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Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars {No Bake, Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}

February 3, 2015 by lauren.kelly 58 Comments

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With Valentine’s day coming up soon, why not make a dessert that’s healthier, vegan, gluten free AND still tastes crazy delicious? It’s light, gooey and healthy!

Make these No Bake Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars this Valentine's Day! They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy free and guilt free!I am all for giving your sweetheart something sweet for Valentine’s Day, but why not make them a little healthier?  There’s something about Valentine’s Day and salted caramel.  They are a match made in heaven.

Maybe it reminds me of when my dad would give me those chocolates in the heart shape every year and the only one I would eat (and not spit out) was the chocolate caramel! Don’t get me started on the chocolate coconut ones…. I would have to spit them out and rinse my mouth it.

Did you know that I absolutely despise coconut? The smell, taste…all of it. You know I am extremely picky!

These bars are ooey-gooey and taste sinful even if they are packed with fiber, antioxidants and healthy fats.  No one has to know, it’ll be our secret.  And add the fact that these babies are no bake?  This just got real guys.  I am so excited about these. My kids loved them too. Even the picky one!

I love no bake desserts all year long, but especially during the summer. It’s always too hot to turn the oven on. It basically heats up the whole house! And who in their right mind would eat to heat up their house when it’s 90 degrees outside? Not me.

Check out this fun video which shows how easy these are to make!

Make these No Bake Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars this Valentine's Day! They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy free and guilt free!I personally love dark chocolate, especially with the salted caramel, but you can easily use milk chocolate if you’d like.  These are so easy to make, so use what you are in the mood for or what you already have at home!

If you are like me you always have regular cocoa powder and dark chocolate cocoa powder in your house. I’m always ready to go!

This is one of the recipes that you most likely will have all of the ingredients on hand. There’s nothing crazy in there. Ok, you might not have coconut cream in your house all the time, but maybe you should stock up for the future. I usually buy 6 cans at a time when I go to Trader Joe’s.

This way I am ready to go whenever a salted caramel craving strikes. I always like to be prepared. And I get the salted caramel craving more often than you’d think.

I also like to make these when I go to parties or get togethers because it is very allergy friendly. The only thing I haven’t covered are nut allergies since there’s almond flour in there. But these are perfect for vegans, celiacs (gluten free) and those with dairy allergies.

I am working on making this with coconut flour for my friends with nut allergies. I have tried it now two times with luck. But I am not giving up! Gluten free dessert recipes rarely are perfect on the first try. At least that’s the case for me.

When I was writing my first cookbook, The Everything Wheat Free Diet Cookbook, the dessert chapter was definitely the most difficult for me. Sometimes I would have to create a recipe 5 or 6 times just to get it right! Gluten free flours can be fickle at times and you really need the perfect ratio of flour to liquid.

So I will keep trying until I can make these bars nut free too! It might just take me a while…

Make these No Bake Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars this Valentine's Day! They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy free and guilt free!

Isn’t that caramel so gooey and delicious?  It might be a little messy, but oh so worth it! Sometimes I put them in the freezer for a few minutes before I slice them to harden up a bit.  It depends on how messy you want to get.

But also when you put them in the freezer for a few minutes it makes them easier to slice. Either way, they still taste incredible.

Make these No Bake Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars this Valentine's Day! They are vegan, gluten-free, dairy free and guilt free!
3.5 from 2 votes
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Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars

Course Dessert, treat
Servings 9 bars
Author Lauren Kelly Nutrition

Ingredients

  • For the crust:
  • 1/2 cup almond flour I used Bob's Red Mill
  • 1/4 cup flax meal or ground flax
  • 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil melted
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • For the caramel:
  • 1/3 cup unrefined sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • For the Topping:
  • 10 ounces dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Place parchment paper on the bottom of a 9 x 9 inch baking pan. Spray with baking spray on top of parchment paper.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients together to make the crust.
  3. Press crust onto bottom of the pan. Place in the refrigerator while you make the caramel.
  4. Mix all the ingredients for the caramel together in a small saucepan over a low heat.
  5. Stir continuously while it thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Pour caramel ontop of chocolate crust.
  8. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a sauce pan over low heat. Pour on top of caramel sauce.
  9. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to harden.
  10. Cut into 9 bars. Eat immediately and store leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

 

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 bar
Amount Per Serving
Calories 214 Calories from Fat 122
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13.5g21%
Saturated Fat 7.2g36%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 7mg0%
Potassium 77mg2%
Total Carbohydrates 26.6g9%
Dietary Fiber 2.3g9%
Sugars 20.0g
Protein 4.0g

*Nutrition information not guaranteed, provided by www.caloriecount.com

If you like these (can’t blame you) you just might like these too:

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

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Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Bark

This 4 ingredient Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Bark is the perfect healthy, sweet and salty treat! www.laurenkellynutrition.com

Salted Caramel and Pecan Chocolate Tarts

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Pecan Tarts

Mint Chocolate Mint Cheesecakes 

Mint Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes made with Greek yogurt from The Greek Yogurt Cookbook!

I hope you enjoy these Salted Carmel Dark Chocolate Bars too! I can’t wait to make them again for all 4 of my sweeties 🙂

Let me know what other recipes you’d like me to create. Are you interested in more healthy dessert recipes? Or maybe you’d like to see more main dishes? Breakfast ideas? I would love to know!

What’s your favorite healthy, no bake treat ? I am always looking for new ideas so please share your favorites with me!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten Free, Kids, No Bake Desserts, Recipes, snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: clean eating, dairy free, dessert, Gluten free, guilt free, healthy treat, Valentines Day, vegan

Comments

  1. [email protected]+A+Mind+Full+Mom says

    February 3, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    What a great recipe. Such a better alternative to the usual!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:38 pm

      Thanks Kristen!

      Reply
  2. [email protected]+A+Healthy+Life+For+Me says

    February 3, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    These look great, love the healthier alternative.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:38 pm

      Thank you Amy!

      Reply
  3. Kim (Feed Me, Seymour) says

    February 3, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Woah. Now these look ultra decadent and amazing!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      Thanks Kim!

      Reply
  4. Mary Anne says

    February 3, 2015 at 4:49 pm

    wow these look absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to make these!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      Thanks MaryAnne, I hope you like them!

      Reply
  5. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    February 3, 2015 at 5:01 pm

    Gorgeous! Oh this just sounds wonderful, thanks for sharing!! I can’t wait to try that caramel sauce.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      Thanks Sam!

      Reply
  6. Angie says

    February 3, 2015 at 5:18 pm

    What decadent chocolate bars! These would be perfect for Valentine’s Day!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 5:37 pm

      Thank you Angie!

      Reply
  7. Lana | Never Enough Thyme says

    February 3, 2015 at 8:48 pm

    I really love these as an option to the overly sweet, overly fat, sticky, gooey, gloppy store-bought selections. I’m definitely giving homemade this year!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 3, 2015 at 8:52 pm

      Thanks Lana! I completely agree 🙂

      Reply
  8. kita says

    February 3, 2015 at 10:15 pm

    Forget my sweetheart, this is for me… And I’m hiding them… and not telling… Maybe he can have some of the second batch.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 4, 2015 at 12:08 am

      That’s so awesome Kita!

      Reply
  9. Heather / girlichef says

    February 3, 2015 at 11:46 pm

    Never in a million years would I have guessed these were healthified – they look so rich and decadent! My cheeks are tingling a little bit…

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 4, 2015 at 12:08 am

      Mine are too Heather! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Martha @ A Family Feast says

    February 3, 2015 at 11:48 pm

    So I was just about to leave a comment telling you how wonderful these look….when my husband walked by and did a double-take and asked me “What is THAT? Looks delicious!” 🙂

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 4, 2015 at 12:08 am

      Thank you Martha! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Lora @cakeduchess says

    February 4, 2015 at 1:52 am

    I love the ingredients in the filling…just fantastic!! I am always into any thing chocolate, and your bars are tempting me so! I have a friend that would love your blog…I’m going to pass your blog name to her later on. Really nice, Lauren!!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 5, 2015 at 6:11 pm

      Thank you so much Lora!!

      Reply
  12. Erin @ Texanerin Baking says

    February 4, 2015 at 9:51 am

    What. the. heck.

    I feel like strides were just made in grain-free baking. I don’t even know what to say. These are just amazing. So totally my kind of recipe!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 4, 2015 at 12:42 pm

      Oh thank you Erin!!

      Reply
  13. Cookin+Canuck says

    February 4, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Now those are some amazing chocolate bars! And I love the ingredient list…healthy while still making something decadent.

    Reply
  14. christine says

    February 4, 2015 at 7:01 pm

    If I hadn’t seen your ingredients I would NEVER guess that these are a healthier option. They look so decadent.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 8, 2015 at 2:05 pm

      Thanks Christine!!

      Reply
  15. Paula - bell'alimento says

    February 5, 2015 at 12:15 am

    Wow that’s a whole lotta ooey gooey goodness right there. Want. Stat.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 8, 2015 at 2:06 pm

      I totally love gooey desserts Paula 🙂

      Reply
  16. Amanda @ The Kitcheneer says

    February 6, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    I am loving these lightened up treats! I too am a fan of dark chocolate!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 6, 2015 at 6:52 pm

      Good taste Amanda 😉

      Reply
  17. Kim Beaulieu says

    February 7, 2015 at 8:51 am

    C’mon now girl, look how ooey and gooey these are. I just want to reach in my screen and grab one, or ten. You make healthy look good. And you know that means a lot coming from this girl.

    Hope we get to see each other this year. I’m starting to map out my conference hopping schedule.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 8, 2015 at 2:09 pm

      You are so sweet Kim! I am DYING to hang with you again! XO

      Reply
  18. [email protected]+The+Suburban+Soapbox says

    February 8, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    OMG. I can’t get over how incredibly wonderful these bars look. Seriously amazing.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 8, 2015 at 2:09 pm

      Thanks so much Kellie!!

      Reply
  19. Susie says

    February 13, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    Ok, I am making these right now and I am having trouble with the crust?!? Are the measurements out? There is no way that the crust could line the bottom of a 9×9 pan and in fact I am can’t even spread it thin enough for my 8×8? Help!?

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 13, 2015 at 11:11 pm

      Hi Susie! The crust is relatively thin but it did spread on my 9 x 9 pan. Maybe try a loaf pan? Let me know how they turn out!

      Reply
      • Susie says

        February 14, 2015 at 2:26 am

        OK, so wetting my fingers I managed to press the crust almost out to the edges of my 8×8 pan. Close enough!

        My caramel layer also had difficulties, but I think that may have been due to my coconut cream. Where I live some of the options are limited… so my coconut cream came was not in a tetra pack like the one you linked to. It was in a little box with a plastic bag inside and it was quite solid, the instructions said to warm it up to liquify it. Anyway, my sugar/coconut cream/salt layer was in the pot… VERY dry even after a fair while of being on the stove. So I felt like I needed to add some liquid. I added a bit of coconut oil and water and it turned into more what I was expecting it to be and it did slowly dry up a bit like your instructions said (after about 5-8 minutes?) However it never did turn brown, and when I spread it over the cold crust it firmed up even more and became quite thick! Lol!

        So I added the chocolate layer, no problem 🙂 and chilled it. We just ate some for our dessert and although ours is definitely not caramel like (a bit more like a nanaimo bar) it is still quite yummy!

        Reply
        • lauren.kelly says

          February 17, 2015 at 2:58 am

          I am glad you liked it Susie! Yes, vegan caramel is different than milk based caramel 🙂

          Reply
  20. Patti Lima says

    February 17, 2015 at 2:39 am

    Hi Lauren, I see several no bake deserts I want to try. How can I get calorie facts?

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 17, 2015 at 2:57 am

      Hi Patti, I just added nutrition information, thank you!

      Reply
  21. Vivian says

    February 25, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    Hello,
    Can I use all purpose flour instead of the almond and flax meal and we don’t have coconut cream, regular coconut milk would work?

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      February 25, 2015 at 9:30 pm

      Hi Vivian! I am not exactly sure being that I haven’t tried it this way, but I bet you can try condensed milk instead of coconut cream? I bet you can try AP flour as well. Please come back and let me know how it comes out! Thanks!

      Reply
  22. Lisa says

    April 20, 2015 at 1:28 am

    4 stars
    I made these for a potluck and they went over very well! The crust was a little sticky and I was able to press it most of the way to the edges. Next time, I’ll keep a little extra coconut oil out to coat my fingers. I didn’t find flax so I used crushed hemp seeds, which are highly nutritious. How did you get the caramel to be so brown and gooey? I cooked it for quite a bit longer than 3-4 minutes and on a little higher heat, but it didn’t help much (it was like a layer of white sweetness–still good, but didn’t taste like caramel to me). The melted chocolate was very smooth on top, unlike your photo. How did yours come out looking so “bumpy”? All in all, these were delicious and I’d make them again.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      June 8, 2015 at 7:52 pm

      Hi Lisa! I am glad you liked them! Maybe mine looked bumpy because of the way I poured it in? I am not sure, but I am happy they tasted good!

      Reply
  23. Allie says

    June 8, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    3 stars
    I followed the recipe to the T, and they taste amazing, but they never firmed up quite right – not enough to served as bars.

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      June 8, 2015 at 7:50 pm

      Hi Allie! I’ve placed mine the refrigerator and even freezer for 15 minutes just to harden a bit. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  24. Megan @ MegUnprocessed says

    February 14, 2017 at 11:07 pm

    Looks amazing! I love no bake treats. These are so tempting! Must make soon…

    Reply
  25. Jessica says

    May 30, 2017 at 10:27 am

    Is there a way I can make these without coconut? My sister gets allergic reactions to coconut. It looks really yummy though!!

    Reply
    • lauren.kelly says

      May 30, 2017 at 12:06 pm

      Hi Jessica. If you don’t want it to be vegan, you can try regular heavy cream or half and half instead of coconut cream however, I have not tried this! Please come back and let me know how it came out? Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  26. Jennifer Farley says

    May 30, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    These look absolutely incredible!

    Reply
  27. Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says

    May 31, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    These look out of this world! Printing the recipe!

    Reply
  28. Lane & Holly @ With Two Spoons says

    May 31, 2017 at 9:18 pm

    These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 32 Grain-free Valentine's Desserts You'll Swoon Over - Whole New Mom says:
    February 3, 2015 at 9:04 pm

    […] Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars […]

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  2. 25 Healthy Chocolate Treats says:
    February 5, 2015 at 1:57 am

    […] Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars from yours truly are vegan, dairy-free and […]

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  3. » 20+ Romantic Valentine’s Day Desserts Sumptuous Spoonfuls says:
    February 10, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    […]  Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars […]

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  4. Top 110 Healthy Chocolate Recipes ~ Sensibly Sustainable says:
    February 13, 2015 at 2:28 am

    […] and Qigong Chocolate Sunbutter Cups ~ The Pistachio Project Choco-Coco Snackaroons ~ Loula Natural Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Bars {No Bake, Vegan, Gluten & Dairy Free} ~  Lauren Kelly […]

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  5. Something for the Weekend – The Bear & The Fox says:
    November 12, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    […] a huge fan of salted caramel, so these gluten free salted caramel dark chocolate bars are right up my […]

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Lauren Kelly

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