They have hijacked my Halloween candy! I know I talked about this topic in last year’s Halloween vlog, but this change in my favorite chocolates has really got me down. I just visited Europe recently, and my favorite thing to do is stock up on British candy at the airport. Out of curiosity I checked the labels of some of these bars that they also sell in the states. Somehow the Cadbury bars in Europe do not have the same flavor as the Cadbury bars in the States–the main reason is excess sugar. European bars have more milk for that creamy flavor, and American bars use GMO (genetically modified) beet sugar, which yields a chalkier flavor. Now let’s move on to the Snicker’s bars, which have changed dramatically since I was a kid. On the label, it says that it uses genetically modified ingredients, most likely from the GMO corn syrup, and the GMO soy lecithin they use in the cocoa as cheap filler. This realization propelled me to create my own candy bars.
After lots of experimentation, I finally developed my favorite recipe which I am excited to share with you today! Instead of sugar based caramel, I used a combination of dates (have to put a Middle Eastern ingredient in this somewhere!) and creamy nut butter. Since I like cashews more than peanuts I put those in too. You see when you make your own bars you can customize them as you wish. I am proud to say that other than the chocolate chips, there is no sugar added and the good fats add a satisfying mouth feel.
Check out my new video on the technique for making these easy no bake chocolate bars below!
GMO FREE SNICKERS BARS
- 2 cups soft mejdool dates
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup sunflower butter (or any nut butter you prefer)
- Dash salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips (can be vegan, milk, or a combo of dark and milk)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup peanuts, or cashews, or even macadamia nuts–whatever you like the most!
- In a food processor, combine the dates and water until well blended. Add the nut butter and salt and process until creamy and set aside. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, and boil. Put the chocolate chips in a glass bowl, and place over the saucepan. Stir with a spoon until the chocolate melts and is nice a creamy. Line a 9 by 9 pan with parchment paper, and scoop half of the chocolate into the pan. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes (or until it hardens). Take out of the freezer and carefully scoop the date mixture onto the chocolate. Spread out carefully. Then sprinkle the nuts of choice on top. Spread the remaining melted chocolate over the nuts. Freeze for another hour. You can take out the bars with the parchment paper to slice into neat bars. You can keep these bars in the freezer and eat whenever the craving strikes back (which shouldn’t be long)
