Not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but I am pretty darn proud of myself for these puppies!
I whipped these up last night during a movie break (we watched Red Dawn and all that action was making me hungry!). I wanted something rich and chocolatey but I was also feeling creative. I had seen an ad for salted caramel ice cream earlier in the day and I was inspired! So my latest masterpiece was born….
They were incredible! Just a slight hint of saltiness to offset the rich and sweet chocolate and date caramel. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! Good thing I still have 3/4 of a pan leftover sitting in the fridge! Is 11am too early for dessert? 🙂
Raw Salted Caramel & Banana Nanaimo Bars
Serves: 8 (or less)
Ingredients:
Base:
1 cup almonds
1 cups dates
¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ cup cacao or 100% cocoa powder
1-2 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
1 tbsp purified water
Dash sea salt
Salted Caramel:
½ cup dates
1 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
¼ tsp sea salt
Chocolate Topping:
1/3 cup virgin coconut oil, melted at room temperature
½ cup cacao or 100% cocoa powder
3-4 tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
2 bananas, thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Soak half cup dates for caramel in water for one hour or longer.
- To make base process almonds with sea salt into a crumbly powder. Add first half cup dates and process until no more chunks. Add remaining half cup dates, cacao powder, coconut, agave and water. Process until sticky.
- Line a wide loaf pan with parchment paper and press base mixture down evenly. Put in freezer while preparing caramel.
- Drain soaked dates from soaking water, reserving soaking water in another dish. Place dates along with 2 tbsp soaking water into food processor or blender with 1 tbsp agave and sea salt. Blend until smooth, adding any additional soaking water as needed, but you want to keep the consistency fairly thick. Once smooth, spread evenly over base and place back in freezer.
- Prepare chocolate topping by combining all ingredients. Ensure coconut oil is liquid. If it is not, then place in a double boiler to melt and then combine remaining ingredients.
- Remove base from freezer. Top with thinly sliced bananas. I only used 1.5 bananas so if needed freeze remainder. Pour chocolate over the top to completely cover. Place in freezer immediately. Let sit 2-3 minutes until chocolate topping is hard.
- Fill a mug with hot or boiling water. Dip a sharp knife in the hot water and slice Nanaimo bars down the middle lengthwise. Then slice across into 4 sections, making 8 bars. Place back in freezer for another 5 minutes then remove parchment paper from dish and serve!
Store uneaten bars in the fridge. These will not keep out of the fridge for long as the coconut oil base of the chocolate will melt in warm temperatures so make sure to gobble up quickly!
What did you think of this recipe? Have you tried it? Let us know what you thought by sharing a comment below. This recipe is healthy and shining with lots of nutrients! So why not share it with someone you love? Use the social media links below to share this recipe with your friends and family. For more delicious recipes by Jackie, click here and let your taste-buds soar!
