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!
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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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I tried these with brown rice syrup instead of agave, and they were delicious. I even picked the raisins out of a bag of raisin bran just to try them. Incidentally, there were at least two scoops in there…:-)
just come to say that your blog is one of my favorites, i enjoy so much your recipes and posts! hugs from germany!
would oat bran work?
My mom ADORES Butterfingers-guess what she’s getting the next time I see her? : )
oh my gosh this recipe is PERFECT! how’d you know butterfingers were my favorite candy?! 🙂
Katie,
As a sweet-toothed vegan, I’ve been following your blog religiously since I found it last fall. I have developed seriously love affairs with several recipes (ssshhh, don’t tell my boyfriend!), but I think I can honestly say that you have outdone yourself this time. Our whole condo smells like healthy Halloween candy, and the bars taste like magic exploding in my mouth. I’m floating around on a candy buzz, and the best part is, I won’t come crashing down because it’s a HEALTHY buzz!! Yaaay! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Jen XOXO
oh wow, i love butterfingers, thanks for this great recipe, i have to try it!!! (today is my lucky day, i just found the way to make healthier caramel and did some caramel granola, and now that, yay!!) have a great weekend!!
I made these last night, but we’re not eating them tomorrow, they are for before/after a Tough Mudder I’m running, so the extra sugar is fine.
My only suggestion is that if you want to cut these up, DO IT BEFORE YOU FREEZE THEM!!!! After you press it into the pan, just start scoring/cutting them, save yourself a lot of heartache. Mine are sitting in the freezer now, but they are going for a long car ride tomorrow so hopefully they will be thawed out enough by then to cut and share!
Also, I did the coconut oil version of the topping and it started to look “weird” when I poured it in on top of the frozen golden candy, like the cocoa turned lighter brown. Not sure what that was about, but I’m sure they’ll still be delicious!
Oh, and I also made 2 Chocolate Bar Pies, one of my favorite recipes from this site, we’re going to feast tomorrow!
Oh dear God. 1) These were delicious 2) I can’t believe I’m saying this but I actually preferred them WITHOUT the chocolate (heresy!) and 3) ….I ate waaaay too many 🙂
THANK YOU THESE ARE DELICIOUS! I’mma make me some more!
Mmmm, butterfingers!!
Natalya, Ruff House Art
I apologize for my language……but I just made these……and holy sh*t !
I thank you immensely!
Katie, just wanted to let you know these do not just look good, they are delicious! I made them this morning, and put in fridge, didn’t freeze, and when I came home tonight they were the same texture and taste as butterfingers except healthy. Now if I could only eat just one. Thanks
Got some in the freezer right now! Thanks!
I love you so much and absolutely can’t wait to try these!!!! Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Just made these this evening using honey and Splenda. (What I had on hand). They are absolutely delicious!! Thanks for posting the perfect recipie for a rainy New England night!!