Like a Take 5 Candy Bar, but minus 2. So I guess not really a Take 5..or a candy bar..but you get the idea..maybe?
Well, even if you don’t, I am excited beyond compare to share with you my Take 3 Bites.
(Inspired by the OG Take 5 Bar. Never forget your roots.)
These bites are the perfect mix of caramel & pretzel wrapped up in a layer of dark chocolate-covered-deliciousness. And if I had yet to mention, it’s flippin’ bite-sized. Like the pop in your mouth and roll on with your day kind of bite-sized. So pal, you can throw your commitment issues out the door because this treat is not looking for anything serious. I mean, who really wants the commitment of a whole candy bar? Not me. I like my sweets to be tiny, pop-able, and delicious as heck. Like these bites!
I got the inspiration for this little recipe after attempting to make my own Take 5 Bars and being informed by my lovely boyfriend (and acting taste-tester) that the bars were sort-of-kind-of doing the absolute most. There is beauty in simplicity, and these bars needed to be taken down a notch or two. I stripped back the layers and dissected what truly made the bars amazing beyond compare. And by golly, the answer was so clear. Take 5 Bars are amazing because of the salt from the pretzel, sweet from the caramel, and perfectly draped chocolate coating. Yes, peanut butter and peanuts are delicious, but they’re simply fanciful adornments to the bar that we can oh-so definitely live without. So, here we are, merrily living without 2 of the OG crew. But, the 3 that remain do a pretty darn good job of making up for it. These bites are perfectly tasty, perfectly balanced, and perfectly snack-able. That’s a word, right?
As is tradition, I had to get a lil healthy up in here and add my own fun twists to the recipe. Instead of using store-bought caramel to fill the layers, I made my own out of dates. Yes, you indeed read that right, I made delicious-beyond-compare-extra-silky-smooth caramel out of DATES. Pitted medjool dates to be exact. The process is a bit of a hassle but it is well worth the reward.
I also swapped in dark chocolate chips for milk and made sure to only use the absolute best of the best when it comes to pretzels, that being Synder’s of Hanover Butter Snaps of course. They are butter-y squares of salty goodness that I have been obsessed with since our introduction in high school. It is that forever kind of love.
So, I have gabbed on and on about these little bites enough, it is time to get to bite-size candy making! Whip out of that food processor, gather your ingredients, and get to making, freezing, biting, and best of all, enjoying! I am crazy excited for you to experience my new favorite sweet treat, the Take 3 Bite.
Take 3 Bites
Ingredients
- 5 medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2-4 tbsp almond milk
- 48 butter snaps pretzels
- 1½ cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Fill a small bowl with warm water and soak the dates for 5 minutes to re-hydrate them.
- In a food processor/blender, pulse/mix soaked dates until only small bits remain. Add in the milk and cinnamon slowly and continue to blend, scraping down the sides occasionally until a paste forms.
- If need be, you can add in 1-2 more tbsp of milk, but make sure to not add too much so that the caramel does not become liquidy.
- Scoop the date caramel into a small bowl and place in the freezer to chill for 5 minutes.
- Once the caramel is chilled, take two butter snap pretzels and place ~1 tsp of caramel between them, creating a little sandwich.
- Place the caramel + pretzel sandwich on the baking tray and repeat until all the caramel is gone. This should make about 24 bites, but that number could vary.
- Place the pretzel bites back into the freezer for another 5 minutes. While the bites solidify, prepare the dark chocolate coating.
- Place the dark chocolate chips and coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl & microwave on high for 30 seconds. Continue to melt the chocolate in 15 second intervals until it is smooth and fully melted.
- Dip the pretzel caramel bites into the chocolate, making sure it is evenly coated, and then place back on the parchment paper. I like to use a fork for this part to make the mess a little less. Repeat until all of the Take 3 Bites are chocolate coated.
- Once all of the bites are ready, place the tray back into the freezer and allow to set for 10 minutes. Check to se if the chocolate shell has hardened after 10 minutes, then remove from the freezer and enjoy!
Take 3 Bites are best stored in the freezer after production. The date caramel stays super soft and the pretzels do a good job of keeping there snap. They will be a-okay in the freezer for up to 2 months, but I truly doubt they will last that long. As stated previously, they are incredibly snack-able.
While I have never been a big candy bar fan, I have had an incredible amount of fun lately re-creating some of my favorites from childhood. Candy brings back joyful memories and moments for me, and I hope these bites do the same for you! And even if they don’t, they are delicious and you should still make them. Forreal. Get to it. And as always, if you make them tag me on the ‘gram at @mads.eatz. Have a kick ass rest of your week! Love you lots.
XOXO – Mads
