These healthier vegan chocolate candy bars have a nougat base, caramel filling, chopped cashews, and are covered in a crunchy chocolate coating. You would never guess these are dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free. Best part? They’re made with pantry staples you ~hopefully~ already have on hand!
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It can be so hard to find a candy bar that doesn’t contain dairy (is vegan), palm oil, or artificial flavors, so I set out to create my own. More wholesome versions of classic candy bars are some of my favorite recipes to create. It’s always wild to me how simple ingredients can come togethe to create something SO delicious.
These taste like a mix between Twix cookie bar and Snickers bar. They have a nougat base, caramel center, crunchy chopped nuts, and chocolate. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to store-bought candy/snack bars, this recipe won’t disappoint!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Taste – these taste like a LEGIT candy bar! SO GOOD. The gooey caramel and crunchy nuts are a sweet and salty match made in heaven!
- Ease – Vegan candy bars are made with simple ingredients, come together easily, and pretty quickly!
- They are great for all sorts of dietary requirements. These candy bars are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free.
- They are versatile – switch up cashews for peanuts or pecans or try dipping them in white chocolate instead of regular chocolate.
What makes these candy bars a healthier option?
I am all about balance, but ya girl loves her sweets! When i’m indulging in a sweet treat often, I make sure that they’re a more whole-food’s based option. It’s not about calories, rather quality of ingredients. Let’s take a peak at the ingredients in a classic caramel peanut candy bars and my version!
Store bought: MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, CHOCOLATE, SKIM MILK, LACTOSE, MILKFAT, SOY LECITHIN), PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, SKIM MILK, LACTOSE, SALT, EGG WHITES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
My candy bars: Oats, cashews, maple syrup, cashew butter, coconut cream, coconut sugar, chocolate chips, vanilla, sea salt
As you can see, the ingredients are straight to the point, contain no refined sugar, dairy, gluten, or artificial flavors.
Ingredients to make vegan candy bars
- Cashews: You can use raw or roasted cashews! Roasted cashews will add even more flavor to the recipe! I use them so often I find it cheapest to purchase them in a bulk bag on Amazon!
- Organic old-fashioned rolled oats: Oats make up the nougat base of these candy bars!
- Coconut sugar: Coconut sugar is used for the coconut caramel. This caramel sauce gets ooey and gooey just like classic caramel (think, caramel-pull!). However, i’ll leave a Date caramel option in the recipe card below!
- Medjool dates: Medjool dates are typically juicier, larger, and sweeter. We use a few in the nougat base to help hold things together and add natural sweetness!
- Maple syrup or honey: This is used in the nougat base.
- Nut butter: I use cashew butter or almond butter as they have a more neutral taste, however you can also use peanut butter or sunbutter for a nut-free option.
- Coconut cream: Coconut cream is used to create the gooey caramel layer of these candy bars! You can use regular heavy cream if you can’t have coconut! I love the canned coconut cream from Trader Joes (blue can)!
- Baking staples: Vanilla extract, sea salt
- Chocolate: Highly recommend using a quality chocolate for the best flavor (and nutrients!) Milk chocolate or dark chocolate will work, whatever you prefer! I use Hu Kitchen chocolate! You can use my code “danishealthyeats” for a discount! They have vegan dark chocolate and grass-fed milk chocolate options!
How to make candy bars
Equipment
- Food processor: I’ve had this food processor for years and it’s been amazing!
- Loaf pan
- Spatula
- Small mixing bowl
- Small saucepan: I cannot recommend Quince stainless steel pans more! They make healthy, non-toxic cooking practical, easy, and beautiful!
Steps
Full measurements/steps are in the recipe card below!
- Make the caramel: Add the coconut sugar, coconut cream, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a bubble/boil, stirring frequently, for about 6-8 minutes. As soon as it’s boiling, stir constantly for about 5-10 minutes. It’ll reduce/thicken and become a thicker/darker texture.
- Make the nougat base: Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process until a sticky dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the pan.
- Assemble the bars: Pour the caramel over the base layer, using a spatula to help spread it out evenly. Sprinkle over the chopped cashews.Place the pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours, to allow the bars to firm up enough to cut/dip in chocolate.
- Dip them in chocolate: In a shallow bowl, melt the chocolate until smooth. Remove the bars from the pan. Cut into slices or smaller bites. Dip each bar/bite in the chocolate, using a fork to help allow extra chocolate to drip off. Place on the cookie sheet.
- Let them set: Allow the bars to firm up in the freezer for another hour or so before moving them to an air-tight container!
Tips & Tricks for making the best candy bars
- Be patient when making the caramel! The caramel may take awhile depending on certain brands of products you use and your oven. Sometimes it can take longer for the caramel to thicken up. Don’t turn up the heat to try and reduce the time as this will burn the caramel.
- Use a quality pan! Stainless steel is the easiest healthy, non-toxic way of cooking! The caramel won’t stick and they make it so much easier to make. Quince stainless steel pans are my go-to! They are practical and beautiful, too!
- If you want a thinner chocolate coating, you can thin the chocolate out by stirring in a tablespoon of coconut oil when melting the chocolate!
More healthy, Vegan candy recipes
- Healthy Snickers Bites
- Healthy almond joys
- 2 ingredient Rolo’s
- Healthy pecan Twix Bars
- Healthier vegan Snickers Cheesecake
- Healthier homemade Payday bars
- Superfood Chocolate Bars
Vegan Chocolate Candy Bars (healthier)
Ingredients
Coconut caramel option
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 cup canned coconut cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract & good pinch sea salt
Nougat base
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 cup cashew butter, almond butter, or other nut/seed butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 3 medjool dates, pitted
- 3 tbsp water, if/as needed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract & pinch of sea salt
Coating
- 1 1/3 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped *for the filling
Instructions
Coconut caramel option
- Add the coconut sugar, coconut cream, and salt to a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the mixture to come to a bubble/boil, stirring frequently, for about 6-8 minutes.
- As soon as it's boiling, stir constantly for about 5-10 minutes. It'll reduce/thicken and become a thicker/darker texture. This may take longer depending on certain brands you use, your oven, etc. be patient! Don't turn up the heat as this can cause burning.
- Once it's thickened up, set it aside to cool.
Date caramel
- In a food processor, add your soaked dates, nut butter, vanilla, and salt. Blend a few minutes until it's completely smooth and creamy. You may need to stop a few times to scape down the sides. If your mixture won't blend, you can add a tablespoon or two of water, as needed, to help move things along. Taste & adjust as you'd like (if your dates weren't super sweet and you want a sweeter caramel, you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup or coconut sugar).
Nougat base
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process a minute or so, scraping down the sides as needed until a dough forms. It shouldn't be sticky, but shouldn't be dry. It should hold together. Add the water, as needed!
- Press the dough into the bottom of the pan. Pour the caramel over the base layer, using a spatula to help spread it out evenly. Sprinkle over the chopped cashews.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours, to allow the bars to firm up enough to cut/dip in chocolate.
- Once they are firm and ready to dip, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a shallow bowl, stirring until smooth. Remove the bars from the pan. Cut into slices or smaller bites.
- Dip each bar/bite in the chocolate, using a fork to help allow extra chocolate to drip off. Place on the cookie sheet. Top with sea salt. Return to the freezer for another hour or two to firm up completely before moving the bars to an air-tight container.
- Store in the freezer! You can let them thaw a couple of minutes prior to eating if you'd like, but the insides never get too firm!