You might be curious if Snickers are gluten-free since they contain a slew of questionable ingredients. In this article, I’ll share how Snickers fared when tested for hidden gluten, as well as share a healthy gluten-free Snickers bar recipe. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
I inspected the Snickers ingredient list and concluded that Snickers are free from gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. They do, however, contain sugar, dairy (milk and butter), peanuts, corn syrup, soy, and eggs, so they are not “allergen-free.”
Since Snickers aren’t labeled “gluten-free,” per se, I decided to independently test them with my Nima Sensor, a portable gluten-detecting device. You can learn more about this nifty device in my article, What You Need to Know About Nima Sensor Before You Buy – Perspective from a Celiac & Nutrition Professional.
When Nima displays a smiley face, it means it didn’t find any gluten. As you can see, Nima didn’t find any hidden gluten inside the following Snickers bar.
While you can enjoy a Snickers bar without the worry of getting glutened, if you suffer from other food allergens, Snickers are not for you.
Plus, Snickers bars are unhealthy. They contain 250 calories and 27 grams of sugar, spiking your sugar and deterring your gut from healing since sugar feeds the bad bacteria in your gut, allowing it to proliferate and keep you sick.
Instead of eating a Snickers bar this Halloween, consider making these delicious and satisfying copycat Snickers bars, which contain only nine grams of sugar and 100 calories each.
Each copycat Snickers bar is allergen-friendly (they can be made gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, corn-free, soy-free, and egg-free) and require no baking.
Making Allergen-Friendly Copycat Snickers
To make a batch of homemade healthy Snickers, you’ll need a few simple ingredients:
- 2 bananas. Choose bananas that are bright yellow and firm vs. green or brown.
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (or nut butter of choice; sunflower butter is allergen-friendly)
- 1 tablespoon crushed salted peanuts (or nut of choice, or omit). You can find certified gluten-free peanuts on Nuts.com (use my affiliate link to activate $5 off).
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted (okay to use dairy-free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life)
Once your ingredients are lined up, you can assemble your copycat Snickers.
Step #1: Slice two bananas in half lengthwise and then in half again widthwise. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, as pictured below.
Step #2: Gently smear peanut butter on each banana quarter. If the peanut butter is too hard to spread, microwave it for a few seconds to soften it before spreading.
Step #3: Sprinkle the tops of the bananas with crushed salted peanuts. If you don’t eat peanuts, you can use any nut of choice or omit the nuts altogether. You could alternatively add shredded coconut, gluten-free crispy cereal, or another crunchy topping, as desired.
Step #4: Drizzle melted chocolate over each banana using your spoon. If your chocolate isn’t smooth, add a dash of vegetable oil and microwave for another 10 seconds.
Step #5: Place the copycat Snickers in the freezer for at least two hours before enjoying. You can package them in a zip-top bag once they’re frozen. Store them in the freezer and enjoy within 1-2 days.
Satisfying Copycat Snickers
These satisfying, healthy Snickers contain a clean ingredient list, come together quickly, and require no baking.
And at less than 100 calories each, you can feel good about satisfying that sweet tooth without eating a lot of junky ingredients this Halloween season and beyond.
Watch me make them in this video I posted on Instagram:
FAQs
Here are answers to a few of your most pressing questions:
Can I use any nut butter? Yes, any spreadable nut butter will work (even sunflower butter if you can’t eat peanuts or tree nuts). If the nut butter is stiff, microwave it for 10-20 seconds and stir. It’ll soften and become more easily spreadable.
How do you crush the peanuts? I added 1/4 cup of salted peanuts into a zip-top bag, then gently rolled a rolling pin over the bag until the nuts were lightly crushed. You could use any nut of choice or omit nuts altogether.
What are some nut alternatives? If you don’t want to use crushed nuts on top of the chocolate, you could instead use shredded coconut or crispy rice cereal.
How do you melt the chocolate? Add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to a small bowl and place it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then mix it. Continue to microwave it in 10-15 second intervals until thoroughly melted, stirring the chocolate between intervals so it doesn’t buckle.
Can I make this dairy-free? You can easily make this recipe dairy-free. I recommend using Enjoy Life chocolate chips. They’re dairy-free and melt well. If you have issues getting them to melt, add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the chips and stir.
Is this keto? I don’t follow the keto diet enough to know what is and isn’t accepted. That’s why I recommend this homemade keto Snickers if you want a keto-friendly version of this popular candy.
Related Articles & Recipes
You might enjoy these related articles:
- The Ultimate Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Guide (20+ Candies Tested for Hidden Gluten)
- Are NERDS Gluten-Free? I Nima Tested It for Hidden Gluten
- 9 Gluten-Free Brands of Nuts; Celiac-Safe and Tested for Hidden Gluten
- Are Chocolate Chips Gluten Free?
- Are Candy Canes Gluten Free?
- How to Make Homemade Honey-Sweetened Peanut Butter
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Brownies
- Spooktacular Gluten-Free Halloween Cookies with Egg-Free Royal Icing (Vegan and Allergy-Friendly)
Healthy Snickers Bars – Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 bananas yellow and ripe (not green or brown)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter or nut butter of choice
- 1 tbsp crushed salted peanuts or nut of choice
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips melted
Instructions
- Slice two bananas in half lengthwise, and then in half again widthwise. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Gently smear peanut butter on top of each banana quarter. If the peanut butter is hard, microwave it for a few seconds until softened.
- Sprinkle crushed salted peanuts on top of each banana.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over each banana using a slow back and forth motion.
- Freeze for 2 hours on a baking tray before enjoying. Once frozen, you can place the Snickers in a zip-top bag. Enjoy within 1-2 days.
I suggested rice cakes
Same here, can’t have bananas. Alternatives:
How about a rice cake?
Are there alternatives to the banana? I never do well with bananas. They can be an issue for some people with histamine intolerances or looking for low FODMAP options. Thanks.
Has anyone wished for gluten free chocolate balls that look like malt balls? It’s a general case that malt balls are gluten balls. There’s a few which may not at all be malt balls without gluten: Doisy & Dam Ballers, Creative Nature Gnawbles Creamy Mylk Chocolate, and Schar Delishios. They’re made with rice and corn flours. There’s not many things to have barley based vegetable starch, Arnold iron mass has barley starch. If barley starch was gonna be derived, then Barley Syrup should be made with that vegetable starch and not with malt.