Better-For-You Caramel Bars (Vegan Friendly)

Better-For-You Caramel Bars (Vegan Friendly)

  • 15 to 20 squares of goodness

  • ~1 hour 30 minutes (including chill and coating time)

BOTANIKA BLENDS RECIPES

Ingredients

Shortbread base
✨ 2 cups almond flour
✨ ½ cup Botanika Blends Vanilla Cake Batter Plant Protein
✨ ¼ cup pure maple syrup
✨ ¼ cup coconut oil, melted

Caramel layer
✨ ⅔ cup almond butter (or cashew butter if you’re feeling fancy)
✨ ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
✨ 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
✨ 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Vegan chocolate coating
✨ 2 cups vegan chocolate
✨ 2 tsp coconut oil

Move over, Twix, these vegan caramel bars are here to steal the (snack) spotlight.

No refined sugar, no dairy, and absolutely no boring allowed. These better-for-you bars layer a soft, shortbread-style base with a gooey caramel centre (infused with our Vanilla Cake Batter Plant Protein, of course), all dunked in silky vegan chocolate. They're gluten-free, dairy-free, and disappear suspiciously fast from the fridge.

 

Let’s make magic: 🪄

  1. Line it up: Grab an 8×8 inch pan and line it with baking paper.

  2. Shortbread base:
    Mix almond flour, plant protein, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil until a dough forms. Press it evenly into your pan. Chill in the fridge or freezer while you tackle the next layer.

  3. “Cake Batter” caramel:
    In a fresh bowl, combine nut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and plant protein. Stir until it’s creamy and smooth as your best one-liner. Pour over the base and freeze for at least 1 hour until set.

  4. Slice & coat:
    Once firm, slice into about 20 squares. Melt your vegan chocolate and coconut oil (double boiler or microwave in short bursts). Dip each square in, let the excess drip off, and place on a tray lined with baking paper. Bonus points for a sprinkle of sea salt or cheeky sprinkles while still wet.

  5. Set & store:
    Pop them in the fridge for 10 mins to set the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer (if you can resist them for that long).

 

How long can I keep them in the fridge?

🌱 In the fridge: 1 week (if they last that long).
🌱 In the freezer: up to 2 months. Just let them thaw a little before serving - unless you like them extra chewy and cold.

FAQ - BETTER-FOR-YOU CARAMEL BARS

  • You sure can. Try using oat flour or a mix of gluten-free flour and coconut flour. You may need to adjust the coconut oil slightly to get that perfect doughy texture.

  • We’re not the food police, BB. You can skip it if you like, but that creamy coating? Chef’s kiss. Worth it.

  • Totally. Swap almond flour for sunflower seed flour, and use tahini or a nut-free butter in place of almond/cashew butter. Just keep an eye on flavour - tahini can bring a bit of an earthy vibe.

  • Absolutely! Want to turn these into a choc-caramel dream? Swap in our Choc Peanut Butter or Caramelised Popcorn flavour. Just know the flavour profile will change (in a very delicious way).

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