Homemade Healthy Reese’s Take 5 Candy Bars (Vegan)
These healthy homemade Reese’s Take 5 Candy bars are bursting with pretzels, peanuts, caramel, and peanut butter and coated in luscious dark chocolate. Make them to enjoy for Halloween, or any time!
Hands up if you’re a fan of sweet and salty flavor combinations. I personally am ALL about it. Give me chocolate covered pretzels, salted caramel, and sea salt sprinkled cookies any day.
These homemade healthy Reese’s Take 5 candy bars are a sweet and salty lover’s DREAM. What’s in a Reese’s Take 5 bar, you ask? There are layers of pretzels, peanut butter, caramel, and peanuts – all draped in silky chocolate.
Ingredients in healthy Reese’s Take 5 candy bars
You need just eight simple ingredients to make these homemade candy bars.
- Dark chocolate: You’ll melt dark chocolate and coat the candy bar layers.
- Pretzels: These form the first layer of the bars. I used small square pretzels for this recipe.
- Peanut butter: Use natural peanut butter – the only ingredient is peanuts, and sometimes salt. The runny peanut butter texture is best for this recipe.
- Dates: Use the freshest, softest Medjool dates for this recipe. You will soak them, then blend them up into a date caramel. for one of the layers.
- Almond flour: Add a few tablespoons of almond flour to thicken both the peanut butter and date caramel layers.
- Peanuts: Unsalted roasted peanuts work well in this recipe. They provide more peanut flavor and an extra crunch to the candy bars.
- Maple syrup: Just a touch to sweeten the peanut butter layer slightly.
- Sea salt: Sprinkle big flakes of sea salt on top of the candy bars for the perfect finishing touch. I used beautiful, crunchy Maldon sea salt for this recipe.
How to make healthy Reese’s Take 5 candy bars
First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This prevents the candy bars from sticking.
Line up 24 pretzels on the baking sheet. Space them evenly as if you were baking cookies.
Prepare the peanut butter layer. Form peanut butter patties and press them into the pretzels. Place the tray in the freezer to harden the peanut butter layer.
Make the date caramel layer. Just blend up soaked medjool dates in a food processor. It’s ok if the layer is not completely smooth! Add some almond flour to thicken it up.
Add the date caramel layer on top of the peanut butter layer. Press in a few peanuts. Return the candies to the freezer to set.
Melt the dark chocolate. Dip each candy in the chocolate to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt. Place the candy bars back on the baking sheet and freeze one last time to harden.
If you love this recipe, you may also like
- Vegan Freezer Pecan Turtles with Date Caramel
- No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars
Let me know if you love this recipe by leaving a comment or rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!
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Homemade Healthy Reese’s Take 5 Candy Bars (Vegan)
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 candies 1x
- Category: dessert
Description
These healthy homemade Reese’s Take 5 Candy bars are bursting with pretzels, peanuts, caramel, and peanut butter and coated in luscious dark chocolate. Make them to enjoy for Halloween, or any time!
Ingredients
Peanut butter layer
- 2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp almond flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
Date caramel layer
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 10+ minutes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp almond flour
- 24 square pretzels
- 1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
- 8 oz dark chocolate
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix together the peanut butter layer ingredients in a small bowl. The mixture should be thick enough to form into patties that hold their shape.
- Using your hands, form 24 patties from the peanut butter mixture about the size of the square pretzels. Gently press one peanut butter patty into each of the pretzels.
- Place the pretzels on the prepared baking sheet, and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.
- While the peanut butter layer sets in the freezer, prepare the date caramel. Drain the dates of the hot water, and add them to a food processor, along with the vanilla extract.
- Blend until a smooth paste forms from the dates. You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl a few times. It’s OK if the date paste is not completely smooth – some small chunks of dates are fine.
- Mix the date paste with the almond flour. Add a dollop of the date caramel paste on top of each candy.
- Press 3-4 peanuts into the date caramel paste. Return to the freezer to set for 30 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave or using a double boiler.
- To coat the candies in chocolate, use a fork to lower the candy into the melted chocolate. Use a spoon to cover the top if it doesn’t fully submerge in the melted chocolate.
- Sprinkle each piece with sea salt before the chocolate hardens.
- Return the candies to the freezer for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to set completely.
Notes
- Best stored in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container.
Keywords: take 5 candy bars, vegan, gluten free
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