These easy 6-ingredient Date Snickers Bars are such a delicious healthy dessert! Medjool dates with natural peanut butter & melted dark chocolate all topped with roasted peanuts and a pinch of sea salt!
As a dietitian, I love making sweet treat recipes with natural ingredients. And dates have been called nature's candy for a reason! They have a caramel-like texture and sweet taste from natural sugar. They also contain dietary fiber for gut health, antioxidants, potassium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B6.
The best part is that compared to the traditional snickers bar, these date snickers have less calories, saturated fat, and natural sugars If you are looking for a delicious treat that is lower in added sugar, I highly suggest these viral TikTok Date Snickers. It's such an easy recipe and a great snack. Or make a big batch of snickers dates for a crowd!
Looking for other healthy desserts? Try 4 Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies or Protein Cookie Dough Balls. Or top a bowl of vanilla Greek yogurt with Easy Air Fryer Pears with Cinnamon or Air Fryer Apples.
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
These Snicker Dates are made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes. Be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for exact ingredient measurements and full recipe.
- Medjool Dates - chewy dates provide natural sweetness and are a great alternative to satisfy a sweet tooth without added sugar. Their caramel flavor is what makes date snickers taste like the real thing. Find dates in the produce section of most grocery stores.
- Creamy Peanut Butter - I use natural peanut butter with minimal ingredients. Feel free to use smooth or crunchy peanut butter. Peanut butter is high in healthy fats and contains plant-protein, too! Just a small amount of peanut butter is needed to achieve the traditional snickers flavor. If you prefer, use the nut butter of your choice - almond butter or cashew butter work great.
- Dark Chocolate - melted chocolate chips or chocolate chunks work perfectly.
- Crushed Peanuts - date snickers bars wouldn’t be complete without salty peanuts!
- Avocado Oil - added to help melt the chocolate evenly. You can use coconut oil or olive oil instead.
- Flaky Sea Salt (optional) - flaky salt is optional, but I love to sprinkle some on top.
How to Make Date Snickers
Below are the instructions for how to make Date Snickers with some visuals that I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Slice your dates in the middle with a sharp knife. If your dates have pits, remove the pits. Line the dates up on the parchment-lined baking sheet slit side up.
Step 2: Smash the dates with the bottom of a glass cup. *Spray the glass with cooking spray so the dates don't get stuck to it. Be sure the dates are as close together as possible.
Step 3: Add a layer of peanut butter on top of the dates and smooth it out gently with a spatula. It helps to microwave the peanut butter for 20-30 seconds in a small bowl first to make it easier to spread.
Step 4: Combine the dark chocolate chips and avocado oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt chocolate in the microwave by heating it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until it is melted. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Smooth it out with the spatula.
Step 5: Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt evenly on top of the chocolate. Refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes until everything is set. The final step is to cut it into evenly sized pieces.
Hint: store in the freezer or fridge and let them thaw at least 10 minutes to room temperature before serving!
Video of How to Make Date Snickers Bars
Here's a video of how to make this recipe that I hope is helpful!
Variations
- Nut Free - if you have a peanut allergy, a seed butter like sunflower butter is a good option for a nut-free version of date snickers. Replace the chopped peanuts with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Vegan - make it vegan by using vegan dark chocolate.
Storage for Date Snickers
- Fridge - store your chocolate dates in the fridge for up to 1 week. To prevent them from sticking together, layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between layers.
- Freezer - freeze chocolate-covered dates for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.
Expert tips
- Be sure to spray the bottom of your glass with a bit of cooking spray before mashing the dates because they are quite sticky!
- To make the peanut butter easier to spread, microwave it for a short time (20-30 seconds) first.
- If you prefer less chocolate, simply drizzle melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter stuffed dates instead of coating them completely.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, Date Snickers are a healthier alternative compared to the classic candy bar. Date snickers are lower in refined sugars, saturated fat and calories. They also contain fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats, and iron.
You can find dates in the produce section or the dried fruit and nut aisle of most grocery stores. You can also find them in the bulk section or purchase them on Amazon.
I suggest using Medjool dates to make date snickers! They are larger and have a sweeter flavor than the deglet variety. My favorite brand to use is Natural Delights Medjool Dates. You can find them on Amazon.
Justin's is one of my go-to brands of peanut butter.
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Easy Date Snickers Bars (Healthy Dessert Recipe)
Ingredients
- 20 Medjool Dates I use Natural Delights brand
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter I use Justin's Brand
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, to taste Maldon is a great brand
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Slice dates in the middle with a sharp knife. If your dates have pits, remove the pits. Line the dates up on the parchment-lined baking sheet slit side up.
- Smash the dates with the bottom of a glass cup. Spray the glass with cooking spray so the dates don't get stuck to it. Be sure the dates are as close together as possible.
- Add a layer of peanut butter on top of the dates and smooth it out gently with a spatula. *It helps to microwave the peanut butter for 20-30 seconds in a small bowl first to make it easier to spread.
- Combine the dark chocolate chips and avocado oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt chocolate in the microwave by heating it in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until it is melted. Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Smooth it out with the spatula.
- Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and flaky sea salt evenly on top of the chocolate. Refrigerate or freeze for at least 30 minutes until everything is set. The final step is to cut it into evenly sized pieces.
- Hint: store in the freezer or fridge and let them thaw at least 10 minutes to room temperature before serving!
Video
Notes
- Be sure to spray the bottom of your glass with a bit of cooking spray before mashing the dates because they are quite sticky!
- To make the peanut butter easier to spread, microwave it for a short time (20-30 seconds) first.
- If you prefer less chocolate, simply drizzle melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter stuffed dates instead of coating them completely.
- Fridge - store your chocolate dates in the fridge for up to 1 week. To prevent them from sticking together, layer them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between layers.
- Freezer - freeze chocolate-covered dates for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.
Laura
OMG my life is changed!!!!! I had a bunch of dates leftover from making stuffed dates at the holidays and wanted to use them up but am cutting back on refined sugars. These are literally SO good even my hubby said they're better than a snickers bar. Will def make agian.