Raw caramel chocolate bars are made with simple ingredients you can feel good about—sweetened with dates, full of healthy dark chocolate, these caramel are sure to impress.
Hello, raw caramel chocolate bars!! Sometimes there are days when you just need to treat yourself. You may have had a bad day at work, a poor performance on a test, or just one of those days when nothing goes the way you want. When things like these happen, I often find myself wanting something sweet and something chocolatey.
While this recipe makes a lot, it is nothing to fear. Once the bars are set, they should be sliced into servings, wrapped, and frozen for those times when you need a little something. They will last in the freezer for months.
Ingredients
- Brazil nut or almonds
- Medjool dates
- almond butter
- honey, agave or maple syrup
- unsweetened desiccated coconut
- sea salt
- lemon
- coconut oil
- cocoa butter
- cocoa powder
- vanilla
Method
Tips + Notes
Substitutions
Recipe
RCaramel Chocolate Bars
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Food processor
- Parchment paper
- 9 x 13 tin pan
Ingredients
Base
- 1½ cups Brazil nuts or almonds
- 1½ cups Medjool dates
- ½ cups almond butter
- ½ cups honey agave or maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
- A pinch of sea salt
Caramel Sauce
- 2 cups Medjool dates soaked for a couple of hours, reserve soaking water
- ½ lemon
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Topping
- ⅓ cup solid coconut oil
- 55 grams cocoa butter
- ¼ cup honey agave, or maple syrup
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- A pinch of sea salt
Instructions
Base
- Using a food processor, puree the nuts and dates until they begin to break up. Add the coconut and puree again until the mixture starts to come together.
- Add the honey, almond butter, and salt and puree until the mixture is fairly consistent.
- Press the mixture into a parchment lined 9 x 13 pan, and place in the freezer to set.
Filling
- Once the dates are soft, combine them in a food processor with lemon juice, salt, and vanilla. Slowly add some of the water that the dates were soaked in, until the mixture reaches desired consistency ( I like my caramel fairly soft, so I used about ½ cup water).
- Puree until the mixture becomes light and smooth. Spread the mixture over the base and return to the freezer for 30 minutes.
Chocolate Topping
- Melt cocoa butter, coconut oil, salt, and vanilla in a double boiler. Once the cocoa solids are melted take the mixture off the heat and slowly add the cocoa powder. If your mixture is lumpy, you can always put it through a sieve.
- Pour mixture over caramel sauce layer and return to the freezer until set, approximately 30 more minutes.
- When ready to cut, bring bars out of the freezer and let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature to soften. Using a hot knife cut the bars into serving size pieces (I cut them into 18, but use your own judgment here).
- Wrap the bars in parchment or waxed paper and store them in a container in the freezer. That way, you can have a chocolatey bar whenever you feel that you need a little something.
Sophie - Wholehearted Eats says
I think adding dried fruit would be fine. If you wanted to add some, I think the base would be the best place to stir some into. I hope you enjoy them!
zanesam18 says
I am a big lover of chocolates, and I will make it. Delicious chocolate bars. If we add some dry fruits in make will make a difference, or it spoils the recipe? I want to do something interesting, I always buy chocolate from http://www.chocholik.com/shop/collection/bars/ there. Now like to make it at home.
zanesam18 says
I am a big lover of chocolates, and I will make it. Delicious chocolate bars. If we add some dry fruits in make will make a difference, or it spoils the recipe? I want to do something interesting, I always buy chocolate from http://www.chocholik.com/shop/collection/bars/ there. Now like to make it at home.
shelly says
They look yummy. I'll try and give a feedback. Thank you!
Katie Henry says
Sophie, these look, amaaaaazing! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 - Katie @ Produce On Parade
Rain Jordan says
Wow! They are beautiful. I haven;t had a chocolate craving in a very long time...until now.
Vicky says
I MUST make these, gorgeous!
Little Miss Cornucopia says
omg, I am so ready to make these right meow lol - i can already taste them in my mouth 😀
Sophie - Wholehearted Eats says
Oh sorry, those would be 1/2 cups. I`ll fix that right away.
DaynaDane says
How much Almond Butter? and Honey?
demetria says
oh. no. yes. these look so good!
Hannah says
These are amazing. I ate two yesterday!