Crispety, crunchety, deliciously peanut buttery homemade healthy Butterfingers!
Healthy candy bars that defy all logic
As if by magic, the homemade Butterfingers have that exact same toffee-like crunch of store-bought peanut butter Butterfinger bars!
Yet these are whole-grain, high in iron, vegan friendly, and completely free of high-fructose corn syrup. It’s one of those recipes you really have to try to believe.
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Homemade vegan Butterfingers
The inspiration for these healthy butterfingers came from a dollar-bin cookbook that I saw at the fabric store a few weeks back.
The book recipe, which yielded an 8×8 pan just like mine, called for a full 1 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of corn syrup, and 1/3 cup of shortening!
Yes, 3/4 cup of corn syrup in addition to the cup of sugar…
It was basically screaming for a healthy makeover!
Leftover Chocolate? Make Chocolate Truffles
Healthy Butterfinger recipe video
Screaming so loudly that I had to get to work on the challenge as soon as I got home.
Luckily, this is one of those recipes that turned out perfectly on the first try – they really do taste like actual Butterfinger candy bars!
If you’re looking for a healthy or vegan dessert that will impress even the most skeptical or pickiest of eaters, these healthy Butterfingers are definitely the recipe to try on all your friends.
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In the years since I first posted them here on the blog, it’s become one of the site’s most popular recipes.
Readers often write in to tell me that even their health-food-hating dads, moms, brothers, sisters, girlfriends, or boyfriends love the bars too!
Healthy Butterfingers
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave (For keto, try these Keto Candy Bars)
- 1 tbsp regular or blackstrap molasses – Or omit and increase agave to 1/3 cup
- 3 1/2 tbsp sugar, unrefined if desired, or additional maple syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter or allergy-friendly sub
- 1 1/2 cups bran flakes or corn flakes, or another flake cereal (56g)
- 1/8 tsp salt, plus a little extra if using unsalted pb
- optional topping: 2/3 cup chocolate chips or 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil mixed with 1/4 cup cocoa powder and vanilla stevia drops or liquid sweetener to taste
Instructions
- Notes: Honey works, but it’s not for strict vegans and will also add a slight honey flavor. Corn syrup will also work, and commenters have said brown rice syrup works as well. If subbing out the molasses, the bars will taste less authentic but still delicious. Almond butter or Sunbutter work, or use peanut butter for the flavor that most closely resembles real Butterfingers.Homemade Butterfingers Recipe: Combine first three ingredients in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil on medium heat. Boil about a minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Add the peanut butter and salt, and stir until it makes a paste. Add the cereal and stir very well to coat, partially crushing the cereal flakes as you stir. Make sure the flakes are very evenly coated. Press into an 8×8 pan—either lined with wax or parchment paper, or greased very well—and freeze until completely hardened. (Cut into bars while only somewhat frozen, or thaw the block a little before cutting.) If you wish to cover in chocolate (they’re good even without it), you can cover them at any time—either pre-cutting or post-cutting. Simply melt the chocolate chips over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth, or mix the coconut oil with the sweetener and cocoa. Then spread over the bars with a spatula and re-freeze to harden. Store in the freezer for optimum “snap.”View Nutrition Facts
Notes
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What’s so healthy about these?
These didn’t quite work out for me. The butterfinger mixture is very dry and they just crumble when cut. Pretty straightforward recipe so not sure where I went wrong. If I had enough ingredients to try again I would add 1-2TBS of coconut oil to the butterfinger mixture. Maybe my peanut butter wasn’t oily enough. I used Trader Joes Creamy Organic.
These are awesome! I saw that a few people were wondering if stevia would work and it totally does. I made them with cup for cup stevia, using 3-1/2T and they were so much like a butterfinger; crunchy, peanut buttery and topped with chocolately goodness. I also went with low carb agave that is sweetened with stevia as well and used a half and half combo of Lilys chocolate chips and Ghirardelli semi-sweet. Cut into 12 bars, 190 calories each. 12F-13.5C-6P Amazing. Thank you Katie
Hi there katie!
I’ve been following you for lots of years and have made many of your wonderful recipes.
I’d like to buy your cook book for my grandchildren who live in Sydney, Australia, but is it only sold in U.S.?
Keep on keeping on!
All the best
Verity
Hi Verity! If you mean the Hello Breakfast book, it’s actually an ebook so can be used anywhere! (https://lett-trim.today/2016/10/11/healthy-breakfast-cookbook-food-blog/%3C/a%3E%29%3Cbr /> Or if you mean her hardcover book, it let me put in Australia as a shipping destination so I think it might ship there if you use amazon (here: https://amzn.to/3bQSKA0)? I’m not entirely sure though!
Jason (media relations)
My niece made these for a party we had this evening and, it’s been a while since i had a butterfinger, but I have to say I think these are even BETTER than a butterfinger!! They are SO DELICIOUS.
Absolutely delicious & easy to make!! The fact it’s healthy is even better. 😊
These were really delicious and so quick and easy to make. Next time I would probably decrease the blackstrap molasses just a tiny but because it was a little overpowering for my tastes. The crunch is great though!
Oh dear. Wow. These are amazing. I used honey and brown sugar. I used peanut butter with hemp seed. Used corn flakes. Cut them in 1” squares (or slightly smaller). Big bite size. The only “issue” is that my chocolate doesn’t stay on top. It becomes two pieces, the choc and the butter. Not that it matters. Maybe if I put the choc on top while the butter is still warm it might create a better seal. Truly, this is one of the best!
I use coconut sugar instead of refined and maple syrup and molasses and these are a staple in my household!! We make them at least twice a month and love that we don’t feel guilty when they disappear quick
“Honey is not for strict vegans” put me off. It is just not vegan at all, it’s an animal product. As a former beekeeper I can guarantee there is a lot if animal cruelty involved plus it’s very harmful for the environment because honey bees are way too big of a competition for the wild bees and pollinators that are threathened with extinction. I reckon you better just refrain from mentioning honey in your recipes. Thanks.