Kristen Lawrence
July 17, 2021 06:00Last modified July 17, 2021 11:33

Do you enjoy chocolate caramel desserts? If so, you’ll love this delicious homemade recipe that tastes just like a candy bar! (And with much fewer ingredients, too!) The filling contains peanut butter, so if you’re a PB fan, you’re in for a treat also.

Just a warning, though – if you have a sweet tooth, you may find these chocolate caramel bars highly addictive! But, as with anything in life, moderation is key. If you’ve been craving something sweet lately, why not give these homemade bars a try? They take a few hours to make since they require refrigeration to harden, but they’re well worth the wait.

We hope you enjoy this recipe!

How to make your very own decadent chocolate caramel bars:

Are you ready to make this indulgent sweet treat?

Kitchen tools you’ll need:

• A large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Fork
• Large rectangular baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Large cooking pot
• Wooden spoon
• Large knife

Ingredients:

Crust

• 2 1/2 cups coconut flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 3 cups peanut butter
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

Top layer

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• 2 cups dark chocolate
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

Toppings

• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Raisins
• Dried cranberries

Directions:

1. To make the crust for the chocolate caramel bars, grab the mixing bowl and pour in the coconut flour. Next, add the tapioca flour and use a whisk to mix them together.
2. Now, pour in the maple syrup and melted coconut oil. After adding the vanilla and salt, use a whisk or fork to combine the ingredients.
3. Next, pour the crust onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to spread it out evenly, patting it down until there are no empty spaces. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
4. Now it’s time to make the filling for the chocolate caramel bars. Grab a large cooking pot and scoop in the peanut butter. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and coconut oil. Turn the heat on low, and stir the ingredients until fully combined.
5. When the mixture resembles soup, turn the heat off and pour the filling on top of the crust. Shift the pan around, so the filling fully covers the crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Wash out the pan, and then use it for cooking your top layer. Pour the dark chocolate into the pot along with the coconut oil. Use a spatula to stir the mixture while the heat is on low.
7. Once it’s melted, pour the final layer on top of the filling. Now, get your toppings out for the last step.
8. You can either sprinkle all the toppings evenly over the chocolate caramel bars or separate them. We decided to cover 1/4 of the bars in almonds, 1/4 in hazelnuts, 1/4 in raisins, and the rest in dried cranberries.
9. Once again, refrigerate the bars for 1 hour. Now, use your knife to cut the bars into rectangular pieces. When you’re done, you should have about 32 bars – 8 bars of each topping. Now, dig in and enjoy your delicious homemade chocolate caramel bars!

Tips for making the best chocolate caramel bars on the block:

• Make sure to press down on the crust firmly before baking it. This ensures you won’t have a flaky crust that falls apart on you. You can even use the bottom of a measuring cup or a spoon to help you out.
• If you find that the bars haven’t hardened completely after an hour, refrigerate them overnight instead. You definitely don’t want to cut them before they’re ready.
• Not a fan of the toppings we suggested? No worries! You can choose from plenty of others, such as coconut flakes, walnuts, or peanut butter chips.
• Choose smooth peanut butter for the filling since it’s easier to melt than chunky options.
• If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, you can always make a different filling. We made a “caramel” filling in our own way to use fewer ingredients, but if you’d rather go with the original recipe, we hear you.
• To make your own caramel, you’ll need butter, salt, sugar, corn syrup, and evaporated milk. Melt all the ingredients except the milk in a pot over medium heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, slowly add in the evaporated milk. Pour into the pan and refrigerate immediately. For more detailed instructions, you can follow this recipe.

Other chocolate caramel dessert ideas

Can’t get enough chocolate caramel? If you want to make use of any extra ingredients, you can also try out these recipes:

• Salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars. This one’s pretty similar to what we made, except you’ll use chocolate chips instead of a thick layer of pure chocolate.
• Frosted turtle brownies or a turtle cake. One of the most famous chocolate caramel desserts out there, turtle brownies or a cake will surely satisfy your sweet tooth!
• Chocolate caramel fudge. This gives traditional fudge a twist, adding more flavor and decadence to every bite.
• Chocolate caramel cream pie. This easy no-bake dessert is rich, creamy, and only requires a few ingredients. After all, it’s hard to turn down a slice of chocolate pie!
• Chocolate cookies with caramel creme. If you’re a chocolate cookie fan, you’ll love these even more with the gooey caramel filling.

Final thoughts on these decadent homemade chocolate caramel bars

You can’t get much better in life than having chocolate and caramel in one recipe. That’s why you’ll love these bars because they combine the best of both worlds! Whether you make the caramel filling in the recipe or a more traditional filling, this recipe will not disappoint. We know it’s tough, but try not to eat them all in one sitting! (We won’t judge if you don’t want to share, though).

On a hot summer day, these chilled chocolate caramel bars truly hit the spot. If you make these, let us know how you like them in the comments!