These crunchy & decadent peanut & caramel bars are perfect snacks on the go (for both adults and children) and a delicious accompaniment to the afternoon cup of tea. They freeze well, so you can make a batch last a lot longer. Vegan, free from gluten and refined sugar.
Well, my friends, when I made these ‘savour every single mouthful’ kind of peanut caramel bars from my talented friend Emma Hollingsworth’s book ‘Vegan Treats’, little did I know that our world would literally turn upside down within days…
I’m writing this post amidst all the uncertainty, anxiety and fear of what Corona virus (Covid-19) will bring into our lives next… The schools in England have now closed, as well as the pubs, restaurants and leisure centres, so the prospect of single-handedly home schooling my 11 year old daughter for 11 weeks is extremely daunting, I’m not going to lie.
I know this topic is being discussed in every household of the world probably thousands of times a day, so I won’t dwell on this much on my food blog. However, I’m sure we will all take away some valuable lessons out of this tragic global pandemic. It will take us some time to get used to the idea of the ‘new normal’ (like having a Facetime dinner date with your boyfriend who is on a lockdown in Italy… I never thought I’d be doing that!).
In this global pandemic it’s more important than ever to be mindful about nourishing our bodies with good food, even when we face budget constraints and limitations in food produce. I’m committed to continue sharing more easy, quick and nutritious recipes on my blog in the coming weeks but for now, please do me a favour and make yourself these delicious gluten free & refined sugar free VEGAN PEANUT CARAMEL BARS from Emma Hollingsworth’s book Vegan Treats, which is full of delicious sweet vegan recipes.
These healthier peanut & caramel bars are perfect snacks on the go and will be enjoyed by both children and adults. They’re really easy to prepare too, so you can get your little ones involved and make them together (us parents will have to get very creative about preoccupying our children in these challenging times!).
A little tip for when you’ve made a batch of these delicious snack bars – cut them into small bite size pieces, keep enough to last you for a couple of days and sneak the rest into the freezer – they only need a couple of hours to thaw in the fridge.
So, just to recap, these PEANUT & CARAMEL BARS are:
- Vegan friendly
- Free from refined sugar and gluten
- Decadently rich
- Crunchy yet gooey in the middle
- Dangerously moorish!
On this note, I’ll pass you on straight to Emma’s recipe.
Keep well and stay safe my friend.
Healthfully yours,
Tania (Fit Foodie Nutter) x
HEALTHIER VEGAN PEANUT & CARAMEL BARS
Ingredients
For the base:
- 100 g 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 100 g 1 cup ground almonds
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 80 g 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
For the peanut caramel layer:
- 75 g 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates
- 120 g 1/2 cuppeanut butter
- 120 ml 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
- 36 g 1/4 cup raw blanched peanuts, roasted and roughly chopped
For the chocolate topping:
- 50 g 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 25 g 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 80 g 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 60 g 1/4 cup peanut butter
- Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Instructions
- To make the base, whizz the oats in a food processor or high-speed blender for about 1 minute until form fine flour. Then add the other ingredients and whizz for a further minute until the mixture becomes a sticky ball. Spoon the mixture equally into a 12-hole silicone bar mould tray (or baking tray) and use your fingers to press it down evenly.
- For the peanut caramel layer, whizz all the ingredients except the peanuts in a food processor for about 2 minutes until smooth, then stir in the peanuts. Spoon evenly on top of the base and place in the freezer for 4 hours to set.
- For the topping, mix together the ingredients in a mixing bowl until you have a smooth and thick chocolate mixture. Remove the bars from the freezer and spoon the topping onto the peanut caramel layer, then return to the freezer for a further 30 minutes to set. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Isnt peanut butter a magical ingredient for vegans – luscious and creamy desserts can easily be made without dairy. These look so good!
Peanut butter is a magical ingredient indeed! Thank you so much for your kind words x
Wow, the peanut caramel layer with chocolate is a match made in heaven! Will definitely give these a try tonight with the family.
Thank you Emily! I hope you’ll enjoy these as much as I did x
Peanut butter and caramel are my two all time favourites, I’m totally giving these a go on the weekend 🙂
Thank you so much Chris! Let me know how they turn out for you!
These are delicious even if you’re not vegan. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you very much Melinda!