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
Omg!!! Making these few weeks! !!! You rock girl!
Awesome Tiffany! Let me know how they turn out!!
These were so easy to make and a huge hit with the family. My husband asked why I had been holding out and didn’t tell him they were in the freezer. Once he knew they were gone in 24 hours! I love making healthier treats and don’t even bother “bragging” anymore about how I tried a new recipe and it doesn’t have any of the junk in it. I just make it and give it to my husband and he loves all of your recipes I have made.
I would like it to taste a little more peanut buttery, do you think I could cut back on the agave and add some creamy peanut butter?
I have my eye on the toffee mug cake next!
Hi Stephanie! So very happy to hear that, yay!! The agave helps it to stick together so I probably wouldn’t decrease that, but I would think adding 2 tbsp of peanut butter would help that 🙂
OH MY GOD BRANDI YOU ARE SUCH A GENIUS! I seriously want to try these RIGHT AWAY. Where are your local HEB/Whole Foods stores located? One time I found black sesame seeds in the Montrose HEB but when I tried to track them down in the Buffalo Speedway HEB AND the Whole Foods on Kirby, neither of them had it!! So frustrating. But I’m so intrigued by these mulberry things–must find! Girl, you are seriously amazing. I <3 your recipe development skills!!
Oh girl, they are truly to die for…and when you realize that they are basically healthy, it’s shocking! Mulberries for the WIn, haha! I have HEB’s all over on my side of town. They have the mulberries right when you walk in the door next to all of the displays and also, in the health food section. They had tons of bags, but the ones I used for this recipe I ordered from rawguru. Thank you SO MUCH for your sweet words, I’m pretty excited about this one too. It’s so flippin easy!
So yummy! I am gonna make them as soon as possible! Thanks!!
Wonderful Britt! Let me know when you do!
Sharing this with the world!!! I can’t wait to make these! Butterfingers are my favorite!
Awesome, I love it!! Thank you 🙂
Oh, and please let me know when you make them! I’m dying to know what you think!!
Well done, Brandi! I swear, some of my best ideas happen as I’m (trying to) fall asleep. Looks like you came up with a winner!
Haha I know right?! I can’t ever go to sleep and when this idea popped in my head at night, I REALLY couldn’t sleep and wait to get up and throw the ingredients in my processor and test it in the morning. Several of my ideas are flops, but this one was a true success and I’m relieved since it’s my favorite candy bar 🙂
Wow, incredible. Healthful butterfingers, amazing. They really look good and it would also work as a power bar, you never cease to amaze me.
Thank you so much my friend! You are so sweet! I’m going to make them as gifts for friends because who wouldn’t want a candy bar that was pretty much guilt-free? 🙂
These look flipping incredible! Love that you used mulberries in the base. So creative 🙂
Thank you so much Emma! I’m so excited the idea worked so well!
Awesome, awesome recipes! I just subscribed to your blog via email, and really look forward to your nice recipes. Wish there was a way to get the posts in my WordPress reader.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you found me! Yeah, since I’m self hosted, I don’t think I show up in the wordpress reader anymore.
Brandi, you are seriously amazing!!! I can’t believe that you’ve created something so indulgent that’s actually super nutritious too. AMAZING. I’ve never seen dried white mulberries but I will be on the lookout now… just so I can recreate your delicious recipe. Gorgeous photos too! P.S I am glad that I’m not the only one who lies awake at night thinking about recipes, baha! xx
Aww thank you so much for the compliments Laura! You are so sweet! Seriously, you lie awake at night too?!! hahaha 🙂
I don’t even want to believe that this is healthy, it looks way too delicious 😀
And butterfingers are my addiction!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Mine too!! They are SO GOOD!! I’ve gone through 3 batches already…yikes!
Wow, those look delectable and decadent (everything a Butterfinger should be), even if they’re a little less decadent (and a lot less disturbing) than the original. Thanks for sharing your genius idea. I’ve actually never tried dried white mulberries but now I think I need to!
You are so sweet Molly! Thank you for your comment. These really are so sweet and just perfect….they don’t taste AS cloyingly sugary as the butterfinger…which is a good thing, the bars would get all in my teeth with all that sugar. However, these are plenty decadent and sweet and shockingly taste like a butterfinger. It is magic, haha 🙂 Yes, get some mulberries!!!
WHOAAAAAAAA no! That looks absolutely swoon-worthy! I am sending this recipe to my vegan, chocolate loving friend, ASAP!!! She will die from happiness because of your genius! 🙂
Oh, you are so awesome Gigi!! Thank you!
Riddle me this…HOW DID you become so FANTASTIC!?!?! OMGGG. Reese’s and Butterfingers were my JAM!!! I need these…all of them..in my mouth NOW!
Haha! Thanks girl….you rock! I love them both too, BUT I found my replacement! 🙂
Hi Brandi! The most amazing recipe you have ever been able to come up with in your kitchen indeed!!! This is awesome!!! I love this and looks so tasty and fabulous! I’ve never tried dried white mulberries . . excited to look for these! pinned!
Thank you so much Alice!! Yes, it was a wonderful discovery the first time I tried mulberries. They are SO sweet and delicious! I prefer to keep them in the fridge too because they are more crunchy that way.
Brandi, shut the front door! No freaking way! I love you! I love these raw vegan butterfinger bars! I’ve never even heard of raw mulberries before and now my mind is blown. These bars look so gorgeous and decadent, I can’t believe they’re good for you. I NEED to hunt down the mulberries!
Thank you so much Nancy! They really do taste incredible and sooo many people have been leaving me awesome feedback on facebook, that have made them, so LOTS of people apparently love Butterfingers as much as I do, haha!
Oh my, oh my, oh my!!!! I’m absolutely dying over these. I’ve never heard of dried white mulberries, but I may need to find some. You are genius!
Thank you so much Melanie! Yes, you need to get some. They are a superfood and these bars are actually nutritious and taste just like a butterfinger. The feedback has been amazing so far on people that have made them, I’m super thrilled about it!
I have to re-blog this recipe! Devine
Thank you so much Cindy!!
Omg!! Chocolate pbutter butter fingers!! Mmmmm… making these again!
I’m so glad you loved them Tiffany and thank you for sharing the photo of them on Facebook!
Do you just use the choc. chips melted for the topping or the chips and the nest 3 ingredients?
Or are the next 3 ingredients to make your own choc. coating?
I have some dried mulberries on hand so I want to try it.
It sounds brilliant! I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hi Alice! Sorry for the confusion, I have updated it to make it more clear. I have actually made it all the ways listed. I made one batch using just melted chocolate chips and I also made a batch making the homemade chocolate version. I like all, but prefer the texture of the chocolate chips. Please, let me know after you make them, I’d love to hear what you think! 🙂
Thanks for the clarification. I’ll be making these this weekend. I love your website, especially the raw recipes.
Thank you so much Alice, I’m so glad to hear that! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these!
I made your divine raw candy bars & loved them so much!
In my youth, I wasn’t familiar with the original candy bars so I can’t compare it but my hubby & I both loved these bars! Now, we can indulge on them without feeling guilty! Ooh yeahhh! xxx
Thank you so much Sophie!! I’m so glad to hear that!
Omg! ! We luved this! Ate it one day! Making these again asap!!!
I’m so glad to hear that Tiffany!! Thank you so much for making it!
Oh and thanks for sharing the photo on Facebook of the butterfingers you made, I LOVE that!
Just made! Agree amazing! I love sweets but am training for figure comp soooo it’s out of diet. I did eliminate the melted chocolate & just added stevia dark choc to cocoa & butter. Also thought id find raw unsalted nuts at festival but didn’t so just used lightly salted jarred peanuts. I just didn’t add the extra sea salt in recipe. Turned out fine! Thx. I’ll be making these at my next bring a dish get together
That is so wonderful to hear Dawn!! Thank you so much for making them and leaving me feedback! I’m glad to know the stevia chocolate worked too, woohoo!
Such a creative and genius idea! Absolutely making these this weekend. Still can’t believe the crunchy texture comes from mulberries — so awesome!
You are so sweet, thank you Ashley! Yes, the mulberries are truly a superfood, haha! I can’t wait to hear what you think. Tip: I keep my mulberries in the fridge and they are very crunchy that way and blend up more crunchy. Also, they are more crunchy straight out of the freezer, and more soft & chewy from the fridge. EIther way is good though. They aren’t 100% as crunchy as the original candy bar, but that’s because there is no boiling the candy down, but it’s way healthier and raw and it’s very close to the traditional texture 🙂
These butterfinger candy bars were fantastic! Perfect texture and perfect flavor making for a purely decadent dessert. When my pickiest eater told me that this was the best dessert she’d ever had, I knew they were good!
I made these a few times by now and I absolutely LOVE them!!! Thank you so so so much. Love your blog. One of the best out there!!!
Thank you so much Merlin for leaving me such wonderful feedback! I loved waking up to your wonderful message, I really appreciate it and keep the feedback comments coming on anything you make or tag me on instagram with a photo @thevegan8! 🙂
Wow! We saw this pinned on Pinterest and we had to see how you did it! It looks amazing and delicious! We will definitely be trying this recipe… thanks for sharing it!
Thank you so much!! Please come back and leave me feedback after you make it! 🙂
These look so amazing!! Can I use coconut sugar in place of the agave nectar or will it change the consistency? It’s not a large amount so hoping it’s ok.. Or even honey maybe??
Sure you could use honey or liquid coconut nectar! You need the sticky liquid sweetener to help make it bind and clump, so dry sugar wouldn’t work as well. Honey should work well. It will make them sweeter. 🙂 please leave me feedback after you make them, thank you!
Hi! I am trying so hard to make these! Got my mulberries, and tried to find cocoa butter, but am having trouble! Even at Whole Foods, what I found was cacao butter (same thing?) but the $6 package only contained 3 TBSP, so I would need several packs?!? Maybe Amazon, or is there a substitute I could use? Thanks, and can’t wait to make these!
Hi Erin! Oh, please don’t stress too much over the cocoa butter. I provide 3 different options above for the chocolate coating. Seriously, just melt some chocolate chips and spread over the top and it’s super simple. I just provide the cocoa butter option since it is completely raw that way. Or, you could even sub it with melted coconut oil, it will just be softer and melt quicker at room temp. Just keep them in the freezer or fridge. Let me know how they turn out please! 🙂
These were fabulous! A big hit. Will be making again soon. Thanks for a great recipe!
Wonderful Erin! I’m so glad to hear that and I truly appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback, love it! 🙂
Just made these tonight and they so totally rock! I added coconut oil to the chocolate to make chocolate “shell” so I could eat it sooner 😉 awesome recipe, Brandi!
Awesome Courtney! I’m so glad to hear that and thank you so much for leaving feedback, I really love hearing about it!
I never thought it would be possible to make a “vegan butterfinger” but you did it! It tastes exactly like a butterfinger and is so so good! Even the texture is perfect. I gave one to a close friend of ours and he went crazy over it and guarded very closely what he didn’t eat so he wouldn’t forget it when he went home. You have definitely created another miracle in the vegan world. Congratulations on your magazine spread. Those people know a special chef when they find one.!
I made these last night except I used toasted peanuts. Turned out soo good! I ate almost the whole thing. Yum!
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for making them and coming to leave feedback. I’m so glad you loved them so much! I understand too, I have the same problem, honestly, I want to eat the whole batch immediately 😉
Do you think this would work with a different dried fruit? Like the yellow raisins? Mulberries are just so expensive here! And I know I”d be capable of eating through $20 in one sitting.
Hi Gaby! I honestly can’t say because I haven’t tried and in my opinion, I don’t think it would give the same Butterfinger flavor because honestly, dried mulberries taste incredibly naturally sweet and also give that chewy, crunchy texture and taste that is traditionally in a Butterfinger. You can try it, but I don’t know what the result would be, but let me know if you try it! 🙂
So amazing… thank you tons! I made these tonight and was blown away by how much they tasted like the “real thing”… but better. I let my friends know, if they want a piece, they better get their booties over here soon because there are not going to last long. <3
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback Jaclyn! I love hearing that and I know right, it really is shocking how much they taste like a Butterfinger. The first time I made it and tasted it straight out of the food processor, I was like whaaaaaa! Haha! Hope your friends got a bite 😉
I made these – they are amazing! Even without the chocolate. Thanks, Brandi! Life changing 🙂
Wonderful Meredith!! I’m so glad to hear you loved them so much. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Hey, I’m so happy to have stumbled onto this recipe. Can’t wait to try them out, but I’m always looking for a way to save money and http://www.nuts.com/driedfruit/mulberries/premium.html has Dried White Mulberries for $9 a pound. Just a tip for anyone who can’t find them locally or want to save a few bucks. Nuts.com also has Organic White Mulberries for $12 if you prefer organic grown.
I’m so excited to try this!! I’ve been seriously considering going vegan for a little while now and this recipe gives me hope and courage to just go for it!!! 🙂 Thank you!!!
Wonderful Molly! I’m so glad to hear that! You will love these! They are a huge hit with everybody and incredibly easy to make. Please let me know when you try them!
I am so excited to have found this, I miss all the candy bars I had as a child. I’m so making this
Yay! You will love them, you’ll be surprised how much they really do taste like a Butterfinger! Please let me know when you try them!
these were tasty! I had never had mulberries before, I got a bag after seeing this recipe. They are quite tasty by themselves, and very sweet, you’re right! Thanks for introducing me to a new food!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thank you so much for letting me know!
i just ordered the mulberries. I can’t wait to make these!
Yay! Please let me know when you do!
Made them – and love them! I must admit that I was skeptical, but wow, you have given us a gift in this recipe. Thank you!
Awesome, I’m so glad to hear you loved them!! Awww thanks so much for the kind words!
Was wondering what I could do with my white mulberries! I stuck them in the freezer because for me, they were much too sweet to just snack on. This recipe sounds perfect since Butterfingers used to be one of my favorites. Will be trying these….soon.
Yay! Perfect timing! Please let me know what you think of them 🙂
OMG! I LOVE Butterfingers. I have never tried mulberries of any kind before, but now I now I have to! I can’t wait to make these!