Healthy Sugar Free Mars Bars
{Today I am sharing a healthified version of everyone’s favorite candy bar created and photographed by Peta, a fellow foodie.}
Whether you have a sweet tooth or prefer savory snacks, there’s one guilty pleasure that we all have: candy.
These Healthy Sugar Free Mars Bars are no exception.
What can I say, if it’s in the house I am going to eat it.
Plain and simple.
From butterscotch candy to salted caramel dark chocolate bars, there are so many types of candy. So. stinkin’. many.
It always seems like a good thing until the temptation threatens to ruin the progress we’ve made with our new healthy lifestyle. As the Virginian Pilot once described, “Part of this pleasure literally comes from guilt, that twisted sense of desire.”
I think I really do have a twisted desire to eat all the candy in my house in order to start anew the next day free of temptation. Crazy much?! 😉
I am giddy about this recipe…and drooling. Yep, definitely drooling!
It’s a homemade version of the most popular candy bars of all time, the beloved Mars Bar.
Mars bars vary around the world, marketed as different brand names with interchanging ingredients. The Mars bar is originally from the UK, and worldwide adaptations include the Milky Way which is from the US company, Mars, Inc., owned by Jacqueline Mars. The company is the largest candy producer in the world.
Healthy Mars Bar Recipe | Gluten/Dairy/Sugar FREE | #vegan #candy #healthychoices Share on XOf course, the original version of Mars bars are great, but I have seen a few healthier versions that have caught my eye. However, this one from Professional Babe takes the cake!
Peta uses raw mars bar ingredients in this recipe. It’s free of refined sugar, dairy and grains, and is suitable for those living a vegan or gluten-free lifestyle.
As you can see, this healthy sugar free mars bar recipe caters to all kinds of special diets, so you never have to feel like you’re missing out on candy just because you’ve chosen to eat healthier. Thanks again, Peta, for letting me share your awesome recipe!
Sugar Free Homemade Mars Bars
Equipment
- small pan
- stove top pan
Ingredients
Base
- ½ cup almonds soaked in water for 8 hours
- 1/2 cup cashews soaked in water for 4 hours
- 2 Tbsp coconut syrup
- 1 Tbsp lucuma powder Find more info on this ingredient HERE!
- 1-2 tsp water
Caramel
- 8 dates
- 2 Tbsp coconut syrup Find more info on this ingredient HERE!
- 1 Tbsp almond butter
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp water if needed
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Chocolate
- 1 chocolate bar melted
Instructions
- Grease a bread pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Rinse the almonds and cashews, then place all base ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until it becomes a smooth butter.
- Spread the mixture into the pan, leveling it out with a wet spoon. Let it set in the freezer for an hour.
- In a small bowl, combine the caramel ingredients until smooth. Add additional coconut syrup if more sweetness is desired.
- Take the base cookie layer out of the freezer and layer the caramel mixture on top, leveling it again with a wet spoon. Put the bread pan back in the freezer for a couple hours along with a metal tray (needed for the next step).
- Once the caramel is set, cut the pan of bars into squares. Put the squares back in the freezer on the frozen metal tray.
- Next, melt the chocolate bar in a mixing bowl over boiling water or the microwave on reduced power. If you do not have a chocolate bar, mix up the following: ½ cup of melted cacao butter or coconut oil, 1/3 cup of cacao powder, ¼ cup of agave or coconut syrup, and a pinch of salt.
- Lastly, coat your bars with the chocolate and place back in the freezer to set. After a couple hours, they’re ready to eat!
I made these and they are AMAZING. Making another batch tonight. Substituted lucuma poder with coconut sugar, and used maple syrup instead of coconut syrup. Also added some cinnamon to the melted dipping chocolate. So good. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Carol! I am so glad you liked them. Thank you for making the recipe your own and letting us know what substitutions work well. Happy snacking!
What can I replace for Lucama powder and coconut syrup?
Hi Jay,
You can substitute brown sugar or coconut sugar for the lucuma powder and maple syrup or honey for the coconut syrup. I hope you like the bars!
Has anyone actually made these? the comment seemed to refer to how great the ingredients are and I agree they’re great ingredients but how do they taste? do these have to be frozen? I need a dessert that can sit out for one or two hours at a party or a meeting
Thanks for linking up at the Healthy Living Link Party! It’s always good to see your posts.
Blessings, Leigh
Oh my goodness, these look amazing! I am partial to the odd Mars Bar so I definitely want to give these a try 🙂
I really think you will like them, Zoe! You’ll have to let me know how they compare to your odd Mars Bars. 🙂
What a delicious sounding recipe…right up my street. Thanks for sharing it!
I am so excited for you to try it, Vicki! They really are amazing! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Oh yum!! Would love to have you share it at the What’s for Dinner link up! http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-dinner-sunday-link-80/
So glad you shared these at the party!
I love the healthy ingredients in this recipe Sammi. Amazing how delicious healthier snacking can be! Pinning!
Thanks Ilka! Yes, healthier snacks can be just as delicious as their unhealthy counterparts. 😉 Well said!
Wow they look absolutely amazing! Very nice 🙂
Thank you so much, Esther! They are a winner in my book 🙂 Enjoy these sweet treats and thanks for swinging by!