Chocolate-Dipped Caramel Bars
Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, high-protein, single-serving
“I cannot stop eating these caramel bars!” That is me after I invented these chocolate-dipped, salty caramel almond bars. Are you kidding me? Nothing hits your senses like the combination of creamy caramel and crunchy nuts on a soft cookie base. Then you go all the way over the edge when you drench the whole treat in chocolate coating that snaps as you bite into this perfect Caramel Bar. Go ahead, you know you must bake these! Just allow yourself the excuse…you will give them all as gifts...
Chocolate-Dipped Caramel Bars
© Sweets You Can Eat by Megan Matthews and Patricia Schroeck 2020
Ingredients
Base
2 cups almond flour
2 cups oat flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cups maple syrup
1/4 cup +1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
1/4 cup +1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
Caramel
1.5 cups dates
1/2 can (6.75 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
Chocolate
1 cup 65-80% dark chocolate chunks
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Makes 30 bars
Instructions
Base
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using coconut or olive oil grease 30 cupcake tins liberally.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine almond, oat, tapioca and brown rice flours. Into the center of the flour mixture add maple syrup, melted coconut oil, olive oil, vanilla and salt. Mix well to combine.
3. Pinch off 1 tablespoon dough and press evenly into 30 oiled cupcake tins to form a tart base. Bake 14 minutes; turning them around halfway through baking.
Caramel
4. Add caramel ingredients into a blender or food processor: chopped dates, coconut milk, coconut oil, almond butter, vanilla and salt. Blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until it becomes creamy.
5. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of caramel onto each prebaked cake base while still in the cupcake tins. Smooth the tops. Add 1 teaspoon rough chopped almonds and press into caramel. Sprinkle crystal salt over caramel. Place tins in freezer for 20 minutes.
Chocolate
6. Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1.5 minutes. Remove and stir to combine into a glossy smooth chocolate coating.
7. Remove tins from freezer, using a thin knife remove each bar carefully from tin and place on a piece of parchment paper before dipping.
8. Simply hold one bar in your hand and dip the bottom into the melted chocolate. Let the bar drip chocolate before placing back on parchment paper and let sit until hard for 5 minutes. Repeat the dipping for the other half of each bar and sprinkle crystal salt on tops before they harden in minutes. Place bars in refrigerator to harden completely.
Photos by Milkshake Creative
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