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These viral Date Snickers Bars are a healthier twist on a classic candy bar made in a simple date bark style for easy slicing and meal prep portions! With just 5 simple, whole food ingredients, this no-bake treat has a chewy caramel-like center, crunchy nut layer, and smooth chocolatey shell that’s incredibly easy to make!
For a similar recipe that is just as fun and delicious, you can try this Snicker stuffed dates recipe next!
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this Date Snickers Bars Recipe
- Why These Date Snickers Bars Are A Healthier Alternative
- Ingredients
- Variations/ Adaptations
- How To Make Date Snickers Bars
- Rachel’s Tips For The Best Snickers Date Bark Results
- How To Serve Plus Make This A Balanced Snack
- Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Healthy Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Date Snickers Bars | Easy 5 Ingredient Recipe
Why you’ll love this Date Snickers Bars Recipe
These healthy snickers bars with dates are a fun way to enjoy dessert while eating clean. They’re naturally gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo-friendly, and week 2+ CFC Clean Eating Challenge compatible. Here are a few more reasons you’ll love them:
- Nostalgic: These date bars taste just like a classic snickers bar. They’re sweet, salty, chewy, and chocolatey all at once! You’ll be shocked that something completely from whole foods can taste so indulgent!
- Easy to Make: These Date snickers are in a no-bake date bark form that makes them easy to make, portion out, and freeze. They are made with only 5 simple, whole food ingredients, and are fun to assemble with the kids after school. Just pop them in the freezer and…dessert is ready!
- Clean Ingredients: The ingredients used in this recipe contain no refined sugar, corn syrup, artificial flavors, preservatives or ingredients you can’t pronounce!
- Meal prep: These date Snickers bars are an easy, portion-controlled grab-and-go snack you can pull straight from the freezer.
- Versatile: Not only will the kids love these, but they make the perfect healthy dessert, pre or post-workout snack, or late-night indulgence.
The Clean Food Crush website has plenty of other clean desserts for you to try. But if you like this recipe, you’ll want to try other date recipes like this Snicker Stuffed Dates Recipe, this Chocolate Date Quinoa Bites Recipe, or this Date Caramel Bite Recipe.
Why These Date Snickers Bars Are A Healthier Alternative
Combined with nut butter that provides healthy fats and dark chocolate for antioxidants, this makes a more balanced treat that satisfies your sweet tooth without the artificial ingredients found in traditional candy bars.
The Medjool dates specifically, are a nutrient-rich food that provides a range of health benefits due to their richness in essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Here are some of my favorite nutritional benefits of Medjool dates:
Natural Sweetness and Energy: Medjool dates are a natural source of sweetness and energy, making them an excellent alternative to refined sugars.
Rich in Fiber: Medjool dates are an excellent source of dietary fiber, containing both soluble and insoluble fiber. Fiber helps promote digestive health, supports healthy blood sugar levels, and can even help with weight management. Read more about why fiber is important for your health.
Antioxidant Properties: Medjool dates contain a range of antioxidants, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and carotenoids. These antioxidants help protect the body against free radicals, which can contribute to chronic diseases like cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Mineral-Rich: Medjool dates are a good source of essential minerals like potassium, copper, iron, and magnesium. These minerals play critical roles in maintaining healthy blood pressure, supporting immune function, and promoting bone health.
Supports Healthy Digestion: Medjool dates contain prebiotic fiber, which helps feed the good bacteria in the gut, supporting a healthy gut microbiome. Learn more about how prebiotics support a healthy gut.
Ingredients
These are the simple, whole food ingredients that make this Date Snickers Bars recipe the perfect way to eat a clean, healthy dessert.
10 Servings
- 10 large medjool dates
- 1/2 cup nut butter
- 1/3 cup crushed raw peanuts
- 1/2 cup or 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- 2 tsps unrefined organic coconut oil
*I prefer using cashew butter or almond butter to make these healthy no-bake Snickers bars because they’re slightly sweeter tasting than peanut butter.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and instructions.
Variations/ Adaptations
- Alternate Nut Butters: Use peanut, cashew, or almond butter.
- Nut Swaps: Use any nuts you love like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
- Lowerer sugar: Use sugar-free chocolate chips if needed. These sugar free chocolate chips are a good brand.
- Protein Packed: Mix in a scoop of collagen or protein powder with the peanut butter.
- Nut Free Version: Try these with sun butter and sunflower seeds with a extra dash of salt.
Try some of these other candy bar twists:
- Almond Joy style: Swap peanuts for coconut and almonds.
- Twix-inspired: Uses the dates but swaps the peanuts and nut butter for something crunchy like puffed quinoa.
- Peanut butter and jelly: Add a honey sweetened fruit puree to this current recipe.
- Salted caramel: Skip the nut butter and peanuts and add some pink Himalayan salt to the top!
- Dark chocolate raspberry: Mix freeze dried-raspberries in with the peanuts.
How To Make Date Snickers Bars
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 1. Slice open dates and remove the pits, then arrange dates in a single layer on the bottom of the loaf pan.
Place a second piece of parchment over the dates and press them into an even layer using the bottom of a cup or mason jar.
Step 2. Spread the nut butter evenly over the dates.
Step 3. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts over the nut butter.
Step 4. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil (microwave or double boiler), then pour and spread chocolate evenly over the top using a spatula.
Step 5. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
Remove, slice into bars, and enjoy.
Enjoy!
Love,
Rachel
Rachel’s Tips For The Best Snickers Date Bark Results
- Make sure to use soft, fresh Medjool dates for the best texture
- Choose high-quality dark chocolate with a higher cacao percentage for more health benefits and for richer flavor.
- Add coconut oil to chocolate for a smoother, shinier coating
- Look for nut butters with only nuts and salt, and no added oils or sugar
- Buy high-quality chocolate when it’s on sale to save money
- Use this Caraway Non-Stick Ceramic Loaf Pan so your date snickers bars come out easily.
- I like these NON-TOXIC, BPA-free Parchment Paper Sheets best.
Are you loving this chocolate covered date snickers recipe? Then try some more of our chocolate recipes like this chocolate popsicles recipe, this healthy chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, or this fun Butterfinger bars recipe.
How To Serve Plus Make This A Balanced Snack
Let this Snickers bark sit a few minutes on the counter top for a softer, caramel-like texture.
While these Date Snickers Bars are a naturally sweet treat, pairing them with a source of protein can help keep you full longer and support balanced energy levels.
- Chop them up and serve them as a delicious and healthy topping on these cottage cheese cheesecake cups for a creamy, high-protein snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full longer.
- Another way to boost protein with this snack is by pairing these healthy bars with these no bake energy snack bites.
- For a lighter, fresher option these snickers date bars would pair well with fruit like this Fresh Fruit Salad.
- And for a savory sweet option, you could pair them with this chipotle hummus and veggies.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
- These are perfect for making ahead and storing in the freezer, making them great for weekly meal prep or keeping healthy treats on hand.
- Freeze tightly wrapped for 2-3 months.
- Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- When serving straight from the freezer, let the snicker date bars thaw on the counter until soft enough to eat or thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
How can I make dry dates soft again?
The best way to make sure dry dates are soft enough for this recipe is to soak them in hot water for 10-30 minutes.
Why is my chocolate really thick?
More than likely you need to add a bit of coconut oil. This helps keep the chocolate thin and also helps it freeze better.
Why are my bars falling apart?
If your date snickers bars are falling apart it may either be due to not freezing them long enough, or not pressing the dates down well enough in the bottom of the pan.
Can you make Snickers with dates?
You absolutely can! The combination of a soft, caramel-like Medjool date, creamy cashew or almond butter, peanuts, and a coating of rich dark chocolate hits every single note of those classic Snickers bars.
Do Date Snickers Bars taste like real Snickers?
While they don’t taste exactly like a real Snickers, I think you will be surprised by how similar they are! They have a very similar sweet, salty, chewy, and chocolatey flavor combination.
Do I need to use coconut oil in these chocolate date bars?
No, but it helps create a smoother chocolate coating and improves texture during freezing.
Date Snickers Bars | Easy 5 Ingredient Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 large Medjool dates
- 1/2 cup nut butter
- 1/3 cup crushed raw peanuts
- 1/2 cup or 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted
- 2 tsps unrefined organic coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Cut a second rectangle of parchment paper, a few inches longer than the bottom of the loaf pan. You’ll need the second piece to smash the dates.
- Cut a second rectangle of parchment paper, a few inches longer than the bottom of the loaf pan. You’ll need the second piece to smash the dates.
- Carefully slice a pocket into each date to remove the pit as shown in the video.
- Arrange your sliced dates in a single layer in your loaf pan, then top with the second sheet of prepared parchment paper and using the bottom of a cup, start pressing down on the dates, smashing them to get an even layer.
- Drizzle or spread your nut butter evenly on the dates.
- Sprinkle evenly with the chopped peanuts.
- Melt your chocolate together with the coconut oil in the microwave on High, in quick 30 seconds increments, stirring after each increment. (Alternatively, you can use a double boiler over the stove.)
- Once the chocolate is melted, drizzle over the dates and nuts and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Remove from the pan and slice into mini bars.
- Keep any leftovers wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to 2 months, or in the fridge for 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
