No Bake Caramel Shortbread Bars

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This recipe is so delicious you'll never believe that it doesn't include refined sugar, emulsifiers or addictive preservatives!

You need to prep the dates beforehand to really get that creamy caramel taste. Soak about 10 big medjool dates in hot water for about an hour or two until they're soft.

Shortbread Layer:

2 cups almond flour

1/4 cup maple syrup (or raw honey)

1/2 a stick of earth balance vegan butter (melted) or unrefined 1/4 cup coconut oil (will have a coconut taste) or 1/4 cup avocado oil

Caramel Filling:

1/2 cup pitted dates soaked in hot water for 2 hours, drained

1 cup creamy almond butter

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 T maple syrup (or raw honey, if you need more sweetness, the dates provide a lot of sweetness)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 to 1/2 cup of cashew, almond or any nut milk (ingredients should be just nuts and water)

pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Coating:

1/2 bag of Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips

1 T coconut oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine shortbread ingredients until a dough forms. (Add oil slowly and stop adding once it's doughy)

2. Press the dough into the bottom of a lined baking dish and place it in the freezer to set. I used this one

3. In a food processor or blender, blend dates, nut butters, maple syrup, vanilla, cashew milk, and a pinch of sea salt until smooth and creamy.

4. Remove the dish from the freezer and spread the caramel filling over the shortbread layer. Return it to the freezer to set for one hour.

5. Once the caramel layer has set, cut it up into thin bars.

6. Melt the chocolate chips with the coconut oil in a deep glass bowl in 30 second increments in the microwave.

7. Dip each bar into the melted dark chocolate with a fork, shake off the excess and place on a lined baking sheet.

8. Freeze the bars for 10-15 minutes and drizzle some leftover melted chocolate all over the tops. Enjoy!

These are how they look when they're all done!

I keep them in a ziploc bag in the freezer to snack on when I need something sweet!

I hope you make these, because they are really so delicious. Let me know if you do!

Until next time,

Libby