Delia Smith Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Bars!
Happy Halloween!
Kind of a bummer it fell on a Monday, huh? That definitely won’t stop me from eating way too much candy and staying up way too late tonight, though!
Some people get really passionate about Halloween. I’m generally not one of them, although I’m never one to turn down an excuse to dress up and eat chocolate.
But when I came to college, I realized that Halloween was kind of a cultural phenomenon. And that it lasted not just one night, but an entire weekend. When you’re as stressed about careers, classes, and the future as college students are, you tend to really welcome a weekend where you pretend you’re living a responsibility-free life.
Recently, I’ve been really trying to avoid processed foods. I’m lucky to go to a school where local, organic plant-based eating is prioritized, but when it comes to desserts, the options can be slim for a healthy eater.
This summer, I experimented a lot with making my own confections, and I thought Halloween was a great time to share one of my favorite recipes with you!
These candy bars are secretly health food, but don’t tell anyone. Beginning with a peanut butter base, these vegan and gluten-free bars are filled with vanilla date caramel, and topped with velvety chocolate and crunchy peanuts. They taste like a decadent cross between a snickers, a milky way, and a reese’s peanut butter cup.
They’re ridiculously healthy, actually delicious, and perfect for eating this week after the inevitable feast of peanut m&ms and mini twix bars. Happy Halloween!
{Vegan + GF} Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Bars!
Author: Whisk & Shout
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 9
- ⅔ cup powdered peanut butter
- 3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup pitted dates
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup vegan chocolate chips, melted
- Optional: crushed peanuts for topping
- In a medium bowl, combine maple syrup, vanilla extract, and powdered peanut butter until a paste forms. Add almond milk or water to bowl 1 tsp at a time, stirring until a dough-like consistency is reached.
- Form dough into 2-inch long rectangles and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and chill in freezer.
- Meanwhile, process dates in a food processor. Add water 1 tbsp at a time until a paste-like consistency is achieved. Add vanilla extract and pulse until mixed. Spread date caramel over peanut butter base. Return to freezer to chill.
- Dip candy bars into melted chocolate and sprinkle with peanuts- freeze for 15 minutes before serving.
