Gluten-Free & Raw Vegan “Snickers” Bars

Gluten free, refined sugar-free, and raw, these vegan “Snickers” bars have a number of steps but aren’t difficult to make. This luscious recipe was contributed by Tess Beatrice, the founder of Sow Good Bakery in New York’s Hudson Valley. Here’s what Tess has to say:

I started this business in 2012 to ”let food be thy medicine.” I handcraft each treat using organic ingredients and many locally grown (if not homegrown) fruits and vegetables.

All of my treats are gluten free and refined sugar free and many are dairy free, vegan, raw, and paleo. I’m inspired by twists on the savory, punny concepts, surprising pairings, and healthful ingredients combinations to make each goodie nutrient-dense, intentional, and sensitivity friendly.

You can find me during the 2020 season at these locations:

• Kingston Farmers’ Market each Saturday, from 9-2pm, from now until November 21
• Woodstock Farm Festival each Wednesday, from 3-7pm, from now until mid-October

My treats are currently being sold at Josie’s Coffee Shoppe in Saugerties, NY and are usually at Olsen & Company in Saugerties, NY (Note: check with these two locations before going)

I always accept custom orders during and after the season and enjoy making celebration/birthday/special event cakes! Visit Sow Good Bakery for more information.

I don’t have an exhaustive listing of my vegan, gluten-free goodies as I’m always creating more, but here’s a sampling. I don’t have these at each market, but they’re in my repertoire:

• Sow Goodbar (Peanuts, Dates, Mesquite, Maca, and Cacao)
• Raw Green and Black Charcoal Energy Bar (with Spirulina and Moringa)
• Raw Carrot Cake with Raisin Caramel and Coriander Frosting
• Raw Maple Pecan Truffles
• Raw Rosemary Hazelnut Truffles
• Raw Coffee Date Truffles
• Lemon Olive Oil Cupcakes with Blackberry Frosting
• Mocha Cupcakes with Chocolate Hazelnut ‘Buttercream’
• Earl Grey Tea Cakes with Apricot White Chocolate Frosting
• Peanut Butter Cookies with Lemon Zest and Coriander

Back to the recipe at hand, these gluten free and raw vegan “snickers” bars made solely in a food processor or vitamix. It can be done with just a food processor if you don’t a vitamix. It’s perfect for hot summer days when you’re craving a delicious treat but don’t want to use an oven!

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Yield: 18

Gluten-Free & Raw Vegan "Snickers" Bars

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Gluten free, refined sugar-free, and raw, these vegan “Snickers” bars have a number of steps but aren’t difficult to make.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

“Nougat” layer

•      2 cups cashews
•      1 cup peanuts, unsalted
•      1/4 teaspoon sea salt
•      2 tbs. coconut oil
•      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•      8 medjool dates, pitted

Peanut “Caramel" layer

•      1/4 cup coconut oil
•      1/3 cup peanut butter
•      1/4 cup maple syrup
•      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•      1/4 teaspoon sea salt
•      8 medjool dates (pitted and soaked for about 15 minutes in water)
• Approximately 1 cup unsalted peanuts

Raw Chocolate

•      1 1/2 cups cacao paste/cacao liquor/unsweetened chocolate
•      1/2 cup cacao butter (disks are easiest to use!)
•      4 tbs. maple syrup
•      1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•      1/4 teaspoon. sea salt

Topping

• Maldon sea salt

Instructions

1. For the nougat layer: Use a food processor to grind the cashews, peanuts, and salt into a coarse flour consistency.
2. Add the coconut oil and vanilla extract and pulse a few times. Add the medjool dates one at a time, through the opening in the top of the food processor while the motor is running. 
3. Process until the mixture looks like it could stick together into a ball. You might need to add a little water, adding about 1 tablespoon at a time. 
4. Press out the mixture into a flat layer on the bottom of a parchment paper lined 9- by 13-inch baking or casserole dish (I like to use glass). Stick in the freezer.
5. For the peanut “caramel” layer: While the "nougat" layer is chilling, combine the caramel ingredients in a vitamix (optional) or a food processor until smooth. Spread over the cooled nougat layer into a thin layer. Add enough unsalted peanuts to cover the caramel layer. Place dish back in freezer.
6. Raw chocolate layer: Set up a double boiler on your stove by filling a pot with water about an inch or two and placing a glass bowl on top. Make sure the glass bowl isn’t touching the water.
7. Over medium-low heat, combine all of the raw chocolate ingredients in the bowl, and whisk until smooth. When the ingredients are smoothly melted and glossy, take the bowl off the pot and let the bowl cool until you can handle it.
8. Pour over the other layers in the dish. Leave to set in the freezer for at a minimum two hours before cutting up into at least 12 squares or bars, unless you’d like them smaller.
9. After cutting, sprinkle a little bit of sea salt and enjoy. These will last in your freezer for months — though you probably won’t be able to resist them for that long!

If you like these no-bake chocolate treats, you might also like …

No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

See lots more delectable vegan desserts & sweets.

Here are more sweet and savory peanut butter recipes.