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 & paleo friendly!
Secondly: The health police are likely to pounce, so in full disclosure: this is still a treat.
We’ve been well into the 90s and 100s this month, so we’re feeling all kinds of hot-hot-hot. And at the end of a sweaty park afternoon, or a run through the splash pad, or a quick swim, it’s been such a treat to come home and whip up one of these little snickers shakes for everyone.
They’re a spin-off of my go-to chocolate smoothie, and they’re the perfect blend of flavors–a little bit of peanut butter and caramel dancing around in the chocolate. So delicious, and–really–made from a pretty darn “clean” ingredient list. These snickers shakes are the perfect healthier treat!
A few weeks ago, I started playing around with mix-ins, and this snickers shake was born. It’s got caramel-y notes and peanut butter notes, and plenty of delicious chocolate flavor. It’s a fun one to mix in when we’re all craving a treat and only takes a few minutes to toss together.
Notes on the Recipe:
Vegan or Vegetarian? I LOVE collagen and always recommend it to anyone who eats omnivorously, but for my plant-based friends, my favorite plant-based protein powder is this unflavored one from Bob’s Red Mill, or I usually just sub chia seeds (2-3 Tbsp) for the protein powder.
Sweetener. The caramel-y layer of the snickers comes from either vegan caramel or dates. I like Pinch of Yum’s 5 minute vegan caramel sauce. It keeps well and is made from almond butter, coconut oil, and pure maple syrup. If using dates, you may want to soak them for a few minutes beforehand in a little water. Otherwise, I put them in a tiny dish with enough water to cover and microwave for 30-60 seconds or so to speed-soften them.
For the pretty chocolate swirl. The chocolate on the shake glasses or mixed in is totally optional. I almost never do it unless I already have ganache or melted chocolate on hand. 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.
PB2 vs. Peanut Butter. PB2 is one of those things I kind of rolled my eyes at initially. (“If you’re going to have peanut butter, just have peanut butter!”) But a few years later, I’ve had several friends needing to follow certain eating plans, whether that’s a doctor-prescribed low-fat protocol, or choosing to count macros (carbs, protein, and fat) for a training or weight loss plan. I can see that it has its place! If you don’t have it and don’t want to buy it, you can ABSOLUTELY use straight up peanut butter. I’ve made it both ways and it’s awesome.
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.
Like this Recipe? You might also like…
- Healthy Homemade Fudgecicles
- The BEST Gluten Free Brownies
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shakes
- Healthy Chocolate Covered Bananas
- 2 frozen bananas, cut or broken into pieces (for easier blending)
- 2-3 cups unsweetened almond milk (can sub whatever milk you prefer)
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 scoops collagen protein, unsweetened vegan protein, or 2-3 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp PB2 (powdered peanut butter) OR regular peanut butter
- 1-2 Tbsp vegan caramel sauce, or 1-2 dates, pitted*
- !Optional, for serving:
- Chocolate chips
- Coconut Oil
- Salted peanuts
- Place all shake ingredients in a blender and puree until completely smooth, adding more milk as needed.
- If desired, melt 2-3 Tbsp chocolate chips with 1-2 tsp coconut oil. Drizzle on top for a magic shell effect, or rub on the inside of your cup by coating the back of a spoon and spreading the chocolate around the inside of your glass. Sprinkle with peanuts
For the pretty chocolate swirl. The chocolate on the shake glasses or mixed in is totally optional. I almost never do it unless I already have ganache or melted chocolate on hand. 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.
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.
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