Copycat Payday Candy Bars (Keto, Gluten-Free)

Although these Copycat PayDay Bars may not look as good as the commercial ones, I can assure you that they taste just as good if not better than the store-bought Paydays!  Easy to make and delicious to eat, try these Copycat PayDay Bars today!

What is a Payday Bar

For those of you who have never heard of a Payday bar (i.e. all my fellow Canadians!), it is a candy bar consisting of salted peanuts rolled in deliciously thick caramel. It is currently produced by The Hershey Company.

History of the Payday Bar

According to Old Time Candy, the Payday candy bar was invented in Hollywood, Minneapolis.  It turns out that the Payday candy bar was invented by Frank Martoccio in 1932.  The inventor didn't know what to call his new creation. Finally, someone suggested "Payday" since it just happened to be payday at the company. The name stuck.

Is it a candy bar or a chocolate bar?

A candy bar is a type of sugar confectionery that is in the shape of a bar. Candy bars containing chocolate are often called chocolate bars, though sometimes that term is reserved for bars made of solid chocolate.

Many varieties of candy bars exist, and many are mass-produced. The first candy bars were made entirely of chocolate. The Goo Goo Cluster was the first mass-produced combination candy bar, containing chocolate and other ingredients. Candy bars feature a wide variety of layerings or mixtures that include nuts, fruit, caramel, nougat, and wafers. A popular example is a Snickers bar, which consists of a nougat mixed with caramel and peanuts. A wide selection of similar chocolate snacks or nutritional supplements are produced with added sources of protein and vitamins, including energy bars, protein bars and granola bars. Some candy bars do not contain any chocolate, such as the Zagnut and Bit-o-Honey bars.

Between World War I and the middle of the 20th century, approximately 40,000 brands of candy bars were introduced.

How to make a Payday bar

Step 1: Prepare the caramel

First, you need to create the inside of the Payday bar.  In a glass measuring cup, combine the caramel ingredients and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until the mixture comes together.  Pour the mixture into a small rectangular dish and set in the freezer to harden.

Step 2: Prepare the nougat

In a separate bowl, combine nougat ingredients and place them in the fridge to harden.

Step 3: Assemble the candy bars

Once the caramel has hardened, take 1 tablespoon of mixture and roll it into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining caramel and place all the caramel balls back in the freezer to retain their shape.

Once the caramel has hardened again, take 1 tablespoon of nougat and flatten into a disc.  Place the caramel in the center of the nougat and envelope caramel with nougat.  Roll the "candy"  into a "log" shape and roll the log in the nuts to coat the outside of the candy.  Place the candy bar in the freezer and repeat with the remaining mixture until no mixture is left.

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

• Easy Keto Chocolate Peanut Bars (A.K.A. Copycat Oh Henry! Bars)
• Peanut Caramel Chocolate Bars (Keto, Low Carb, Gluten-Free)
• Chocolate Coconut Almond Joy Cheesecake (Low Carb, Keto, GF)
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake (Low Carb, Keto, Gluten-Free)

Copycat Payday Bars

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With only a handful of ingredients, you can make homemade payday candy bars at home. Keto, gluten-free and cheaper than what you can make at home, these copycat payday bars are sure to be a hit.

• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 15 bite-size bars 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

Caramel

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup cashew butter (or peanut butter)
• ¼ cup maple syrup (I use Lakanto sugar free)

Nougat

• ½ cup almond flour
• ¼ cup cashew butter (or peanut butter)
• ¼ cup maple syrup

Nut Layer

• 1 cup crushed cashews (or peanuts) - you may not need them all

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Instructions

1. Combine the caramel ingredients in a glass measuring cup and heat in 30 seconds intervals, stirring each time until the mixture comes together.  Pour mixture into a small rectangular dish and set in freezer to harden.
2. In a separate bowl, combine nougat ingredients and place in fridge to harden.
3. Once caramel has harden, take 1 tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball.  Repeat with remaining caramel and place back in freezer to harden.
4. When caramel has hardened again, take 1 tablespoon of nougat and flatten into a disc.  Place caramel in center of nougat and envelope caramel with nougat.  Roll into a "log" shape and roll in nuts.  Place in freezer and repeat until no mixture is left.

Notes

• These should be stored in the freezer.  You can bite directly into them from the freezer and do not need them to thaw.
• Feel free to use any nut or nut butters.

• Author: Cat
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Snacks, Dessert
• Method: No-Bake
• Cuisine: Keto, Low Carb, Gluten Free

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 bar
• Calories: 164
• Sugar: 1
• Fat: 15
• Carbohydrates: 4
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 4