4-Ingredient Snickers Dates (Gluten Free)

These 4-ingredient snickers dates are super easy, takes only 5 minutes, and is a great alternative instead of eating a candy bar! I’m such a sucker for snickers and although classic snickers bars are gluten free, they aren’t made with as wholesome of ingredients as these snickers dates!

This good-for-you Date bark dessert recipe is very filling and make for a great quick snack, sweet treat or better-for-you dessert! I love this combination of ooey gooey dates, dark chocolate and creamy peanut butter!

If you love this Snickers dates gluten free dessert recipe, you’ll also love my banana oatmeal bars and my 15-minute popcorn bars.

Why You’ll Love this Gluten free Recipe

• This recipe is allergy friendly. This recipe is naturally gluten free. You can use dairy free chocolate for an easy dairy free recipe!
• Quick, easy and really fun to make. This snickers dates only take 5 minutes to make. Then the Date bark sets in the freezer for about an hour…30 minutes if you’re impatient like me.
• An easy no bake dessert. With only a handful of simple, affordable ingredients, these snickers date are an easy no bake recipe that you don’t need to turn on the oven for!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Medjool Dates: The sweet, chewy base. You can always use deglet noor dates (soaked), figs, or dried apricots instead.

Peanut Butter: The creamy, nutty layer. I used cream peanut butter but chunky would work too! Feel free to experiment with almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini, cookie butter or even Nutella!

Dark Chocolate: The rich chocolate topping. Use your favorite chocolate. Pick from milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate chips, chocolate ganache or even dairy free chocolate chips.

Chopped Peanuts: The essential crunch that makes these taste like snickers dates. Other nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), chopped pretzels, toasted coconut, puffed rice or chopped cacao nibs would be great on top of the Date bark too!

Directions

Grab a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.

Now, take your halved dates and gently press them down a little on the parchment paper. This helps them stay put and gives the toppings a nice surface to stick to.

Pop the bowl of peanut butter in the microwave for a few seconds (start with 30 seconds and go from there) until it’s nice and melty. You want it drizzly, not boiling! Grab a spoon and drizzle that warm, gooey peanut butter all over your dates. Don’t be shy!

Time for the chocolate! Melt your dark chocolate in a bowl in the microwave in short bursts (again, about 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between). You don’t want to burn it, so take it slow and steady. Now, drizzle the melted chocolate over the peanut butter-covered dates.

Finally, sprinkle those chopped peanuts all over the top of the Snickers dates. This is what gives it that signature Snickers crunch.

Pop the whole baking sheet full of Date bark into the freezer for at least 30 minutes. This firms everything up and makes them easier to handle (and even more delicious!).

Expert Tips & Tricks

Parchment paper for the win!! I always use parchment paper to make for an easy clean up and to make sure the snickers dates do not stick. If you don’t use parchment paper, the melted chocolate is likely to stick to the baking sheet.

You can double or triple the recipe to scale for a larger group. I love to make a double batch when I’m having some friends over.

How do I Serve these?

I always like to keep a stash of the Snickers dates in our fridge or freezer for the perfect sweet & salty snack any time of the day. In the freezer the Date bark tastes a bit more like a frozen snickers! You can serve them either way or let them thaw to room temparature.

How do I store these?

To store, I add the Snickers dates to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days.

For longer storage, I love to add them into freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months.

Do these taste like snickers?

This isn’t considered a ‘copycat’ recipe because ‘copycat’ recipes are just how to make it exactly the same at home. Think more of an at-home snickers bar. While I do call these date snickers… real snickers do not have dates in them. These are called snickers dates because they do have a lot of the same flavors – the chocolate, the crushed peanuts. But while they are not exactly the same, they are absolutely delicious either way!

Can I use a different nut butter?

Absolutely! Any cashew butter or almond butter would work great in this Date bark!

How can I make these nut free?

To make these snickers dates nut free, skip the nuts and peanut butter. Use tahini or even a chickpea butter instead! You could even use chocolate hummus.

How can I make these dairy free or vegan?

To make these snickers dates dairy free or vegan simply use dairy free/vegan chocolate!

Looking for more gluten free recipes?

If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along! 

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