Thank crunchie it's Friday... vegan crunchie that is!
- Addicted to dates
- Nov 28, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2019
Do you ever get nostalgia when you think of a certain recipe that takes you back to your childhood? For me, crunchies do just that as they were one of my favourite treats growing up. Unfortunately way back then, I didn't have a clue what was involved in the dairy industry so I used to consume "treats" which were loaded with milk chocolate on the regular.
The bad news? Don't expect to make these and call them "healthy", they are faaaaaaaaar from that. These hunnycomb bars are loaded with refined sugar unlike most of my other recipes, but I just couldn't resist the urge, or challenge to recreate these childhood favourites!
The good news? They are super easy to make vegan-friendly. Of course vegans don't consume honey, as this is taken from bees (who produce honey for themselves, not for humans). Some honeycomb recipes that you'll find online will call for adding honey, but it actually is needed at all, and isn't even an ingredient in most conventional store bought honeycomb candies, yay! Another easy switch to make them vegan-friendly is to use dairy-free chocolate, which is available readily nowadays or you can always use a dark chocolate too :)
I had several failed attempts at this recipe, and the main reasons being;
A) My candy thermometer was broken and I was too stubborn to go out and get a new one.
B) I thought I was making a slightly healthier version by using brown sugar instead of caster sugar! Trust me, it doesn't work. You'll need to use good ole white sugar for this one, so make sure you use organic white sugar, or a brand that doesn't use animal products in the production (sometimes animal bones are used to grind it up!) if you live in the states or a country where this method of production is permitted.
So all that's left now is to get ready to make these bad boys, and be warned... if you are like me and not used to eating much refined sugar, you might want to have your toothbrush on the ready for after you devour them!
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Plant-based and Vegan-friendly
Sweet and sugary, for the perfect weekend treat
Cruelty-free unlike the original bars which contain dairy
No-bake
Egg-free
Dairy-free
Free from animal derived products
THINKING OF TRYING THIS RECIPE?
As always I would love to see your recreations of this recipe. If you do give it a go be sure to tag me on your Instagram using @addictedtodates and #addictedtodates so that I can share your pictures in my stories!
I would LOVE to hear your feedback and see all your pictures, let me know which was your favourite if you make them all! Have fun making it and I hope you enjoy it too x
Crunchie Bars
Serves: 10 - 12
Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Equipment:
Candy thermometer
Large baking tray lined with greaseproof paper or silicone moulds
Large pot (the mixture will increase in size so make sure there is plenty of space for the honeycomb to expand)
Wooden spoon
Whisk
INGREDIENTS
170g caster sugar
100g golden syrup
50ml water
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
160g vegan-friendly chocolate
INSTRUCTIONS
Begin by making sure you have all your equipment ready and ingredients measured out, as you will need to work quickly once the honeycomb mixture is ready.
Use a little bit of sunflower or coconut oil to grease up the silicone moulds, or if you are using a baking dish be sure to line it with some greaseproof paper. Add the water, sugar and golden syrup to your pot and place on a medium heat. Stir using a wooden spoon for a few minutes until all of the sugar has melted.
At this point stop stirring the mixture, as continuing to do so will cause the sugar to crystalise, Instead turn up the heat to medium-high, and place your candy thermometer into the syrup to monitor the temperature. You want the syrup to get to 149°C, known as the ‘hard crack’ stage of candy making, this will take around 15 minutes, so be patient and keep a very close eye on the pot.
Once the syrup hits 149°C remove the pot from the heat and immediately add in the bicarbonate of soda. Whisk well to combine the mixture (be very careful not to touch it as it is extremely hot!). Transfer the mixture directly to your silicone moulds and/or baking dish and do not touch them once filled. Allow the honeycomb to set completely for 1-2 hours without moving it.
Once it is completely set and at room temperature, you can remove the honeycomb from the moulds, or cut it into pieces if you used a baking dish. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and dip the bars into it, allowing them to set on top of a cooling rack.
Once set, store the honeycomb bars at room temperature in an airtight container, do not refrigerate!
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