I seriously love treats. I have had a sweet tooth since the moment I laid eyes on Little Debbies at a very young age. However, I also know too many treats are not great for us. It’s all about balance and finding a way to incorporate less refined sugar into our days. Today…I give you a real treat made from real food and I promise you won’t even notice once you take a bite of these. Let me introduce you to my oooey-goooey Chocolate Caramel Coconut Bars.
I have a hard time explaining the decadence of these. I want to weep…they are just that good. Each time I make these, my husband asks “HOW are these Paleo? I can’t comprehend this.” I love him!
Exactly. Just because it’s a treat, doesn’t mean it has to be bad for you. It just means we make it out of real food and enjoy it in moderation.
We start with chopped dark chocolate (look at your ingredients) and add creamy almond butter to make it smooth and buttery feeling. Our coconut layer is pulsed with some Medjool dates and toasted cashews, then add a touch of pure maple syrup to bring it all together.
That caramel layer. Ohmyheavenlystars, y’all…that caramel layer. This one is going to make your hands all sticky, but it’s totally worth it. That caramel layer is made with coconut milk, coconut sugar, honey, pure vanilla and toasted pecans. Whoa. I know, right?! Then, let’s top it all off with another crisp layer of chocolate on top. Because, why not?
Okay. Excuse me while I go grab one of these oooey-goooey Chocolate Caramel Coconut Bars to enjoy with my afternoon coffee + writing session.
I have so much gratitude for all of you who come here to share in my love for really great food! If you need some other really great recipes or just some general inspiration, hop back over to the blog HERE and catch up with what’s cooking.
Until next time…Eat Well. Travel Often. Love Much.
xoxo
Chocolate Caramel Coconut Bars
These ooey-gooey chocolately caramel coconut bars will knock your socks off! No one will ever know that these ridiculously amazing bars are made with whole food ingredients. Be careful...it's tough to eat just one!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (dairy free versions)
- 4 heaping tablespoons of almond butter
- 2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1 cup toasted cashews
- 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted & quartered
- 1 T. pure maple syrup
- 1-14 oz. can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 T. coconut oil
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 3/4 cup toasted pecans
Directions
- Step 1 Line a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides if you want to be able to pull the bars out of the pan to slice into bars.
- Step 2 Place 6 ounces of the chopped chocolate and 2 rounded tablespoons of almond butter into a microwave safe bowl. I use a 2 c. Pyrex measuring cup for this. In 45 second intervals, microwave and then stir in between. Continue doing this until mixture is smooth (I usually have to do this 2-3 times). Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Place this dish in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.
- Step 3 Meanwhile, in a food processor or high speed blender, pulse the coconut flakes and toasted cashews until finely ground. Add the dates and maple syrup and pulse until the mixture starts to come together.
- Step 4 Pull the chocolate-almond butter mixture from the freezer and using your hands, press the coconut/cashew/date mixture into an even layer on top. Return the dish to the fridge.
- Step 5 In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, coconut sugar and honey. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the caramel mixture has thickened. Remove this mixture from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the coconut oil, vanilla and toasted pecans. Remove the pan from the fridge and pour the caramel mixture over the top. Return it to the fridge and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Step 6 Place the remaining 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and 2 heaping tablespoons of almond butter in that microwave safe dish again and reheat as we did before. You are essentially just making another chocolate layer for the top. Remove the pan from the fridge, pour this last chocolate layer over the caramel layer and return this back to the fridge until well-chilled, about 1 hour.
- Step 7 Cut the bars into desired size. They are VERY rich. I find that we get about 20 bars out of 1 pan. They will be super gooey, but oh, so good! Enjoy!
