What else is there to say, friends? These energy bites taste like Snickers! They have all the caramelly, nougaty, peanutty, chocolaty goodness of the classic candy bar, but in a more wholesome, bite-sized form. They’re salty, sweet, and eye-rollingly delicious!
Grab 9 simple ingredients from your pantry and you’re ready to make these delicious portable treats. Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Snickers Energy Bites
These tasty treats have four essential elements: chocolate, “nougat,” “caramel,” and peanuts. It’s…VERY exciting!
First, the nougat: Cashew butter and maple syrup combine with vanilla and salt for a creamy, flavorful base, while coconut flour adds structure.
Next, dates throw a party in the food processor with vanilla and sea salt! Then we combine the blended dates with coconut flour and salty chopped peanuts. Yummm.
Then the caramel and nougat mixtures join forces! We mix them just a bit so each completed bite has dreamy swirls of both. Next, it’s time to roll!
Scoopin’ and rollin’, that’s where you can find us! We add an extra layer of peanuts after scooping for extra Snickersy-goodness.
Finally, the chocolate. Each bite is coated (our preference) or drizzled with melted chocolate and then topped with (even MORE) peanuts. A quick trip to the refrigerator, then they’re ready to enjoy!
We hope you LOVE these Snickers energy bites! They’re:
Salty
Sweet
Tender
Nutty
Chocolaty
Snackable
& SO classic!
They’re the perfect quick but impressive treat to make for yourself or to share with friends! Bonus points for being absolutely adorable!
More On-The-Go Snacks
- 5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites
- Almond Joy Energy Bites (6 Ingredients!)
- Orange Cardamom Energy Bites (No-Bake!)
- German Chocolate Cake Energy Bites
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Snickers Energy Bites (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CARAMEL
- 10 large medjool dates, pitted (10 large dates yield ~3/4 cup or 180 g packed, pitted dates)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 generous pinch sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
NOUGAT
- 1/3 cup cashew butter (find our store-bought cashew butter review here)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 generous pinch sea salt
- 2/3-3/4 cup coconut flour
PEANUTS
- 1 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped (DIVIDED)
CHOCOLATE
- 2/3 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (we like Enjoy Life)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- CARAMEL: Prepare your dates by placing them in a heat-proof bowl and covering with boiling water. Set aside, uncovered, to soften while you make the “nougat.”
- NOUGAT: To a medium mixing bowl, add the cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt and whisk to combine. Next add the coconut flour (starting with the lesser amount), and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The mixture should be very thick — it should not stick to your fingers when you touch it and should hold the impression of your finger if you poke it (like playdough). If your cashew butter was on the runny side, you may need the remaining coconut flour. Set aside.
- CARAMEL: Drain the soaked dates. To the bowl of a food processor, add the dates, vanilla, and salt. Turn the food processor on and blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until the dates are mostly broken down and semi-smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut flour and blend until fully combined and formed into a ball. It should be thick and should not stick to your fingers; if it does, add more coconut flour 1 Tbsp at a time.
- Transfer the caramel to a small mixing bowl and add 1/3 cup (47 g) of the chopped peanuts (adjust amount if altering default number of servings). Mix to fully incorporate. Then add the caramel/peanut mixture to the nougat and mix briefly. The goal is for each bite to have both, but also to create swirls and maintain some separation between the nougat and the caramel (see photo).
- ASSEMBLY: Line a plate with parchment or wax paper and place your remaining chopped peanuts (2/3 cup or 94 g, unless adjusting default number of servings) in a shallow bowl or dish. Scoop out 1 ½ Tbsp amounts (we like this scoop) of the nougat/caramel dough and gently roll into balls. Then roll each ball in the crushed peanuts before placing it on the prepared plate. Repeat with the remaining dough. Set aside while you prep your chocolate.
- CHOCOLATE: Add 1-inch of water to a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low / simmer. Add the chocolate chips to a small glass or metal bowl along with the coconut oil. Carefully place the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally with a spatula or spoon until fully melted and silky (~5 minutes). You can also melt the chocolate mixture in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave in 20-second increments. Remove chocolate from heat.
- ASSEMBLY: Place one bite on a fork and use a spoon to pour the melted chocolate over the ball (don’t drop it in the chocolate or the peanuts will come off). Tap the fork handle on the side of the bowl to shake off excess chocolate, then place the ball on the parchment-lined plate and generously sprinkle peanuts on top. You can also drizzle the chocolate instead of coating (you may have chocolate left over), but we preferred the bites with more chocolate. Repeat with all remaining bites, then refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, or until the chocolate is set. We prefer them fully chilled for best texture.
- Enjoy immediately! Leftover bites will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer.
Alex says
Another win for MB. I took Kelley’s suggestions in the comments plus a little pinch of salty on top of the drizzled chocholate and … chef kiss. This is now going to be in heavy rotation. Thank you!
Yum! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alex! Thanks so much for sharing.
Kelley Switzer says
I LOVE this recipe. I do the caramel, nougut and peanuts all in the food processor at the same time (less coconut flour). I make the balls then coat with chocolate and freeze. It’s a perfect bite size snack!
Love that! Thank you for sharing, Kelley! xo
Darian says
Hi Dana,
I’m (attempting to at this point) make these a second time. First time was a success but on this second batch the dough for the nougat did not form as well 🥲 and the caramel in the food processor crumbled instead of forming into a dough. Not sure where I went wrong 😭 please help. Literally about to toss the “crumbs” into an airtight container until I can make sense of how to bind it all before starting over from total scratch. Ugh!
Hi Darian! It sounds like your dates weren’t as moist this time! We suggest adding a bit more. You could also try to add a bit more cashew butter to the nougat.
Justine says
Tasted nothing like a snickers. So dry. I even added brown rice syrup to hydrate and sweeten it a bit more. Sorry team. Needs work.
Hi Justine, this recipe relies on the freshness of your dates. We like very moist medjool dates. If you have dates that aren’t as moist you can always soak them in hot water before adding them!
Matt says
These really are amazing. They really satisfy that sweet craving but it feels good to know that you’re giving your body good nutrition at the same time! Yes, they are a little clunky to make with many dishes but they are really worth it. To help with that, I doubled the recipe and will probably freeze some of them.
I hope to make these often so we’ll always have something healthy to reach for instead of store bought candy. I plan to try different versions with different kinds of nut butters, adding coconut…
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Matt. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Lehava Bitnun says
These look great. Could I subsitute the coconut flour with something else?
Hi Lehava, you could try using oat flour!
Karolina Krzyzak says
hi dear ! it looks lovely ! do you think i could replace nut butter with just soaked cashews ? and with peanuts could i also use different nuts ? i’m afraid peanuts are one of the ingredients i don’t have and won’t get soon !
x
Hi Karolina, without peanuts these bites won’t taste as “snickersy”, but they would probably be tasty with hazelnuts or almonds. You do need a smooth texture for the nut butter, maybe if you blended soaked cashews?
The Vegan Goddess says
Like one of the commenters below, I made my own cashew cream about a month ago and it is in the fridge, still good and ready for this recipe. My homemade cashew cream is free of added sugars, salt and oils. This recipe is a good use for it.
This dessert took a while to put together and is messy but it is delicious. It is too rich to make often but is fun to try.
Thank you for sharing your experience!
David says
I made these with almond flour and they were delicious. I had to keep adding flour to the “caramel” because it took a while to not stick to my fingers. Maybe my dates were extra large.
It was a bit fussy and created a lot to clean. I think next time I’ll just do the nougat and caramel at the same time in the food processor. There will definitely be a next time!
Thanks for sharing your experience, David, so glad you enjoyed the final results!
Hannah says
Hi! Can I substitute almond butter for the cashew butter? Looking forward to trying these!
Hi Hannah, cashew has a more neutral flavor, but almond could work. The flavor might not be quite as snickers-like. Let us know if you try it!
Baiba says
Dear Dana & Team,
These taste BETTER than Snickers. They are so darn great that I didn’t even feel the need to add any chocolate.
The most important thing in the recipe – good cashew cream. I had never had it, but wanted to try it for this recipe. I roasted and blended the cashews in a food processor. The cashew butter + syrup + coconut flour is magic.
Thanks sooo much! :)
Aw, YAY! Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your experience, Baiba! xo
Mo says
Hello Minimalist Baker – hope your week is going well!
Since this is the only method/way to reach you because you do not have an email address I figured here was my only option…
Last night I signed up for your list serve and it stated that I would receive…
Our FREE 49-Page Fan Favorites e-Book has 20 recipes we think you’ll LOVE!”
I have not received it yet. I did check my Junk/Spam folder and it is not there either.
Please email me it to me here in a PDF format ideally.
Thanks so much and looking forward to viewing the e-book and your other recipes.
Take care, M
Hi Mo, We’re so sorry for the trouble! The issue should now be resolved and you should receive a copy of the e-book shortly. Please let us know here if that’s not the case.
Jes says
Good. But tastes nothing like a snickers.
Thanks for the feedback, Jes! Did you make any modifications?
Jes says
I didn’t make any modifications. I don’t need to when I make your recipes -they’re usually spot on. Like your homemade Twix recipe is perfect. I was a huge Snickers fan and this just didn’t taste like Snickers to me, although they were still delicious.
Okay, bummer! Hope the next one goes better for you!
Laura says
What can I use besides coconut flour for structure, would oats be the next best thing? trying to cut back on fat content due to cholesterol issues I have, thank you!
Hi Laura, we haven’t tried this recipe with oat flour, but it might work! Let us know if you try it!
Melissa says
I can’t have cashews or peanuts. Would almonds or walnuts work in this recipe?
Hi Melissa, the snickers flavor comes from the peanuts but you could try any other nut you prefer. The final result will just have a different flavor profile. Hope this helps!
Shawn says
Is it possible to sub out the coconut flour for something?
Would oat flour work? Sometimes coconut flour gets me itchy!
Hi Shawn, oat flour should work, just make sure to note the texture of the dough in the photos. You may need to add slightly more oat flour. You could also try a combination of oat flour and almond flour! Hope this helps. xo
Anne says
I’m liking this new series of posts! As soon as I get some medjool dates and coconut flour I’ll try some!
Yay! We hope you enjoy Anne!
Ruj says
I’m guessing coconut flour is used to make it gluten-free, but can other types of flour be used?
Hi Ruj, coconut flour is fine when eaten raw which is why we chose it! It is also absorbent! We haven’t tested it but you could try substituting oat flour and almond flour, however always note the doughs texture in the photos when changing up the flours to keep the final product consistent.
D says
Hey there,
I have a coconut and peanut allergy. what can I substitute for these two ingredients?
Hello, we haven’t tried it, but you try could substituting oat flour and almond flour for the coconut flour. We just suggest noting the doughs texture in the photos. The flavor will be different but you could try substituting cashews for the peanuts.