Whole Food Vegan Snickers Brownies

For the Brownies

• 2 c pitted dates
• 1 c peanut butter
• 1 c milk of choice
• 0.25 c cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp flax seed meal
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.25 tsp salt
• 1 c dark chocolate chips

For the Peanut Butter Caramel

• 1 c peanut butter (ideally non-drippy)
• 0.25 c maple syrup
• Up to 1-2 tsp coconut oil if needed
  

For the Toppings

• Big handful of roasted salted peanuts OR honey-roasted peanuts
  
• 0.25 c dark chocolate chips
• Tiny bit of coconut oil
• Few pinches of flaky sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and thoroughly oil an 8x8 baking dish. Note that this is a sticky dough, so oiling is critical! Conversely, you can line the bottom of the baking dish with parchment paper, which is usually fail-proof.
2. Measure all of the brownie ingredients except the chocolate chips into a food processor. Process until you have a thick, sticky dough that's homogeneous throughout.
3. Remove the blade from the food processor and add the chocolate. Mix everything together with a spoon or spatula until the chocolate is evenly incorporated.
4. Spread the dough into the prepared baking dish with a spatula; it may need some persuasion. Try to create a layer of even thickness that goes all the way into the corners.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes until just barely cooked through in the center. Remove them from the oven and cool for at least 30 minutes before trying to add the next layers. If the brownie layer has puffed up at all during baking, gently press the top down while they're still warm; the caramel will go on much more easily if you have a flat surface. If you want to make the brownies in advance, just keep them tightly covered in the fridge, right in the baking pan, until you're ready for the next steps.
   
6. To make the caramel layer, combine the peanut butter and maple syrup in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir and heat gently until you have a thick but spreadable consistency. If needed, add a tiny bit of coconut oil to thin it out. You want to be able to spread the caramel over your brownies without damaging their surface.
7. Pour the caramel over the brownies and spread into an even layer, all the way to the edges of the baking dish.
8. Scatter a big handful of peanuts across the top immediately, while the caramel is still warm. Press the peanuts down gently to make sure they'll stick.
9. Finally, make the chocolate drizzle. In a saucepan over very low heat, combine the chocolate chips and just enough coconut oil to get a shiny, thin consistency that can easily be drizzled. Drizzle it across the top of your bars.
10. Sprinkle the top with a few pinches of flaky sea salt before the chocolate hardens.
11. Cool the bars completely, then cover the baking dish and put the whole thing in the fridge. Keep them there overnight! If you try to get them out of the baking dish sooner, you'll have a big (but tasty) mess. Store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge after cutting.