All you need are four simple ingredients to throw together this DELICIOUS and wholesome dessert! Cornflakes, peanut butter, and dates come together to form the “Butterfinger” filling and it’s covered in smooth dark chocolate. These dupes are 100x better than the original Butterfinger candy and they’re ready in 20 minutes with just 10 minutes of prep time.

I’m a little obsessed with dates. Maybe that’s an understatement. I want every single meal to incorporate dates is probably more accurate. Dates are literally the best dessert ever. They’re sweet. They’re filling. They’re wholesome. They go with just about anything. They’re almond butter’s best friend. They’re literally nature’s candy. 

My favorite dates EVER are from Joolie’s which I thought I could only get on Thrive Market. They’re so freaking soft and gooey and I don’t know what else it is, but there is a clear difference between Joolie’s dates and any other dates I’ve tried. Just me?! Well GASP. To my incredible delight, I recently discovered UGGLIES from the same brand and they are literally half the price!!! 

I’m not exaggerating when I tell you this discovery changed my life. As much as I love dates, they’re annoyingly expensive, especially for a “treat” food. Like I don’t need dates to survive (debatable but that’s what my husband Ryan tells me). Did you know you can get “Ugglies” from Joolies which are just the same Medjool dates but with “imperfections” for HALF the price? Dawg. Who cares what they look like?! What matters is what they tasteeee like. I got my first 4.4 lb order a few weeks and blew through a pound of them in a week which brings me to… these Butterfinger dupes. 

Who doesn’t love a good dupe of their favorite candy bar without all the processed oils and unnecessary refined sugar?!

All you need to make these bad boys are:

• 1 cup cornflakes – I prefer Nature’s Path Organic. They offer a couple of gluten-free versions and this one is sweetened with only fruit juice! 
• ⅓ cup creamy almond butter at room temperature (you want it to be runny)
• ½ cup or 5 large dates (I prefer Medjool)
• ⅓ cup melted dark chocolate. Hu is my absolute favorite! They’re a small brand that makes chocolate with no refined sugar, seed oils, emulsifiers, 
• Pinch of sea salt
• Around 1-2 tbsp extra cornflakes for topping

How to Make

Making this treat is easy peasy lemon squeezy. It takes only 10 minutes of prep time and is a huge hit with a crowd! We took these to our mom’s group playdate the other day and they were gone in minutes – loved by both adults and kids.

1. Start by heating up a double boiler (we have a makeshift one using a saucepan and a small glass bowl) and add ⅓ cup chocolate to melt. This will take around 3-5 minutes, stir a few times so that it doesn’t burn or clump.
2. While the chocolate melts, make the Butterfinger filling. Add cornflakes, almond butter and dates to a food processor and process until combined. It should still be crunchy from the cornflakes. A note about the dates: If your dates are firm, add them to a mug of boiling water for 5ish minutes so they can soften.
3. Divide the filling and roll into 16 small balls, or 8 bars. I found the bars to be too big. I preferred eating multiple smaller balls. That might be weird but that’s just me. It’s a satisfaction thing.
4. Place the balls in the melted chocolate and move around until fully coated. Place on a plate or tray lined with parchment paper.
5.  Sprinkle the balls with some sea salt and crushed cornflakes.
6. Freeze for 20+ minutes to set.
7. You can store these in the freezer for up to 3 months or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks… although I doubt they’ll last that long!

Options & Substitutions

• Corn flakes: I recommend using cornflakes for the super crunchy texture that’s similar to a Butterfinger, but I would imagine you could try this with any plain cereal. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
• Chocolate: You can use whatever chocolate you have handy. I prefer Hu because it’s free of refined sugar and sugar alcohols. 
• Almond butter: You can totally sub almond butter for peanut butter

If you love these, check out this Twix dupe recipe!