Indulge in these Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Bars, a vegan and gluten-free treat that's like a double chocolate Snickers bar!

Made with a chocolate shortbread crust and topped with crunchy peanuts, these bars are finished with a layer of chocolate and a vegan peanut butter caramel. These bars are not only delicious, but they're also dairy-free and grain-free.  Whip up a batch, store them for the week, and don't forget to share with loved ones. 

While any nut butter will work, I highly recommend using peanut butter for the best flavor, and the chopped peanuts add amazing texture to the bars!

Enjoy!

xoxo

SiLLibake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Bars

A healthier Snickers Bar! Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel goodness!

Shortbread Crust:

To create a gluten-free and grain-free chocolate shortbread base, I use fine, blanched almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut oil, a few tablespoons of maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. This results in an authentic chocolate shortbread flavor and texture.

Peanut Butter Layer:

The peanut butter layer consists of a natural, drippy peanut butter "caramel," which is made by combining maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt, and chopped roasted and salted peanuts. For extra flavor, you could use honey roasted peanuts are recommended.

Chocolate Layer:

Finally, a layer of chocolate made from chocolate chips and coconut oil is added to the top. To keep the bars vegan and dairy-free, it is important to use dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips. This step is easy and yields a delicious result. I like to combine semi-sweet chocolate with milk chocolate chips for the perfect sweetness, but this is totally up to you!

Yield: 16 Bars

Prep Time: 1 HR 30 MINUTES

Cook Time: 15 MINUTES

Total Time: 1 HR 45 MINUTES

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread Base:

1 ¼ cup packed fine blanched almond flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
3 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
For the Peanut Butter Layer:
3/4 cup drippy natural peanut butter (crunchy or creamy works)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup coarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts
For the Chocolate Layer:
3/4 cup chocolate chips, dairy free/vegan if desired (I did ½ semi sweet ¼ milk chocolate)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ Flaky Sea salt
Directions:

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and lining an 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper. It's important to use this size, as a 9x9 inch pan may be too big.
In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix with a fork until it forms a thick crumb texture. Add the mixture to the pan and use your fingers to press it down evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, once out of the oven sprinkle it evenly with the peanuts.
Allow the crust to cool for 10 minutes before adding the caramel.
Peanut Butter Caramel Layer: In a medium pot over medium-low heat, add peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir frequently for approximately 2 minutes until the caramel begins to slightly bubble. Remove from heat and pour over the peanuts and slightly cooled crust.
Place the pan in the fridge for at least 30-60 minutes to allow the peanut butter to harden. If you're in a hurry, you can put it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to speed up the process.
After 30 minutes or so, make the chocolate layer: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is fully melted. Alternatively, melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a small saucepan over low heat or use a double boiler.
Pour the chocolate over the caramel layer, tilting the pan to evenly distribute it. Evenly sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Put the pan in the fridge for at least 1 hour until the chocolate hardens and the bars are completely cooled.
Remove the bars from the pan and cut them into 16 bars resembling Twix bars. To do this, cut the entire pan in half and then cut each half into 8 (1-inch) bars (not squares!). Enjoy!
Recipe inspired by Ambitious Kitchen
ALL IMAGES: