Covered with chocolate, filled with naturally sweet caramel with a biscuit based, these Vegan Caramel Chocolate Bars are super delicious and also healthy. And you only need 8 ingredients to make them!
Start by soak the dates in the drinking water. This will make the later processing job much easier.
To make the base
Line an 8" loaf pan with parchment paper. Set it aside.
In a food processor, add the oats and almond flakes. Process until they become powdery.
Add cashew butter, maple syrup, and salt. Continue to blitz until the mixture can stick together when pressed between your fingers.
Transfer the mixture into the lined loaf pan. Press the mixture down firmly. Place into the freezer while we make the filling.
To make the caramel filling
Scrape out the seeds from the vanilla pod. Add them to a strong food processor blender along with the soaking dates (with the soaking water), cashew butter, and salt. Blend until it becomes a caramelly paste.
Take out the pan from the freezer. Add the caramel filling onto the base. Smooth the top. Return to the freezer for 3 hours or until the caramel is firm and not sticky to the touch.
Remove the long log from the pan. Use a sharp knife to chop it into 7 thick slices. Return to the freezer while we prepare the chocolate coating.
To make the chocolate coating and assembly
Melt the chocolate by using a double boiler (bain-marie). Once all chocolate is melted, turn off the heat.
Use two forks to help to coat the bars in the melted chocolate. Sprinkle some fleur de sel on top if you like. Let the chocolate set up for about 30 minutes. If you're in hot weather, return them to the freezer for 5 minutes to set up. Then EAT!
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Notes
You can use either cashew butter or almond butter for the nut butter part. I usually make my own nut butter. You can read HERE to learn how to make your own nut butter.