Running a meal planning business, I test LOTS of recipes. For the paleo meal plans we aim to include a fun dessert each week, and I've got to tell you, I've tested some pretty awful paleo excuses for sweets that make big promises but in the end, taste like an omelette or powerbar.
This paleo snickers bar recipe was based on this recipe from PaleOMG. I've changed it just a bit to be reminiscent of my favorite childhood candybar, and it turned out so good that I “literally can't even.”
The Saturday Night Live skit below will give you a better idea of what “literally can't even” means, but suffice to say that the deliciousness requires its own ridiculous phrase that essentially means they are so good that there are no words.
I confess, I mostly devoured these paleo snickers bars myself while standing in front of the fridge. But if you were throwing a fancy dinner party you could make this in a round dish, slice it like a pie, and call it a Nutty Chocolate Caramel Tart.
And as if the yum-factor was not enough, the paleo snickers bar is practically a health food. Aside from the chocolate chips, the sweetness comes from dried fruit and a bit of raw honey and there's not a refined grain in sight.
Do yourself a favor and try this recipe. I promise you will also be speechless.
Paleo snickers bar ingredients
For the crust:
- 12 dried figs
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 2 tablespoons raw honey, melted
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 pinch coarse sea salt
For the caramel:
- 12 medjool dates
- 3 tablespoons filtered water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch coarse sea salt
For the topping:
- 1 cup dark chocolate finely chopped or chips, ideally organic and fair trade
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons ground coffee, ideally organic and fair trade
Paleo snickers bar method
For the crust:
- Remove stems from dried figs.
- Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined.
- Pour mixture into the bottom of a rectangular 9×13 pan and press down to form the crust.
For the caramel:
- Pit the dates, soak in water for an hour and drain.
- Combine all caramel ingredients in a food processor and blend 2-3 minutes.
- Pour caramel over your crust and spread evenly.
For the topping:
- Make a double boiler by bringing 1-2 cups water in a pot to a boil then lowering to a simmer. Choose a glass or metal bowl large enough to sit on top of the pot but not fall into the water.
- Put chocolate in the bowl with the coconut milk. Stir chocolate until melted and combined with the milk. Add ground coffee and mix well.
- Pour melted chocolate over the caramel layer.
- Put in freezer at least 20-40 minutes, when the chocolate is set, slice into 2 inch pieces. Transfer to the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy chilled.
Wow, Emily! These look really good – and perfect for a last minute dessert I need to throw together for a potluck tomorrow morning! Impeccable timing… Just wondering though, since I’m a subscriber to the traditional meals plans (which we LOVE, by the way) why aren’t there any weekly desserts on THOSE plans??? This traditional foodie wants a real food fun dessert on her meal plan too!! 🙂
Hi Sonia, Thanks for your comments and I certainly hope you try them. The desserts for the Paleo meal plans were introduced due to many following the Paleo diet really struggling to come up with great dessert recipes, which is why we started including them in the plans. However, in short, we are looking into including desserts in all the plans in the future. So, watch this space 🙂
Ok, I am thinking about tackling these this week. Can you please explain the ground coffee? You actually put coffee grounds into the topping? That sounds awful! I’ve baked many things, but none that have called for coffee grounds. Please clarify. Thank you!
Hi Amanda, ground coffee gives a bit of balance to the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients. It is often used in chocolate recipes. However, you certainly don’t have to use it. If you don’t like the idea of coffee grounds, just leave it out.
Do you mean instant coffee because the ground coffee would leave gritty grounds in your mouth?
Hi Gisele, no I mean real coffee grounds, and they don’t actually.
Hi there! I made these and they are DELISH! The whole family was in heaven. I was wondering what soaking the dates does and if they really need the entire hour? There are times when I want to throw this together at the last minute, but I don’t have a whole hour to soak the dates. Could I do 30 minutes in warm water? Thanks!
Hi Kacy, I don’t see why you shouldn’t be able to just do 30 minutes. Give it a go, and let us know how it goes!
I have a different type of date, how much is the date ratio? Would you say you use about 1 1/2 cups of dates?
Thanks
Hi Miranda, unfortunately I didn’t measure this in cups when I made it but that sounds about right. Please do let us know how yours turn out!
Can’t believe these are paleo! Love the use of figs and cashew butter. These sound absolutely fantastic. Can’t wait to try. Thanks for sharing!