Homemade Snickers Ice Cream Bars~Chocolate Covered Katie

By Kathy C.

In this homemade Snickers recipe, rich caramel ice cream is topped with a layer of peanut butter then coated in a thick layer of chocolate.

Store-bought Snickers ice cream bars have a layer of peanut butter ice cream topped with a layer of caramel sauce, but mine are turned upside-down with the caramel on the bottom and peanut butter on top. Either way, you’re still getting all of the flavors of a Snickers bar in each and every bite!

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2013/07/29/snickers-recipe-ice-cream-bars/

Ingredients

• 1 batch Caramel Ice Cream Recipe (or your favorite vanilla ice cream mixed with 1/4 tsp caramel extract; use enough to fill up an 8-inch pan as shown in the photos**about 2 cups)
• 5 tbsp peanut butter, softened to an easily-spreadable consistency (75g)(**for nut-free use SunButter)
• chopped peanuts, optional
• 9 oz chocolate chips
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil (coconut oil can be subbed, but the coating will be more melty) (40g)

Details

Servings 14
Adapted from chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Preparation

Step 1

Snickers Recipe: Line an 8-in square pan with parchment or wax paper. Spread the ice cream evenly into the pan. Freeze until firm, then spread with the peanut butter and sprinkle on chopped peanuts if desired. Refreeze until firm (but just soft enough to cut), then cut into rectangles. Immediately put the pan back in the freezer to completely firm up again. Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper. When the snickers bars have refrozen, take them out of the pan and place them on the cookie sheet. Immediately put the cookie sheet in the freezer until the bars are completely frozen again.

Make the chocolate: Melt the chips in a wide, shallow dish (either using the double broiler method or carefully in the microwave), then stir in the oil until a smooth sauce is achieved. Take out one Snickers bar and dip it in the chocolate. Return the bar to the freezer to set, and repeat with another bar until all are coated. You probably will have leftover chocolate; I like to make extra because it’s easier to coat the bars this way. Snickers bars should be stored in the freezer, but you can thaw in the refrigerator for 1/2 an hour before eating, so the ice cream gets soft and the texture is like a real Snickers ice cream bar.

CARAMEL ICE CREAM RECIPE
Ingredients

1 cup raw cashew or macadamia halves (120g)
1 1/3 cups milk of choice (320g)
3 tbsp xylitol or sugar of choice (30g)
1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
1/16 tsp pure stevia, or 2 extra tbsp sugar of choice
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp caramel extract (JR Watkins brand is vegan.)

Instructions

Ice cream Recipe: In a cereal bowl, cover the nuts with water and let sit 4-8 hours. Drain, and pat dry very well with a paper towel. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until all cashew bits have disappeared and mixture is completely smooth. If you have a Vita-Mix: Pour blended mixture into two ice-cube trays, and freeze until solid. Once frozen, pop out the ice cubes into your Vita-Mix by pushing a knife down one side of each section. Blend on high, using the tamper, until completely smooth with a soft-serve texture. Scoop out into individual bowls, using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately, or freeze each bowl up to an hour for the perfect ice-cream consistency and texture. The best texture is achieved with a Vita-Mix, but if you don’t have one you can still get a pretty good result with an ice cream maker. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker either, just turn the blended mixture into really delicious popsicles! Also, a reader had success with a food processor by thawing the ice cubes a little extra, and it turned out like soft-serve.) Ice-cream-maker method: Pour the blended mixture into a large container, and freeze 30 minutes or refrigerate at least 4 hours. Pour chilled mixture into your ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Once a smooth texture has been reached, scoop out into individual bowls, using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately, or freeze each bowl up to an hour for a firmer texture.

Any of the following milks works in the ice cream recipe: Silk Almondmilk, canned full-fat coconut milk, homemade cashew cream (the milk version), Earth Balance soymilk, Alpro soy cream… many others will surely work; I just haven’t tried them all. (It’s probably best to use a milk with some fat in it.) Due to the lack of preservatives and stabilizers in this all-natural ice cream, it tastes best the day you make it. However, you definitely can freeze for up to a month. It is best to portion out the ice cream into individual bowls before freezing. Then remove a bowl from the freezer 15-20 minutes before eating. It will thaw back into a smooth ice cream.