers with pecans give a turtle kind of vibe and this date recipe still tastes like snickers with peanut butter so feel free to switch it up!
More Fiber - Add flax meal or milled chia seeds to the nut butter to easily add extra fiber to your date snickers recipe.
Extra Protein - Turn these up into high protein date snickers bars by mixing your favorite protein or collagen peptide powder into the melted chocolate or almond butter!
Coconut Oil - I recommend using refined coconut oil for the most spot-on snickers taste but if you want a hint of coconut flavor, you can use unrefined coconut oil.
Salt - Either kosher salt or flaky sea salt work wonderfully here. Just don't use iodized table salt as the taste and texture won't be the same.
How to Make The Best Date Snickers at Home
Preparing the Dates
Step One: Cut the dates into halves and remove pits, if necessary (Image One).
Step Two: Arrange the dates cut side up on a pan and press them down with a sturdy cup to flatten them (Images Two and Three).
Pro Tip: Line the pan with parchment paper and place a sheet of parchment paper over top of the dates before pressing to reduce sticking!
Step Three: Place an almond over top of each date piece (Image Four).
Making the Bark
Step Four: Add almond butter over top of dates and almonds, spreading if necessary (Image Five).
Pro Tip: Warm the nut butter to make it easier to pour and spread!
Step Five: Combine the dark chocolate and coconut oil then heat in increments to melt (Image Six).
Step Six: Pour chocolate evenly over top of dates then sprinkle with sea salt (Images Seven and Eight).
Chilling the Date Bark
Step Seven: Chill the bark for at least 30 minutes or until firm (Images Nine and Ten).
Pro Tip: Place in the freezer instead of the refrigerator for a quicker set!
Turning Date Bark into Date Caramel Snickers
Step Eight: Cut the bark into eight equal snickers date bars--about one inch wide, each (Images Eleven and Twelve).
Pro Tip: You can cut these into smaller bites by flipping the bark over and following the lines of the individual dates.
If you love dark chocolate like I do, your life will be changed by my DIY chocolate covered strawberries and this dark chocolate s'mores dip. And don't sleep on my dark chocolate meal prep pancakes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade snickers using dates are vegan, gluten-free, Whole 30 approved, and more nutrient dense than the store-bought candy bar and all natural so they are a better choice for many diets. Check the recipe card for date snickers macros to see how they fit for you.
Store date snicker bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container and they will keep for up to one month.
Frozen date snickers are a great option for longer storage or just to help the bark set more quickly while making it. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container and they will keep in the fridge for up to one year!
I recommend organic medjool dates for the best taste and quality and you can use fresh or dried interchangeably in the recipe.
More Favorite Nut Butter Recipes
Now that I've spilled all the deets on making snickers bars with dates, I hope you'll enjoy soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this medjool date snickers recipe for later and follow me on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Date Snickers Bars
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 baking pan
- 1 drinking glass
Ingredients
- 12 medjool dates
- ½ cup almond butter or nut butter of choice
- ⅓ cup almonds or other nuts of choice
- 1 cup dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- flaky sea salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Split dates into halves and remove any pits. Lay the date halves cut side up on prepared pan arranged in a block so that each date touches another.
- Lay another sheet of parchment paper over top of dates and press them with a sturdy cup or similar tool.
- Remove parchment paper and place an almond on top of each date piece then drizzle almond butter over top to cover and spread, if necessary.
- Add dark chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave safe container and heat in 20 second increments to melt, stirring each time.
- Pour melted chocolate evenly over top of dates, spreading if necessary, then sprinkle with salt.
- Transfer pan to fridge and chill until date bark is hardened then cut into eight bars.
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