These healthy vegan Mars Bars taste so similar to the classic candy but are made with healthier ingredients. Chocolatey, indulgent, and oh so delicious!
I know it sounds contradictory, but this recipe takes the classic candy and remakes it with healthier ingredients.
Upon testing this recipe, I’ve been told that the caramel is “perfectly creamy”, the chocolate is “so nice and smooth” and asked to make it again. Immediately. Needless to say, this one is a crowd-pleaser.
If you have a bit of a sweet tooth, making healthier desserts like these is a great way to get some natural nutrients involved — even in what you might consider “junk food"“. Rather than artificial flavourings and refined sugars, these Mars Bars use natural ingredients to create a similar flavour.
Better yet, this recipe is very low-involvement. The hardest part might actually be waiting for them to set completely.
If you prefer your Mars Bars in a more traditional shape, you could always make the nougat and caramel layer in a loaf pan, and then slice them into bars and dip it in the chocolate at the end. To make everything easier (and less messy), I chose to use a muffin tin instead — but hey, to each his own.
These healthy vegan Mars Bars are:
- refined sugar free
- all-natural
- vegan
- gluten free
- perfectly sweet
- easy to make
- so good, you don’t even think of them as “healthy”
Mars Bars Troubleshooting
Simply add more cashews to make the mixture more dry, or more dates to make it more wet.
Look at the ingredients list on the back of your chocolate packet. As long as you don't see "contains milk", you should be all good! Check out this list to find recommended options.
The calories in these Mars Bars come mostly from nuts and dates. Those are naturally more nutrient dense, and thus have higher calories.
I haven't tested this recipe with other nuts, but I think almonds would work well too. Let me know if you try it!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Vegan Mars Bars
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These healthy vegan Mars Bars taste so similar to the classic candy but are made with healthier ingredients. Chocolatey, indulgent, and oh so delicious!
Ingredients
Nougat (Base Layer)
- ½ cup cashews (raw)
- ⅓ cup almond meal
- 6 medjool dates (pitted)
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Caramel (Middle Layer)
- ½ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
Chocolate (Top Layer)
- 90 grams dark chocolate (ensure vegan if necessary)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Cut baking paper into strips to create small tabs. Set one strip across each muffin hole, so that you'll easily be able to remove the Mars Bars once set.
Nougat (Base Layer)
- Blend the cashews, almond meal, medjool dates, coconut and maple syrup in a food processor. Pulse until fully incorporated and sticky. This base will be much stickier than a typical raw vegan brownie or bliss ball, but that’s okay for the Mars Bar texture.
- Equally divide the nougat layer among each muffin slot, and press down on top of the baking paper strip. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
Caramel (Middle Layer)
- To make the caramel layer, first melt almond butter and coconut oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Once heated through, stir in the pure maple syrup, vanilla and sea salt until fully blended.
- Pour the caramel layer on top of the nougat layer, and freeze for at least 1-2 hours.
Chocolate (Top Layer)
- Chop up the chocolate bar into small pieces.
- Put chopped chocolate and coconut oil into a small glass bowl and set aside.
- Bring a small amount of water to a simmer in a small saucepan, ensuring that the bowl can sit on top, without touching the water.
- Place the bowl over the top of the hot saucepan to make a double-boiler, and melt the chocolate and coconut oil mixture, stirring constantly to make sure it does not burn.
- Pour the fully-melted chocolate over the frozen nougat and caramel, and let set in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until the chocolate has hardened completely.
- Once set, use the baking paper tabs to carefully pull the Mars Bars out.
- The Mars Bars can be stored in the freezer for up to one month. Before eating, simply remove your serving from the freezer and let it thaw slightly on the countertop for up to 15 minutes.
Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Australian
Nutrition
- Calories: 197
- Fat: 12.5
- Carbohydrates: 21
- Protein: 2.5
Ashley says
OMG these look so great! Also love the idea of swapping candy for healthier ingredients... plus chocolate of course 😉
Simply Fresh Foodie says
Agreed! It's so great to make treats a bit healthier... but of course the chocolate is still necessary. Thanks for the review!