Gluten Free Snickers Tart

WhenI first was diagnosed with Celiac – even before, actually – I thought I’d never eat a candy bar again. In 6th grade, we embarked on a “what’s wrong with Amelia” crusade that involved thesis-worthy research into the myriad syndromes, allergies, or intolerances that could possibly stop me from growing or gaining any weight at age 11 or that could be the culprit for the seemingly endless number of quotidian digestive issues I faced. It was a fun year y’all, let me tell you. Though my mother was the real hero – not taking “I don’t know” for an answer from any doctor, always demanding we take the test or schedule the biopsy until we finally broke through and cut gluten out for good (I subsequently grew 3 inches in three months and gained the weight that I SHOULD have been gaining from eating a million peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a day). But back to the candy. Once we figured out it was gluten, the array of sugar-packed snacks quickly dwindled to a flimsy few on the then-sparse “Gluten Free” shelf (there was no aisle for it yet, only two or three brands even DARED to produce gluten free goodies at the time and they were not the kind that thrilled middle schoolers). The one silver lining was the Three Musketeers bars and Reeses – thankfully I LOVED (and still love) chocolate + peanut butter anything so the latter was a saving grace on many a halloween night.

But now, at 28, I’m finally registering that SNICKERS is gluten free?! I’ve apparently been living under a rock. Now, that being said, Snickers does not bother to slap a good ol’ “GF” label on their treats, but from all the forum-checking I’ve done, they’re sans gluten, so I tried one out this week and it was pretty glorious (though I am NOT used to that much sugar in such a small package anymore – hello dizzy spells). But here’s the celebration of all of that: this Snickers tart! With a buttery chocolate peanut butter crust, a layer of homemade nougat, then a layer of homemade caramel and roasted peanuts, and to top if all off, a silky chocolate ganache and peanut butter buttercream! Plus more Snickers pieces because why not.

If you’re a fellow chocolate + peanut butter fan, you’ve absolutely got to try our peanut butter chocolate tart, heavy on the chocolate, or these peanut butter chocolate mud cookies, or these chocolate peanut butter cupcakes! Want even more peanut butter? Make these peanut butter monster cookies, or these nutter butter lookalikes!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Gluten Free Snickers Tart

This is the ultimate snickers tart – complete with nougat, caramel, peanuts and a smooth chocolate ganache

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Chilling time2 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: buttercream, candy, caramel, chocolate peanut butter, ganache, gluten free, nougat, peanut butter, snickers, tart

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 500kcal

Author: Amelia Farber

Equipment

• 11 inch tart pan
• Small saucepan
• Electric mixer
• Piping bag and tips

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 1/3 Cup cold salted butter, cubed
• 1/2 Cup cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup peanut butter powder
• 1/4 Cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 Cup gluten free 1-1 flour with xanthan gum added (if it doesn't have xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum)
• 3/4 Cup blanched almond flour
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the nougat:

• 1/4 Cup salted butter
• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 Cup evaporated milk
• 1/4 Cup smooth peanut butter
• 7 oz marshmallow fluff
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the Caramel:

• 1 Cup white sugar
• 6 Tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 Cup heavy cream
• t tsp salt
• 1 1/2 Cups roasted salted peanuts

For the ganache:

• 1/2 Cup heavy cream
• 1 Cup chopped milk + dark chocolate
• pinch salt

For the decoration:

• 1/2 Cup peanut butter
• 1/2 Cup salted butter
• 1-2 Cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tbsp cream optionall
• 4-5 fun size Snickers bars sliced

Instructions

To make the crust:

• First, preheat the oven to 325° Fahrenheit, and lightly grease an 11-inch tart pan. Then, in a large bowl, whisk all of the dry crust ingredients, and then use your fingers to knead in the cold cubed butter until fully combined. Then press crust mixture into the pan evenly and bake for 20-30 minutes or until firm and dry to the touch. Let cool completely before filling.

To make the nougat:

• In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk and stir until combined, heating over medium low until it comes to a boil. Continue to cook for 6 minutes on med-low without stirring, then remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla and stir until smooth, then pour nougat into the cooled crust and spread evenly on the bottom. Freeze for 30 minutes to set.

To make the caramel:

• While the nougat is chilling, make the caramel! In the same small clean saucepan, heat the white sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts fully (no lumps remain). Immediately stir in the cubed salted butter and stir until melted into the sugar. Continue to stir or whisk until the caramel is smooth – it may start to bubble over or clump so keep stirring until it's smooth, then let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Then slowly add the heavy cream, while stirring as it starts to bubble over, until smooth. Let simmer again for another minute, then remove from heat, stir in the salt and let sit for 10 or so minutes until slightly cooled. Then add in the roasted peanuts and mix until combined. Pour over the nougat layer in the tart and smooth to the edges. Let cool again before adding ganache.

For the ganache:

• Heat the cream in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for about a minute, then add the chopped chocolate and pinch of salt and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Then stir until completely smooth and pour over the top of the tart, spreading it to cover the caramel + peanut layer. Let cool completely until ganache is set (about an hour).

For final decoration:

• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer to beat the butter and peanut butter together with the powdered sugar to make your buttercream (add cream if too stiff), then scoop into a piping bag and pipe over the top of the tart.
• Add extra roasted peanuts and sliced snickers bars, then serve! It works best to heat a large knife over a flame before slicing the tart.

Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your tart!

Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber