Kitchen Hacks: These vegan snickers ice cream bars are way healthier than they look!

These vegan snickers ice cream bars are practically guilt-free (well, that's our story and we're sticking to it). If making homemade vegan ice cream sounds a bit too involving just grab some shop-bought ice cream and customise with this seriously clever caramel made from dates. Vegan Snickers Ice Cream Bars Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight, then drained) 1 15-ounce can full fat coconut milk 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil 1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract pinch sea salt For the caramel:

14 dates pitted (if dry, soak in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain) 1/2 tsp sea salt 1-3 Tbsp warm water (optional - for thinning) 1 Tbsp bourbon (optional) Additional toppings: 2/3 cup roasted salted peanuts 12 ounces semisweet dairy-free chocolate, chopped Directions: 1 To make the ice cream, place the cashews, the coconut milk, the coconut oil, the maple syrup, the vanilla and sea salt in the food processor and blend until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed. 2 For best texture, chill mixture for at least 4-6 hours or preferably overnight. If you're in a rush, pop it in the freezer for 1-2 hours before adding to ice cream maker. Otherwise, proceed without chilling - it will just take longer to churn and may require extra chilling (see next step). 3 Add chilled mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. 4 Spoon the ice cream into a loaf tin and chill until set. 5 To make the snickers bars, slice firm ice cream into 10 1/2-inch slices and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze again until firm - about 30 minutes.

6 In the meantime, prepare the caramel by adding dates to a food processor and blending until creamy and smooth, adding warm water to encourage it along if it needs extra help. Season with sea salt (and bourbon if desired) and blend once more to form a paste. 7 Remove frozen bars from freezer and spread on 1 Tbsp caramel and a small handful of peanuts. Return to the freezer.

8 Melt the chocolate in the microwave. 9 Remove bars from freezer once set and use a spoon to drizzle the tops generously with chocolate. Work quickly, then return to the freezer to harden - about 30 minutes.

10 Transfer remaining chocolate to a shallow bowl or plate and reheat in microwave if it's gotten too firm. 11 Once firm, remove bars from freezer once more and dip the bottoms in the remaining chocolate and brush away extra with the back of a spoon or spatula. Place back on parchment to freeze once more. 12 Serve directly from freezer. Will keep in the freezer for up to a couple weeks, though best when fresh. Recipe and images via The Minimalist Baker