This healthy Kit Kat recipe is the perfect crispy, crunchy, melt in your mouth treat. It's a copycat recipe of the original Kit Kat candy bar, but much healthier. My recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegan and paleo friendly.
Here's another amazing copycat Halloween candy recipe for you all: healthy Kit Kat bars!
Honestly, I think these taste better than the original version. And I feel a whole lot better about eating them too.
These homemade Kit Kat bars don't contain any refined sugar or vegetable oils, they're gluten free, dairy free and preservative free. You can even make them without peanut butter if you need a peanut free version.
These vegan Kit Kats consists of crunchy almond flour cookies that are sandwiched between a chocolate-peanut butter fudge and dipped in dark chocolate. They're the perfect substitute to the conventional candy bar.
Why You'll Love these Healthy Kit Kats
- paleo and vegan - made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about eating. All ingredients are gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free.
- easily made nut free - you can make these Kit Kats without peanut butter and use Sunbutter instead. And the cookies can be made with tigernut flour instead of almond flour.
- healthier than store bought candy - these homemade candy bars are much healthier than your average store bought version, as they don't contain any refined sugar, seed oils, gluten, dairy, soy or preservatives.
- amazing taste and texture - they have a nutty, chocolate flavor and crispy, crunchy texture.
Ingredients
The full recipe for these gluten free Kit Kat bars can be found in the recipe card below, but here's an overview of the ingredients you'll need:
- blanched almond flour - the cookies are made with almond flour, but you can use tigernut flour for a nut free version.
- coconut sugar - to sweeten the cookies.
- ground flax - acts as a binder for the cookies since they're made without eggs. I make my own ground flax by grinding whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder.
- salt - enhances the flavors
- coconut oil - needed for making the cookies and thinning the chocolate for the coating.
- water - to get the right cookie dough texture.
- vanilla extract - added for flavor
- creamy peanut butter - peanut butter isn't strict paleo, so if you're following a paleo or nut free diet, then swap the peanut butter with sunbutter
- dark chocolate - for both the filling and the coating.
Another thing to note, you can use any cut-out cookie recipe in place of the one I used. You just need to make sure the cookie dough can be rolled thin. Also, a crunchy cookie recipe is best.
How to Make Healthy Kit Kats
Like I mentioned earlier, this healthy Kit Kat bar recipe is easy to make but does require some assembly. Here are the step by step instructions:
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the Cookies
- Next, make the cookie dough. Combine all dry cookie ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then mix in the wet ingredients.
- Once the dough is well combined, roll it between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin. The parchment paper will allow you to roll the dough super thin without it sticking to the surface or the rolling pin. You want the cookies to be about ⅛" thick.
- Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the cookies into rectangles about 3.5" x 0.75". Remove the excess dough and set it aside. (You'll re-roll it to make more cookies.)
- Next, transfer the cookie dough on the parchment paper to a baking sheet (keeping the cookies on the parchment). Bake them at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. They will darken in color and should turn out crisp once fully cooled.
- After baking the cookies, remove them from the oven and use a knife or pizza cutter to spread the cookies apart. Let them cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Make the Fudge Filling
- After the cookies have cooled, make the fudge filling: melt the dark chocolate, then stir in the peanut butter. I melted my chocolate on the stove top, over low heat. You may also use the microwave.
- Cool the fudge mixture for about 10 minutes before spreading it onto the cookies (It should be thick like frosting).
Assemble Cookies
- Each Kit Kat has 3 cookies. Two cookies will be topped with the fudge filling. So: cookie, fudge, cookie, fudge, cookie.
- Once assembled, place the cookies on a baking sheet or large plate and pop in the freezer for 15 minutes. This allows the fudge filling to harden and will make dipping the Kit Kats in dark chocolate much easier.
Coat in Dark Chocolate
- Lastly, make the dark chocolate coating. Place the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, stirring frequently. (Another option is to melt them in the microwave.)
- Once melted, grab the cookies from the freezer and dip them into the melted chocolate. Here's how I do it: drop a cookie into the bowl of melted chocolate. Use a fork to rotate the cookie until it is fully coated. Using the fork, lift the cookie out of the chocolate and allow excess chocolate to drip off, back into the bowl. Then, place the dipped cookie onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to set.
- Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the dipped bars.
- You can pop the Kit Kats in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to fully set.
Storage
These paleo Kit Kats are best kept in the fridge or freezer. Like many of my recipes, I prefer leftovers straight from the freezer. (They keep nice and crisp this way.)
Store the Kit Kats in a sealed container or baggie. They'll last up to two weeks in the fridge or up to two months in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe does not contain any baking soda, as you want the cookies to hold their shape - no rise needed.
Here's what is in a conventional Kit Kat candy bar: "Sugar, Wheat Flour, Skim Milk, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Lactose (Milk), Vegetable Oil (Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil), Skim Milk, Milk Fat, Contains 2% or Less of: Lecithin (Soy), PGPR, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), Salt, Yeast, Baking Soda".
And here's what I use in my Kit Kat recipe: Dark chocolate, almond flour, coconut sugar, ground flax, salt, coconut oil, water, vanilla extract, peanut butter.
These can be nut free Kit Kats by substituting the almond flour for tigernut flour and swapping the peanut butter for sunbutter.
Kit Kats are not gluten free, but my recipe is!
More Homemade Candy Bar Recipes
Looking for more healthy candy bar recipes? Check these out:
Healthy Kit Kat Recipe (Gluten Free, Vegan)
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 48 minutes
- Yield: 11-12 Kit Kat Bars 1x
Description
These homemade Kit Kat bars are a healthy spin on the original version. They're crispy, crunchy and absolutely delicious! Gluten Free, Vegan and Paleo.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 ¼ cup blanched almond flour (or tigernut flour) (115g)*
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground flax**
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Fudge Filling
- 2 Tbsp dark chocolate
- 3 Tbsp peanut butter (or Sunbutter)
Chocolate Coating
- 1 cup dark chocolate (5oz)
- ½ Tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-
Combine all dry cookie ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. This includes the almond flour, coconut sugar, ground flax and salt.
-
Mix in the wet ingredients. This includes the coconut oil, water and vanilla. First mix with the dough with a spatula, then use your hands to knead it.
-
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper using a rolling pin. The cookie dough should be about ⅛" thick.
-
Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the cookies into rectangles about 3.5" x 0.75". Remove the excess dough and set it aside. (You'll re-roll it to make more cookies.)
-
Transfer the cookie dough on the parchment paper to a baking sheet (keeping the cookies on the parchment). Bake them at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
-
Remove them from the oven and use a knife or pizza cutter to spread the cookies apart. Let them cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Fudge Filling
- Melt the dark chocolate, then stir in the peanut butter.
- Cool the fudge mixture for about 10 minutes before spreading it onto the cookies (It should be thick like frosting).
- Each Kit Kat contains 3 cookies and two layers of fudge. Assemble the cookies and then set them on a lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer to set.
Chocolate Coating
- Place the dark chocolate and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring frequently.
- Grab the cookies from the freezer and dip them, one at a time, into the melted chocolate.
- Place the cookies back on the lined baking sheet to set.
- Drizzle any remaining chocolate over the cookies.
Notes
*Substitute tigernut flour for a nut free version.
**I make my own ground flax by grinding whole flax seeds in a coffee grinder.
Carol
I made these for Halloween. They are FANTASTIC! Thank you!
Ryan Wright
Where are the nutrition facts?
marci
these look amazing...any sub fir the flax seeds as i do not tolerate them? thanks 😊
Katie
Ground chia seeds should work. If you can't have those either, psyllium husk or gelatin may be appropriate alternatives, however I don't have much experience baking with those two ingredients.
Sheila
Made these today. I used a blend of tigernut and almond flours, because I didn't have enough tigernut. The final product is a bit "grainy" and definitely has coconut taste. The chocolate tastes good, especially if you like peanut butter in your chocolate. These don't taste like Kit Kats at all, but at least they're healthier.
Katie
Tigernut flour tends to be a bit grainy, so that's probably why the kit kats turned out that way. Hope you enjoyed them even though they aren't quite the real deal 😉
Tamar
Do these freeze well?
Katie
Yes!