Vegan cashew caramel bars

Vegan cashew caramel bars with dates, almond butter, cocoa and coconut oil: creamy, chocolatey and with no refined sugar – ideal for making ahead and chilling.

At a glance

• Serves 6
• Prep time: 25 min
• No cooking needed
• Total time: 25 min
• Calories: 250 kcal per serving
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Carbs: 24 g

Ingredients

• 100g cashews
• 100g dates
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 50g cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 pinch of salt

Method

You’ll need: stick blender · chopping board · knife · sieve

1. Soak the cashews in hot water, then drain them well. This makes the cream easier to blend smooth.
2. Blend the cashews with the almond butter into a smooth, thick cream. Spread it evenly in a shallow tin lined with baking paper.
3. Blend the dates with a little water and salt into a caramel-like paste. Spread it over the cashew cream as a second layer.
4. Put the tin in the freezer until the mixture is firm enough to cut. This makes the bars neater and more stable later.
5. Stir the cocoa powder with the melted coconut oil into a thin chocolate layer. Pour it over the firm slab, or dip the cut bars in it.
6. Cut the slab into bars and serve slightly chilled. In the fridge they stay pleasantly firm.

Good to know

These bars are simple and really good. Soft, dense, chocolatey – and made from ingredients that are already worth eating on their own.

Swaps

Cashews → macadamia nuts (more monounsaturated fats). Almond butter → cashew butter (milder flavour, similarly creamy). Dates → dried figs (more fibre). Coconut oil → cacao butter (firmer mouthfeel, classic chocolate character).

Allergens

Contains nuts, so it is unsuitable for people with a nut allergy; suitable for children in small, soft pieces, and usually unproblematic during pregnancy, as long as the ingredients agree with you.

Dairy-free recipes