Healthy Snickers Shake – This lightened-up take on dessert takes the flavors of a candy bar and turns them into a satisfying healthy shake. (Gluten-free, dairy-free & vegan)

Healthy Snickers Shake from One Lovely Life

Where I live, we’ve been settling into regular temperatures of 90s and 100s over the last few weeks, so we’re feeling all kinds of hot-hot-hot. We’re also just a few weeks away from the end of school, so even though I’m not sure we’ll be going anywhere just yet, we’ve definitely got summer on the brain.

One of our favorite summer treats is a big, delicious Snickers Shake. They’re a spin-off of my go-to chocolate smoothie, and they’re the perfect blend of flavors that channel everything I love about a Snickers bar–peanut butter and caramel-y sweetness swirling around in chocolate. Yum.

While these definitely move from smoothie to shake territory, I love that these healthier Snickers Shakes are made from such a great ingredient list and taste SO satisfying.

They’re perfect to mix in when we’re all craving a treat and only takes a few minutes to toss together. Here’s what you need to get started…

HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MY HEALTHY SNICKERS SHAKES:

FROZEN BANANAS. Yep, this healthy Snickers shake is a banana nice cream recipe. Bananas are naturally sweet, and when they’re blended with milk, they turn into a creamy, dreamy soft-serve ice cream texture that’s perfect for a healthy shake. (Pro tip: The BEST Way to Freeze Bananas is sliced!)

OPTIONAL: COLLAGEN PROTEIN, MARINE COLLAGEN, OR PROTEIN POWDER. I love adding a few scoops of collagen to my smoothies for a protein boost and some thickness. Paleo folks can use regular collagen, pescatarian friends can use marine collagen, or you can swap in chia seeds or your favorite vegan protein powder.

UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER. Unsweetened cocoa powder is intensely chocolatey, so you get TONS of chocolate flavor without needing to use much. (And without any added sugar!)

PEANUT BUTTER OR POWDERED PEANUT BUTTER. I love the peanutty crunch of a Snickers bar, so a little peanut butter goes a long way to get this shake tasting like a Snickers. You can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter, or opt for powdered peanut butter. (See the FAQ for more about powdered PB.)

YOUR FAVORITE MILK. I usually use unsweetened almond or cashew milk in my Snickers shakes, but you can use whatever your family likes and drinks.

PURE MAPLE SYRUP OR DATES. To give a caramel-y feel, I love adding a tiny bit of pure maple syrup or 1 date to the mixture. It plays up the natural sweetness and gives off caramel notes that channel all that Snickers goodness.

VANILLA. In my opinion, a little vanilla takes this from banana smoothie to nice cream.

IF YOU’RE FEELING FANCY: A LITTLE MAGIC CHOCOLATE SHELL. If you want to be the fun mom or treat yo’self (and I love to!), you can swirl in a little bit of my magic chocolate shell. Its made from chocolate chips and a little coconut oil. That’s it!

YUMMY WAYS TO TOP YOUR HEALTHY SNICKERS SHAKE:

Once you’ve blended up a delicious Snickers shake, you can top it or garnish it with all kinds of yummy goodies. Some of our favorites are…

WITH VEGAN CARAMEL SAUCE! Feel free to go big or go home with this. It’s delicious! I base mine off this recipe but use slightly different amounts. See the FAQ for the recipe!
MY HEALTHY CHOCOLATE SHELL. A few melted chocolate chips + a little coconut oil = the perfect easy magic chocolate shell. It’ll harden on contact!
CACAO NIBS. If you’ve never tried cacao nibs before, they’re worth trying! These unsweetened little bites of goodness add a satisfying crunch and more cacao flavor.
CRUSHED PEANUTS. Super delicious and the salty-sweet combo is tough to beat!
MINI CHOCOLATE CHIPS. My kids have never felt sad about a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips on anything!

FAQ + TIPS FOR THE BEST HEALTHY SNICKERS SHAKE:

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE VEGAN CARAMEL SAUCE? To make this extra yummy, you can top it with a little caramel or vegan caramel sauce. For my vegan caramel sauce (based on this), I melt together 3 Tbsp. peanut butter, 3 Tbsp. coconut oil, and 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup. Then, I stir in 1/4 tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt. Feel free to google a different recipe if you want a more traditional caramel sauce!

FOR A PRETTY CHOCOLATE SWIRL… Swirling a little chocolate shell on the shake glasses or mixed in is totally optional, but a fun detail if you have the time. I’ve found that the best way to get a nice swirl is to use the back of a spoon and rub it around your glass/jar. (Or, just stir it into your shake!)

POWDERED PEANUT BUTTER vs. REGULAR PEANUT BUTTER. Powdered peanut butter is made from dried peanuts with the fat removed. In essence, it’s the peanut solids without the oils, making it lower in fat and calories. I usually use regular peanut butter in my snickers shakes, but sometimes powdered is a better fit if you need to follow certain eating plans or protocols. Feel free to swap it in if that’s you to keep these Snickers shakes a bit lighter.

ALLERGIC TO PEANUTS? NO PROBLEM! Take this in an almond or cashew direction by using 1-2 Tbsp almond butter or cashew butter for the peanut butter/PB2. If you need to avoid ALL nuts, swap in sunflower seed butter, or just skip it altogether.

WANT TO GET MORE DECADENT? Try swapping a little of my Vegan Hot Fudge Sauce in for the chocolate shell. It’s mind-blowingly good!

LOVE THESE SNICKERS SHAKES? YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE…