Make these Pumpkin Vegan Snickers Bars for a Halloween treat! This homemade snickers bar recipe is easy to make with minimal ingredients.
Pumpkin Vegan Snickers Bars
If I had to guess, you’re probably here because Halloween is just around the corner, and what screams Halloween more than a Homemade Pumpkin Snickers Bar?!
If you were like me when you were little, then you were definitely trading for Snickers and Reese’s Cups at the end of your trick or treating expedition. I mean honestly, who wants candy corn when you could have the salty sweet goodness of a Snickers?
Maybe I used to love candy like Snickers or Reese’s so much because I am definitely a savory over sweet kind of person. I will always take a salty snack over a sweet dessert any day. So the salty, crunchy peanuts in a Snickers bar were definitely up my alley.
For a special Halloween treat this year, I decided to make my own homemade snickers bars, and gave them a fall twist by adding in a layer of pumpkin! These vegan snickers bars are made with super simple ingredients and less sugar than the original, so if you don’t have a super strong sweet tooth, you have to give these a try!
Homemade Snickers Bar Ingredients
I promise you’ll love these Pumpkin Snickers Bars! And I bet you already have all the ingredients too, so you can whip them up quickly whenever you’ve got a chocolate craving! They’re sweet, crunchy, satisfying, and way more satisfying than any candy you could buy at the store.
To make these homemade pumpkin snickers bars, you’ll need:
- Oat flour. No need to buy a fancy flour! You can make your own oat flower by grinding oats in your blender or food processor.
- Pumpkin purée. You’ll want to look for a can where pumpkin is the only ingredient! We don’t want pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
- Almond butter. You could also use peanut butter, or even sunflower butter if you’re allergic to nuts.
- Maple syrup. What’s more fall than maple and pumpkin together? Not only does this amp up the fall flavors, but maple syrup also helps sweeten these homemade snickers bars.
- Vanilla extract. We’re using vanilla in a couple components of this vegan snickers bar recipe to really pull the flavor through.
- Salt. Just a pinch will help us balance out the sweetness.
- Cinnamon. Feel free to add more or less than I call for in this recipe based on your flavor preferences!
- Dates. We’re making a homemade date caramel for that sweet, ooey gooey goodness in these homemade snickers bars.
- Nuts. You don’t have to use peanuts! I only had walnuts on hand, so that’s what I used. Pecans would also be delicious!
- Cocoa powder. We’re making our own homemade chocolate coating for these vegan snickers bars.
- Coconut sugar. I love the warm, nutty flavor that you get from coconut sugar, but you could also use white granulated sugar.
- Coconut oil. This will go into our vegan chocolate coating.
How to Make This Vegan Snickers Bar Recipe
I know it might sound a little crazy to make your own homemade snickers bars, but they’re actually super simple, and once you taste these you’re never gonna want to go back to the original! Plus since they’re homemade, you get to control just how sweet you make them.
First, you make the pumpkin nougat layer by mixing together your oat flour, pumpkin, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and cinnamon. Then you’ll spread that out into an even layer on a cookie sheet and freeze it.
Next, you make the date caramel sauce (!!!) by adding soaked dates, water, vanilla and salt to a blender and processing it until you’ve got a smooth vegan caramel.
Once your homemade nougat is solid, pull the tray out of the freezer and spread the date caramel on top. Sprinkle the nuts on top of the caramel layer and pop the tray back into the freezer.
Finally, make the chocolate coating by combining cocoa powder, sugar, oil and salt. Once the date caramel has set in the freezer, you’ll pull the tray out and slice it into about 5 full sized bars (or you could do mini bars!). Dip each bar into the chocolate coating to completely cover the bar, then place the chocolate covered bar back on the sheet. Once all the bars are coated in chocolate, place them back in the freezer to set.
I highly recommend storing these homemade snickers bars in the freezer until you’re ready to snack on them to prevent them from melting (plus, frozen chocolate is just the best!).
More Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
Whether you’re more of a sweet or a savory person, I’ve got you covered with plenty of other fun fall pumpkin recipes! For more fall goodness, check out these vegan pumpkin recipes!
- Vegan Pumpkin Rice Crispy Treats
- Vegan Pumpkin Waffles
- Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Bars
- Pumpkin Sage Oat Risotto
- Chickpea Pumpkin Coconut Curry
Pumpkin Vegan Snickers Bars
Make these Pumpkin Vegan Snickers Bars for a Halloween treat! This homemade snickers bar recipe is easy to make with minimal ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup oat flour (ground-up rolled oats)
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup peanuts, or other nut of choice
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix oat flour, pumpkin, almond butter, maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt and cinnamon until combined.
- On the baking sheet, form dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Freeze for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes.
- In a blender or food processor, blend dates, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Spread date sauce over the nougat layer. Top with nuts; freeze for 1 hour.
- In a medium bowl, mix cocoa powder, sugar, oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Microwave the chocolate if needed to melt the sugar. Mix until well combined.
- Cut the bars into 5, or into mini bars. Place each bar in the chocolate bowl and completely cover the bar. Place back onto the baking sheet.
- These bars will melt easily, so store in the freezer.
