Easy vegan butterfinger bars made with peanut butter and cereal sweetened with date paste and coconut sugar with a dark chocolate coating.
Do you guys ever get emotionally attached to TV shows?
I’m currently rationing out my last 4 episodes of Lucifer on Netflix.
Yes, I could finish up season 4 tonight…but what’s the fun in that?!
Ever since moving to my new place those characters have been companions, their playful banter filling up the empty spaces of my living room before there was my large area rug, couch, throw pillows, and plants.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, because I get this way with books, too.
You know what else I’m emotionally attached to ATM?
These Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers that I made today.
You just need 6-ingredients to make this vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free treat version of the childhood classic!
There’s No Wrong Way to Eat Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers
You know how there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s?
Well, Dan internalized this and decided that it totally applied it to Butterfinger consumption, too.
I’d catch him carefully shaving milk chocolate off the candy bar sides with a butter knife to reveal flakey peanut butter-y nougat.
He proceeded to eat the orange nougat in crunchy bites and leave the chocolate shavings in an untouched pile.
It’s hard to blame him, because Butterfingers are all about the nougat!
How to Make Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers
After deciding to make my own Butterfingers, I struggled initially with the ingredients to recreate the delicious interior.
It needs to be perfectly flakey, crispy, and butter-y before encasing in dark chocolate.
After some recipe research, I found that other bloggers had success with a adding cereal to the mix to achieve that candy crunch!
At first I was skeptical, but then I remembered how good rice crispy treats are with puffed rice cereal and decided to try it out.
Clearly, I was impressed.
So impressed that I’m sharing all of the sweet deets with you.
What You Need to Make Homemade Butterfingers
I think these good-for-you Butterfingers will seriously surprise you.
They’re nutty, sweet, crunchy, and chocolate-y with real-food ingredients you probably have on hand.
Here’s what you need:
- date paste (or sub pure maple syrup)
- unrefined coconut sugar
- peanut butter (or sub any nut or seed butter)
- gluten-free corn flakes
- Himalayan sea salt
- Hu Kitchen Salty Dark Chocolate
Got it?
Make the Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers Filling
First, heat the date paste and unrefined coconut sugar until it’s bubbling and sweet, then stir in gooey peanut butter, Himalayan sea salt, and finally, your cereal.
Don’t be afraid to really smash up the cereal into the saucepan.
It’s basically free therapy, so grab a spatula and have yourself a cereal smash.
You want to make sure every flake is completely covered with the peanut butter mixture.
Next, transfer the mixture to a bread pan in an even layer and freeze for a few hours until it’s solid.
I sliced my nougat into 12 even bars for “fun-size” Butterfingers, but if you’re in a jumbo candy bar kind of a mood you can do 9 or even 6 rectangles instead!
Here Comes the Chocolate
And now comes the moment you’ve all been waiting for.
Yes, I’m talking about the chocolate.
I’m pretty sure if Butterfingers had been made with Hu Kitchen chocolate that Dan would NOT be shaving it off.
I used Hu Kitchen Salty Dark Chocolate to encase these Butterfingers in a clean chocolate coating.
You can easily drizzle the melted chocolate over the chilled nougat for a shortcut variation, or, alternatively, dunk the nougat rectangles into the melted chocolate for the full candy bar effect.
I actually took mine a step further a double-dunked my bars in melted Hu Kitchen chocolate to get a more even chocolate layer.
Whether you choose to drizzle, dunk, or double dunk your Butterfingers will be delicious paired with dark chocolate.
Transfer the chocolate covered bars to the freezer to firm up in 5-10 minutes before serving!
How to Serve Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers
These Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers are perfect for a clean candy option any time of year!
I like to store mine in the freezer until eating to make sure they retain their classic crunch.
If avoiding peanuts, try substituting almond butter or sunflower seed butter for a delicious variation.
When selecting your cereal flakes, make sure the cereal is gluten-free as needed and unsweetened/refined-sugar-free, if possible.
I love the Salty Dark Chocolate bar in this recipe to enhance the buttery flavor of the bars, but any of Hu Kitchen will work in its place!
Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month, so stash some away for a rainy day.
Enjoy!
More Homemade Candy Recipes
-
4-Ingredient Coconut Mounds
-
Raw Vegan Twix Bars
-
Vegan Salted Snickers Bars
-
Vegan SunButter Date Caramels
-
Chocolate Caramel SunButter Cups
-
Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Eggs
-
Vegan Chocolate Nougat Bars
I Want to Hear From You
If you make these Vegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers, let me know!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
Love this post and want more? Go to my homepage and subscribe to get updates delivered right to your inbox!
XO Lauren
PrintVegan Peanut Butter Butterfingers
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 9-12 butterfingers
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Easy vegan butterfinger bars made with peanut butter and corn flakes cereal sweetened with date paste and coconut sugar with a dark chocolate coating.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup date paste (or sub pure maple syrup)
- 1/4 cup unrefined coconut sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter (or sub any nut or seed butter)
- 2 cups gluten-free corn flakes
- 1/8 tsp Himalayan sea salt
- 2/3 cup chopped Hu Kitchen Salty Dark Chocolate
Instructions
- Line a bread pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Combine the date paste and unrefined coconut sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low bowl, and simmer for a 60 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the peanut butter and salt and stir until you have a thick paste.
- Add in the corn flakes and stir everything well to completely coat the cereal, crushing the cereal flakes while stirring.
- Press the cereal into the parchment lined bread pan. Place the pan in the freeze for 1-2 hours or until completely hard.
- Once the mixture is firm, lift the parchment paper out of the bread pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the nougat into 9-12 large rectangles and arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate.
- Add the chopped chocolate to a small saucepan over medium low until fully melted. Spread the melted chocolate over the rectangles with a spatula or dunk the entire bar in the melted chocolate for more traditional candy bar encasing. Drain any excess chocolate off and place back on the parchment paper. Place bars back in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to re-harden.
- OPTIONAL: Dunk the frozen candy bars in an another layer or chocolate if the coating is thin. I did this to mine to achieve a more even chocolate layer. Alternatively, you can skip this step.
- Enjoy the butterfingers immediately from the freezer. Store them in the freezer for the classic crunch!
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Refined Sugar-Free
This post is brought to you by Hu Kitchen, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
Lindsay
Can this be made with wheat bran?
Flora & Vino
Lindsay,
I haven’t tested it— but it’s worth a try! Let me know how it turns out!
XOXO Lauren
Freddie Van Enk
This is seriously deeelish!😋 And so SUPER easy and quick to make! Took it to two birthday celebrations over the weekend, an absolute hit both nights! Thank you Lauren! Your recipes never cease to amaze me!
Flora & Vino
Freddie,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the positive feedback and review!
XOXO Lauren
Christelle
OMG it seems so good😍 is it fine to use sugar free corn flakes ? 😘
Flora & Vino
Hi Christelle,
YES– that will work fine! 🙂
XOXO Lauren
Christelle
Thanks ☺️
Deanna
This recipe is amazing!! They are delicious, super easy to make, and they taste like actual butterfingers!!! (Honestly…they’re even better) I used the hu kitchen gems for the coating and they came out great! Will be making these regularly!!
Flora & Vino
Hi Deanna,
So glad you loved it!!! SO GOOD, right??? I totally agree that they’re better but I could be biased… 🙂 Can’t wait to see you make them again!
XOXO Lauren
Sarah A
Possible to sub the date paste with coconut syrup?? So excited to try these!
Flora & Vino
Hi Sarah,
Yes, that sub will work! Let me know how it works for you!
XOXO Lauren
Emily
These are SO good! Made them tonight – the only ‘cereal’ I had on hand was puffed rice so I substituted that instead. And made my own chocolate sauce with cacao butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. If you’re wondering if you should make these – the answer is you certainly should!!!
Flora & Vino
Thanks so much for the comment Emily- I’m so glad you enjoyed them!!! Love that you made subs with what you had on hand. Also, your chocolate sauce sounds AMAZE.
XOXO Lauren
Emilie
These turned out great! The cornflakes add a flakey texture and totally work.
Flora & Vino
Thanks so much, Emilie! So glad you enjoyed!
XOXO Lauren
Krystina
These were absolutely delicious! Pretty simple to make and easy enough to sub a few ingredients if you don’t have everything on hand. Will be making these again for sure!!
Flora & Vino
Thanks so much, Krystina, I’m so glad that you enjoyed!
XOXO Lauren
Krystina
Forgot my star rating!
Flora & Vino
YAY! THANKS!
XOXO Lauren
Jen
Just wow. Ive made these a few times and they are a favourite every time!!! I’ve subbed a few ingredients when needed and it worked out to be so delicious without fail. Thank you for this recipe. So easy!!
Amy
Love this recipe! The simplicity is amazing and the taste is even better. Salty, sweet and rich but not overly so. I used the maple syrup version and also 70% Theo dark chocolate to coat finished with a little Himalayan salt on top. I will certainly be making these again. Thank you for the great recipe Lauren!
Flora & Vino
Hi Amy! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! I love your addition of sea salt on top…yum!!!
XOXO Lauren
Gabrielle
Made this recipe yesterday, it was very easy. I made my own date paste, and it turned out great! I still have much to learn about tempering chocolate but they stuck together really well, didn’t crumble when dipped and tasted amazing! Will be writing this one down for the permanent recipe book.
Flora & Vino
Hi Gabrielle,
I’m so glad that you enjoyed this! I love that you made your own date paste– how cool!
XOXO Lauren
Christina Gillies
I made it to step 6, but when I cut into the block it immediately became a pile of dust. Any ideas on where I went wrong!? I’d love to try again because the “dust” was delicious.
I used maple syrup (80 ml) instead of date paste, and light brown sugar (50 g) instead of coconut sugar.
Flora & Vino
Hi Christina,
I think it might be the brown sugar– I haven’t tested this with brown sugar. Is there any other sugar you can try to use next time? Sorry about that!
XOXO Lauren
Christina
You were absolutely right! When I followed the recipe and used coconut sugar they stuck together fine. These are INSANELY good!
Jill
Any suggestions on ordering gluten free sugar free corn flakes thanks
Flora & Vino
Hi Jill! I like One Degree Organics flaked cereal!
Lara
I made these using the maple syrup swap and they are AMAZING. I never make desserts or sweet foods but the recipe was easy to follow. Even my partner, who claims to not like peanut butter, really likes them!
Lara A Zakarian
Hi Lauren,
Going to make this recipe tomorrow. When would I add the salt? I see it on the ingredient list but don’t see it mentioned in the directions. Do I add it to the melted chocolate?
Thanks!
Flora & Vino
Hi Lara,
I’ll update the recipe to indicate this! Yes, you can add it to the chocolate!
XOXO Lauren
Molly
Ugh I love these so much!! They are always a winner with my friends and family too. For some reason they turn out different every time but I’m assuming it’s based on the brand of nut butter I’m using. I’ve never made them with date paste—either date syrup or maple syrup— and they are just so delicious. I love the texture of the cornflakes! I substitute golden Monkfruit in place of the coconut sugar and it works great!
Flora & Vino
Hi Molly!
Thanks so much for the comment. I’m so glad that you love these! The differentiation is probably a result of the nut butter– you’re right! Love the monkfruit substitution! Hope you continue to enjoy them. 🙂
XOXO Lauren
Elena
These are so delicious, thanks for sharing! I’ve made them twice in the past week, once to bring to a family Easter dinner. Since I was short on time I drizled melted chocolate over them instead of dipping them before cutting into squares.
Flora & Vino
Hi Elena,
I’m so glad that you enjoy these!!! I love the hack of drizzling the chocolate and making squares!
XOXO Lauren