HEALTHY SNICKERS PROTEIN BARS

March 31, 2019

HEALTHY SNICKERS PROTEIN BARS

Apparently Snickers is the most popular candy bar in the United States. I know I sure love them! So I made these healthy snickers protein bars with clean ingredients and way less sugar. The hubby loves them, and so do the girls (I can’t have whey, but you can also make them with vegan protein powder). Best of all, they’re fun and relatively easy to make!

Did you know? An equal-sized Snickers candy bar has 250 calories, 12 grams of fat, 33 grams of carbs, 27 grams of sugar, and just 4 grams of protein!

The nougat layer

To keep the carbs low and up the protein factor, I used a combination of coconut flour and vanilla whey protein powder to make the peanut nougat base. I then added some Vitafiber syrup. Vitafiber syrup is a naturally-occuring, non-GMO prebiotic fiber syrup made from tapioca (it’s Paleo and vegan). Use my code “VFSARAHW20” for 20% off Vitafiber.

If you don’t have Vitafiber syrup, feel free to sub any sugar-free syrup! You can can also use maple syrup or honey, but the calories, carbs, and sugar will be higher.

The base also has unsweetened almond milk (any milk will do), creamy peanut butter, stevia-erythritol blend for added sweetness, pure vanilla extract, and sea salt (optional).

The caramel layer

For the caramel layer, I used one quarter cup packed with pitted dates, which I microwaved with water for 1 minute. Then I drained off the excess water and pulsed them in a food processor with peanut butter, plus a little more Vitafiber IMO syrup, pure vanilla extract, and sea salt (optional).

The peanut chocolate layer

To top these snickers protein bars off, I pressed some dry-roasted peanuts into the caramel layer and melted some dairy-free dark chocolate on top. So good! Tastes every bit as good as a Snickers, though admittedly not identical.

Here’s the printable recipe for these Healthy Snickers Protein Bars! I hope you will rate this recipe and comment below if you try it 🙂

This post contains affiliate links.

Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Healthy Snickers Protein Bars

These healthy snickers protein bars have a peanut nougat base with caramel, peanuts, and chocolate. Low in sugar and carbs with extra protein and fiber!
Course Dessert
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 bars
Calories 161kcal
Author Sarah Wilkins, No Excuses Nutrition

Ingredients

Nougat layer:

  • 1 cup (120g) vanilla whey protein*
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 2 tbsp. calorie-free sweetener* I used one that's twice as sweet as sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt optional
  • 1/4 cup VitaFiber syrup* or other sugar-free syrup, maple syrup, honey
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter*
  • 6 tbsp. unsweetened almond milk* adjust as needed

Caramel layer:

  • 1/4 cup (45g) pitted dates
  • 2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp. VitaFiber syrup* or other sugar-free syrup, maple syrup, honey
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp. salt optional
  • 6 tbsp. dry-roasted peanuts chopped

Chocolate layer:

  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips melted

*See blog above for substitutions.

    Instructions

    • Whisk together protein powder, coconut flour, sweetener, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
    • Add syrup and peanut butter, then add milk a tablespoon at a time until a thick, pliable dough is formed. The amount of milk varies depending on the protein powder you use, but whey takes about six tablespoons.
    • Press nougat evenly into the bottom of a 8″x6″ pan lined with parchment. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, microwave dates covered with water in the microwave for 1 minute.
    • Drain off excess water and pulse in a food processor with peanut butter, syrup, vanilla and salt until smooth. You can also blend in a blender but you may need to triple the batch and save some for later.
    • Take pan out of the freezer and spread date caramel over top.
    • Sprinkle peanuts over top and press into caramel. Return pan to freezer.
    • Melt chocolate in a small metal mixing bowl nested inside a small saucepan 2/3 filled with water. If you don’t have a metal mixing bowl, you can melt in the microwave using 15-second increments, stirring often.
    • Remove pan from freezer and cut into a dozen equal-sized bars.
    • Drizzle bars with chocolate using a spoon, then return to the freezer a final time, just until the chocolate hardens.
    • Remove from the freezer and enjoy! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container up to one week, or in the freezer up to a month.

    Notes

    Calories (per serving, including optionals): 161kcal, Fat: 8.1g, Sat fat: 2.7g, Carbs: 14g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 11g, Sodium: 130mg




    Leave a comment

    Comments will be approved before showing up.


    Also in Blog

    Roast Chicken Thighs, Baby Potatoes & Green Beans (Whole30)
    ROAST CHICKEN THIGHS, BABY POTATOES & GREEN BEANS (WHOLE30)

    November 26, 2023

    This sheet pan Roast Chicken Thighs, Baby Potatoes & Green Beans tastes so incredibly flavorful! You can bet the whole family will love this meal. It's also macro-friendly, meal prep-friendly, and just so happens to be Paleo, Whole30-compliant, dairy free and gluten free! Did I mention it's easy and can be made with just one pan?

    View full article →

    Cookies & Cream Protein Cookies
    COOKIES & CREAM PROTEIN COOKIES

    November 21, 2023

    It's cookie season and these Cookies & Cream Protein Cookies bring an unexpected twist! Low in sugar, gluten free, dairy free, higher in protein and totally flourless! Each crunchy chocolate cookie is topped with cream frosting and crumbled sandwich cookies. Yum!

    View full article →

    Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry
    THAI CHICKEN & VEGETABLE COCONUT CURRY

    November 10, 2023

    This Thai Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry is a scrumptious meal prep idea for all you Thai fans out there! Thai cuisine is one of my favorites, so I was stoked with how authentic this simplified thai chicken coconut curry (“kaeng phet”) came out. It’s definitely a “cheater” recipe in that I used red curry paste instead of dried chilies and all the individual curry spices. But hey, it tastes amazing and comes together easily which is what I was after! I absolutely love this served over fragrant basmati rice. You could also use riced cauliflower for a low-carb version.

    View full article →

    Get my FREE meal prep guide!

    Get family-friendly recipes, nutrition tips and faith-based inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.