HEALTHY OAT, CHOCOLATE AND CARAMEL BARS
WOW That long name right? Just think about it. This helthy oat bar is made with natural ingredients, that taste amazing and are healthy for you. A mixture of caramel, chocolate and an extra crunch that together make this bite sized treat perfect. The base and crumble, have such a peculiar flavor, salty but sweet and soft. Amazing!
I’ve been looking for healthier options to yummy food for a few years now. The worst thing ever is deciding to go on a diet or to eat healthier and realizing you have to eat stuff you don’t like. No no, I think that having a healthy lifestyle is so much more than that, its about finding some type of balance that works for your body. I am not a nutritionist, dietitian or anything of the sort. I’m just saying that there should be more in life than constantly worying about what you eat and don’t. Do you agree? So, with that in mind I started trying healthier recipes.
For this recipe, I tried for the very first time, coconut sugar. I have to say i’m HOOKED. The smell is delicious, and once I tried the raw dough to see if everything was okay, oh my amazing.
MAKING THE PERFECT OAT BAR:
Start with the base and the crumble. These two components are made with the same dough. So, in a bowl, add all the ingredients and you’re done! I love when recipes are this easy to make.
After this crumble is ready, make the filling. The first filling is a date paste that taste like caramel. This is made with dates, nut milk, nut butter, vanilla and salt.
And finally, Chocolate! Spread chocolate chips all around and cover with some crumble before baking everything together. In the oven, these chocolate chips melt into the caramel.
TIPS FOR A PERFECT OAT BAR:
Chocolate: We always hear that the healhtiest chocolate is the darkest one you can find. I personally, hate really dark chocolate. I honestly would rather just have nothing. If you do like really dark chocolate, great! Use it. For this recipe I used 60% cacao chocolate chips. This percentage is as high as I go and still enjoy the chocolate.
The butter: When I say butter, I mean nut butter. I used cashew butter because it has perfectly neutral flavor. For this recipe, I reccomend cashew or almond butter. If you go with peanut butter, it kind of tastes like a snicker. Nothing wrong with snickers, we are just not looking for that right now.
Oil: Measure your coconut oil when melted. So, when you measure the oil, melt it and keep adding until you complete 1/2 cup you need. If you don’t do this, you will end up with a very dry dough or crumble.
Flour: For this recipe, I used a combination of oats with almond flour. If you want, you can change it up to oat flour. To make out flour, add oats to a blender or food processor and pulse until completely broken down into flour.
EQUIPMENT:
Bowl: A big bowl for the crumble dough and, in case your dates are dry, a bowl to hydrate them in warm water.
Food processor: Or blender to make the date caramel. Make everything there and pour onto baked base.
Baking dish: Glass or ceramic or a cake pan. Anything you have really. If you want to cut them into squares, make them in a square or rectangle one and if you make it in a round pan or dish, cut it into triangles.
Aluminum foil: Or parchment paper to make it easier to remove from the pan or dish and cut.
Cup measures: Measure everything before you start baking!
Knife: The one you preffer. I usually use a big knife to cut the slices in one cut.
Spoons: To mix and spread the ingredients.
Oven: Bake the bars twice. once to make sure the base sticks and the other to bake everything together.
HEALTHY OAT, CHOCOLATE AND CARAMEL BARS
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup oats
- 3/4 Almond flour
- 1/2 Cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 Cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/2 tso baking powder
- 1 cup + a bit more dates
- 1 splash milk
- 1 tbsp nut butter
- splash of vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and place aluminum foil in baking dish.
- Mix all the ingredients for the crumble, oats, flour, vanilla, coconut sugar and oil, salt and baking powder.
- Press 2/3 of the dough to the base of the baking dish. Pressing in together. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile process the dates, vanill, milk, salt and nut butter in a food processor until it turns into a creamy texture.
- Spread the date caramel over the baked base.
- Add chocolate chips over the date caramel.
- For the crumble, using your fingers, break the dough in a messy way over the filling, covering it completely.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
