Healthy Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bars with just 6 ingredients, dairy-free, oil-free and incredibly delicious! Made with whole foods and mulberries!
VEGAN BUTTERFINGER CANDY BARS
I’m just going to put this out there….this might just be the most amazing recipe I have ever been able to come up with in my kitchen…..especially considering the ease and ingredient list! I took my favorite candy bar of all time that is filled with this:
WHAT IS BUTTERFINGER CANDY MADE OUT OF?
Corn Syrup, Sugar, Peanuts, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa, Molasses, Whey, Confectioner’s Corn Flakes, Nonfat Milk, Salt, Lactic Acid Esters, Soy Lecithin, Soybean Oil, Cornstarch, Artificial Flavors, Tbhq And Citric Acid, Yellow 5, Red 40
Pretty darn gross.
Well, now you can have Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bars that taste just as amazing and they are actually healthy butterfingers!
Butterfinger was my favorite candy bar growing up. What I loved about it was the sweet, chewy, crunchiness that is covered in chocolate. And who doesn’t love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate? These taste rich, sweet and amazing. Honestly, that is why I didn’t want to coat the entire thing in chocolate…it would be overkill. These are seriously sweet enough, as is. But if you want them covered in chocolate, knock yourself out!
I have seen a few vegan butterfinger recipes on the internet…but they all use corn syrup, molasses, sugar and/or cornflakes. That’s fine of course, but not what I was after and none of those are raw.
HOW I CAME UP WITH THIS RECIPE
I thought…..”how in the world can I create that sticky, sweet and crunch factor without cornflakes and without molasses??”
I was lying in bed one night racking my brain….like I do quite often with recipes…..and some how the stars aligned and this just popped in my head….“wait, dried white mulberries are chewy, slightly crunchy and amazingly, naturally sweet!!” Seriously, the first time I tried them I was blown away by how sweet they are….they taste just like a chewy ball of honey. Tip: I keep mine in the fridge and they become crunchy….even better. They are a superfood fruit that is incredibly good for you!
Would mulberries really work?? So, the next day I threw some dried mulberries and some peanuts in my food processor and whirled it about a minute until it was a sticky, crumbly texture. I tried it and whoa, the flavor tasted just like a butterfinger
My hubby and I both just were kind of stunned at the authenticity of the flavor. Each one I ate, I just kept saying…wow, I’m eating a butterfinger without the guilt!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BUTTERFINGER CANDY BARS
You won’t believe the secret ingredient I used to be able to create these healthy butterfinger candy bars. No scary candy making involved, no thermometers, no cornflakes or awful ingredients.
First, you will need the very magical ingredient: mulberries!
I order my mulberries from Rawguru, but you can also order them here from Amazon and they are super cheap! I’ve also seen them at my local HEB and Whole Foods, so for those wanting to make this asap today, run to the store!
Next, you will simply add the peanuts to a food processor and pulse into crumbles.
Add the liquids and pulse into sticky clumps.
Add the batter to a lined loaf pan and press down hard and flat.
Melt the chocolate, spread it on top of the butterfinger mixture and freeze until firm! These process photos will help.
I honestly still can’t get over that this idea worked and that I can totally eat a “butterfinger” without the awful ingredients or guilt. I hope you all love these Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bars!
Vegan Butterfinger Candy Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 heaping cups (180g) mulberries dried, not fresh!
- 3/4 cup (120g) roasted peanuts
- 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons (40g) raw agave nectar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Coating
- You can choose any 1 of the 3 options below for this:
- 1. Melt 5 oz of your favorite chocolate bar (5 oz is about 1 1/2 regular size bars (3.5 oz size bars)
- 2. OR Melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 3. OR Make your own chocolate using the following ingredients below:
- 1/2 cup (120g) melted liquid cocoa butter
- 1/2 cup (48g) raw cacao powder
- 3-4 tablespoons (60-80g) agave or preferred liquid sweetener
Note
- Keep your mulberries stored in the fridge for extra crunch. Following the exact weight measurements will ensure the right texture result. Agave or coconut nectar works best for the batter. I wouldn't use maple syrup, since it's not quite as thick or sticky. Make sure to store these in the freezer, as they will have more of a crunch and hold together best.
Instructions
- Line a 9X5 loaf pan (make sure it isn't a 10X5 as that will make the bars skinny and fragile) with parchment paper hanging over the sides, for easy removal later.
- Add the mulberries, peanuts and salt to a food processor and pulse until a crumbly flour forms. You don't want it into a paste, just a crumbly texture (see pic). Add the agave and vanilla. Pulse a few times until sticky large clumps form, being careful not to create "butter". If the dough is not holding as clumps when pressed with your fingers, add a touch more agave. It needs to be forming clumps, as this is what will make the bars hold together.
- Pour out the dough onto the prepared pan and spread out, flat and even, working your way around to the corners. Overlap the parchment paper and press down really hard and evenly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to harden.
- Gently melt the chocolate to your preferred method and spread over the top of the dough evenly and quickly since the cold bars will start to harden the chocolate. Place back in the fridge to harden the chocolate for about 15 minutes. Remove and very carefully, with a fine sharp knife, cut into 7 bars while they are still in the pan, as they will retain their shape better this way. If they are too hard to cut, let them thaw 5 minutes. Don't leave them at room temperature long though, as they will soften too much. Place in the freezer this time to harden for an hour, then you can remove them from the pan and wrap them individually in plastic wrap, if you desire. Keep them stored in the freezer, and they will retain their crunch that way. They become more firm overnight. You could also keep them in the fridge, but they will be less crunchy.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition info is based on the homemade chocolate coating using the cocoa butter. If you use chocolate chips or a chocolate bar, adjust accordingly. For the homemade chocolate, you can totally get away with halving the recipe (1/4 cup) if you want to save on fat/calories. A 1/4 cup will give a thin chocolate layer, but if you want a thick layer, do the 1/2 cup. I preferred the 1/2 cup layer, but provided nutrition for both.
*For 1/2 cup of the chocolate coating, nutrition per bar: 306 calories, 24.38 g fat, 20.6 carbs, 5.66 g protein
*For 1/4 cup of the chocolate coating, nutrition per bar: 198.6 calories, 16 g fat, 11.72 carbs, 4.98 g protein
Brandi, you’re a genius! These are fantastic! It took me forever to finally make this but now I’m hooked! Butterfingers was always my favorite candy but I haven’t had one in years. Now I can make these anytime and satify my sweet tooth with something MUCH healthier! These were so easy to make and as always, your directions were crystal clear. THANK YOU!
Awww thank you so much Diana, for the amazing feedback, I’m ecstatic you loved these so much! They were always my #1 favorite candy bar growing up as well and it’s amazing how healthy these are, yet taste so REAL! Thank you again!
Excellent; well done.
Thank you so much!
Made these last night AND THEY ARE SO GOOD! I want to eat the ENTIRE PAN… seriously.. i think you must be magical. How did you even come UP with this?!!!???!!! THANK YOU for bringing these bars into my life! I am going to make every single one of your recipes. 🙂
Aww thank you so much Casey! So happy you loved them! I literally thought of the idea of using mulberries while lying in bed one night racking my brain trying to think of something with a sticky chewy honey-ish flavor…I didn’t want to use cornsyrup so I wondered if blending up mulberries would work and to my amazement, it did! Haha! I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a recipe before or more proud, as this one, because it’s so different yet tastes so authentic! Thank you for the feedback!
If I ever hit the Powerball, I want you to be my personal chef! This is the 5th recipe of yours I have made, and is the best one so far. Which is a pretty high standard, considering the others were fantastic. Even my wife is slowly coming around to considering becoming vegan.
Never even heard of white mulberries before. So stinking good! We make the ice cream on Friday. Really looking forward to that (if the butterfingers last that long)
Awww such a lovely comment and compliment John, thank you so much for this wonderful feedback, you really made my day! So glad to hear you are loving the recipes!
Wow, these really do taste like Butterfingers! So simple, so brilliant. Nomnomnom. I will say the ones I made didn’t hold together, but they tasted just right so I didn’t want to add more agave.
Thanks for sharing your brilliant creation 🙂
I made these tonight for my guy’s birthday and they were fantastic! We didn’t really think they tasted like a Butterfinger, but then I at some of the crumbs left over from cutting them into bars, and without the dark chocolate they DO taste like a Butterfinger! Maybe it’s because Butterfingers had milk chocolate, or maybe it’s because mine had a way thicker chocolate coating on top than yours did, but regardless…..we all loved them! And I’m digging those dried white mulberries! I put them on my smoothie bowl and they get crunchy because they get cold. Love it! Thanks!
Yay! So glad you loved these Becky! Thanks so much for the review! Yes, I wouldn’t say they are a 100% dead ringer for the classic candy bar, because let’s face it, it is made from entirely different ingredients and the bars are not fully coated in chocolate. However, like you said, the peanut mixture does taste like a Butterfinger and it certainly meant to be a much healthier but familiar taste of a Butterfinger. 🙂
These butterfingers are unbelievable! Made them for our Healthy Eating monthly potluck and they were a HUGE hit. You nailed it with the dried mulberries. I roasted raw peanuts and put them in food processor fresh from the oven, I think that really put them over the top! Making again for a potluck tonight but don’t have any peanuts some I’m going to roast some cashews. We’ll see how it comes out. Tried quite a few of your recipes and loved everyone! Your site is on the “online site reference sheet” we pass out at our potlucks and at our church. Yours site has a big star by it! 🙂
Thank you so much Steve! That is so wonderful to hear, thank you so very much for leaving this awesome review!
WOW!!! Seriously delicious!! I love the mouth feel, it really is like eating a candy bar. Best of all… no guilt. So much gratitude for your creativity and sharing. Thank you!!!!
😋 Yummy
Oh, and I added 1 tbsp of peanut butter – just wanted a little more peanuty goodness.
Yay Celeste!! So happy you loved them so much! Thank you for the lovely review!!
OHMYDOG!!OHMYDOG!!OHMYDOG!! Just found this recipe – my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE candy bar IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. I have found my soul sister! I am making your black bean dip and hummus for a New Year’s Eve party and then stumbled on this. I am beyond excited about being able to eat a healthy butterfinger. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve got your cookbook on order with Amazon and can’t wait to receive it. You have such a gift for this – thank you for sharing it with the world. 3> 3> 3>
Oh yay Dori, so glad you are excited about these! I hope you love them!! Happy early New Year’s Eve! Thank you so much for ordering my book too! Yay!
Was wondering if any other sweetener. Could be used instead of the agave? I don’t really use it but I guess if I love these I would use it? How many batches do you get out of one bag? One, two? Thank you. I miss Butterfingers
Hi Susan, what do you mean bag? Do you mean a jar of agave? You could try maple syrup but it’s much less sticky and of course has a maple flavor, which is why I use agave since it helps the bars to hold better. As well as it’s a neutral sweet flavor. But you can try maple syrup if you like, keeping in mind the flavor and texture will change some.