Vegan Snickers Bars!
Yesterday, we got back from a fabulous six week holiday in Australia, where we were utterly delighted by all the vegan food available. It seemed that we couldn't turn a corner without sighting yet another enticing vegan eatery, and every market we went to was bursting with vegan food stalls. Australia really does seem to be one step ahead of the game in the vegan stakes! Newmarket, in Sydney, and Fitzroy, in Melbourne, are leading the way with a vast array of mouth-wateringly good vegan fare.
I did, however, fall into a slightly concerning routine of tucking into a store-bought vegan sweet treat every evening, which I delightfully consumed with my usual chamomile tea...Heavenly! So yesterday I found myself in a crisis situation...In Doha, vegan raw bars are about as rare as rain! One of my favourite slices in Aus was a vegan snickers bar, so what could I do except set about making my own?! After a brief google search I got an overall idea of what I needed to do and I quickly cobbled together a recipe to suit the ingredients in my cupboards. The result was so good that my husband, who had solemnly declared that he was entering a serious, sweet-free phase of his life, devoured two slices! And, once my children had a taste, the rest were quickly gobbled up too! It's safe to say that these addictively good, chewy, crunchy bars are set to become a regular feature in our family!
The good news is that they're relatively simple and quick to make, and they're much healthier than the original version!
To begin, thoroughly combine the following ingredients in your food processor/vitamix:
½ cup rolled oats (use gluten free oats if necessary)
½ cup cashew nuts
½ cup almond nuts
½ cup desiccated coconut
¼ cup agave syrup
2 tbsp peanuts
1tsp virgin coconut oil
¼ tsp sea salt
Once it resembles a sticky dough, press it out onto non-stick paper in a baking tray. Form a rectangle shape that's about 1cm thick, with neat, straight edges. Place this in the freezer while you get on with making the caramel.
Put the following ingredients in your food processor/vitamix until a smooth paste is formed:
1 cup pitted dates
1 tbsp peanuts
½ tbsp virgin coconut oil
½ tbsp agave syrup
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp sea salt
Remove the base from the freezer and spread this mixture out evenly on top. It's quite sticky, but at least you get to lick your fingers afterwards!
Next:
Take ½ cup of peanuts and spread them out in a single layer on top of the caramel. Press down on them lightly so they stick in place. Put the baking tray back into the freezer while you move on to making the chocolate.
Put the following ingredients into a bowl and stir until smooth:
¼ cup virgin coconut oil (heated until runny)
6 tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
3 tbsp agave syrup (I would have used maple syrup instead but I didn't have any!)
Pour this chocolate mixture on top of the peanut layer and spread it out evenly. Then put the tray back in the freezer.
After half an hour, cut the slab into 12 slices (or more or less, depending on your desired size!). Don't leave this any later, as it will get too hard to safely slice! Then put the bars back in the freezer again for an hour and a half. After that, take them out and place them in the fridge, ready to eat any time you like.
Enjoy!