Dates (the food) are my favorite. Well, maybe not my favorite ever, but I’d put them on my top 10 list of foods. I love to eat them in date-caramel truffle form, stuffed with nut butter and dipped in chocolate, and/or in the form of these Vegan Snickers Cups.

I bought these extra magnificent dates at Costco recently and have been itchin’ to let them shine in some date caramel type of treat.

I was going to make some scrumptious bars (which now I still want to…maybe next week…) but then randomly had an urge to make Vegan Snickers Cups, aka date caramel, salty crunchy nuts, and nut butter, gently enrobed in chocolate.

Now. In my humble opinion, these taste best with sunflower seed butter as the nut butter. But you can use peanut or whatever you prefer.

As for nuts, I used salted toasted peanuts. I dug it. You can, again, use whatever nuts tickle your fancy.

Either way, I highly suggest you give these Vegan Snickers Cups a whirl! They are a satisfying, nutrient-dense, and energizing sweet treat, perfect for a mid-morning snack, an afternoon pick-me-up, or dessert!

If you make these, let me know! Hit me up on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube!

Vegan Snickers Cups

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Freezer Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 large cups

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dates, pitted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup nut butter of choice (my favorite to use with dates is Sun butter)
1/3 cup salted peanuts or chopped other nuts
salt, for sprinkling

METHOD:

If dates are hard, soak dates in warm water until softened, 10-15 minutes.
Drain dates and transfer to a high-powered food processor or blender. Add vanilla and process until a smooth paste forms, roughly 5 minutes.
Prepare a cupcake tray with disposable cupcake liner, and/or by greasing the cupcake tray.
Melt chocolate in a medium-sized microwave safe bowl on high heat in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval. It should take 60-120 seconds total, depending on microwave.
Spoon melted chocolate into the bottom of each cupcake liner or slot in the tray. There should be a thin coating covering the entire bottom. Gently use the back of a spoon to push chocolate up around the edges of the liner, slightly.
Place cup tray into the freezer and allow to set for 10 minutes.
Remove tray from freezer. Add a generous dollop (about 1 heaping tablespoon) of date caramel in the center of each chocolate cup.
Sprinkle nuts on top of date caramel.
Spoon a dollop of nut butter on top of chopped nuts.
Sprinkle cups lightly with sea salt (optional).
Stir remaining melted chocolate. Generously spoon over the top of the cups.
Place cups in the freezer and allow to set for at least 20-30 minutes.
For best results, allow cups to warm slightly (at least 4 minutes) before enjoying.
Store in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to a month.

Method in photos: