This is a fun shortcut recipe that I came up with when sampling Enjoy Life’s Baked Chewy Bars. They’re snack-sized and just soft enough to provide a sturdy but tender base for nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free DIY candy bars! They’re the perfect treat for sharing during Food Allergy Awareness Week, don’t you think?
The process is amazingly simple, too. Stir some sunflower seed butter (I use a salted version, like Original SunButter) with a little bit of powdered sugar to stiffen the mixture and sweeten it just enough. Then unwrap the SunSeed Crunch Baked Chewy Bars (my favorite flavor!), and spread the sweetened seed butter onto the tops of each. It will seem rather thick, but that’s a good thing.
Finally, drop the bars into melted dairy-free chocolate. Since we’re talking candy bars here, I went for the Boom Choco Boom Rice Milk Chocolate Bars from Enjoy Life. Yes, dairy-free “milk” chocolate and it is SO good. Spoon the chocolate over top to coat, remove to a non-stick surface (see recipe below), and let set up. Just 15 minutes or so in the refrigerator and your gang is enjoying lower sugar, more wholesome, absolutely delicious, top allergen-free, “almost homemade” candy bars.
This post is sponsored by Enjoy Life Foods. Yes, it’s my job to make dairy-free candy bars at home and I’m not complaining one bit. I bet you’re happy I’m doing it, too! Enjoy these super easy, sun-buttery, milky chocolate, DIY candy bars today …
Special Diet Notes: Allergy-Friendly DIY Candy Bars
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, plant-based, and vegetarian. They’re close to vegan, but do contain a small amount of honey.
- ¼ cup creamy sunflower seed butter (see below)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (see below)
- 1 box allergy-friendly soft snack bars (I use Enjoy Life SunSeed Crunch Baked Chewy Bars)
- 3 1-ounce dairy-free chocolate bars (see below)
- Place the sunflower seed butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and stir to combine.
- Remove the bars from their packages and spread the tops with the sunflower seed mixture.
- Melt the chocolate for about 1 minute in the microwave on HIGH (do not overheat), whisking thoroughly until smooth, or using a double broiler method.
- Place the bars in the chocolate and use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the tops.
- Remove with a fork and place on a greased wire rack, wax paper, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat to set up. Optionally place in the refrigerator to speed up the process (takes about 20 minutes).
Powdered Sugar - I know corn is an issue for some people, but there are corn-free options available. I used Miss Roben's Powdered Sugar.
Chocolate for Melting - I use Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom Ricemilk chocolate bars. As a "milk" chocolate, they are a touch softer than most semi-sweet and dark chocolates, and when melted, are fairly fluid for coating. If you opt to use dark or semi-sweet dairy-free chocolate, you may want to add just a smidgen (about ½ teaspoon) of coconut oil or shortening to the chocolate when melting to keep it from being too thick.
31 Comments
These look incredible, you are a genius. I’m definitely pinning!
What a great idea, Alisa! They remind me of Twix bars, only they’re so much healthier.
These look just perfect, Alisa!! 🙂
Alisa, your posts always get me severely drooling. These look INSANE! I want 10 of them!
I aim to please – thank you!
What a creative recipe! They look and sound delicious and i love how easy they are to make!
These look so good. What a great idea. I’ve eaten the enjoy life bars many times but it never occurred to me to use one to create a candy bar.
Thank you AnnaLaura! Yes, they are really a divine base. Almost remind me a bit of Snickers bar in a unique sort of way.
These look SO SO good!! I love the chocolate coated candy cookie bars. YUM! I’ve been working on a candy bar for my son because he keeps asking me to make him healthy candy bars so he can eat them all the time. LOL!
Wow Alisa, these look incredible! I am certain I would never be able to tell that they were dairy free. The seed butter looks so creamy I would probably eat them all in one sitting!
Thanks Dee Dee. And it is hard to hold back 🙂
Genius!!! Love this idea. Definitely making these.
What a totally awesome idea and I LOVE the inclusion of sun butter!
those sunseed bars are my favorite! I love this idea – so easy and fun for an event…
Yeah, and everyday snacking. Munching on one right now 🙂
These look so delicious! I need to try them!
Alisa, SO CLEVER to use a granola bar as the base–my brain is swimming with ideas on how to create more versions of these. But first, must try yours!
Thank you Kristen – and I’m so happy I could inspire you!
Well, I won’t be able to stop thinking about this all day. Great idea!!
Haha, well yes, my goal is to provide delicious distractions.
GENIUS to use pre-made bars!!
Why thank you. I thought it was pretty clever, too 🙂
OH, yum! I LOVE those Super Seed Crunch Bars. We have a box in the pantry right now. The ease of this recipe is actually quite dangerous – I might just make them every week!
It’s looking like I might run into the same dilemma Jenn!
This is so clever Alisa! I never would’ve guessed the easy peasy shortcut ingredient from looking, great (and delicious) idea 🙂
Thank you Natalie! They’re a sneaky little recipe, especially since the bars are so low sugar!
YUM!!
OH MY! This is brilliant!
Why thank you 🙂
These look amazing!