Get ready to treat yourself to a delightful combination of flavors with these Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Bars! Each layer brings its own delicious twist: a rich, fudgy chocolate base, creamy peanut butter filling, and a luscious caramel topping that will leave you craving more.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Bars
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 16
Ingredients
For the shortbread base:
1 ¼cuppacked fine blanched almond flour
¼cupcocoa powder
1tspvanilla extract
¼tspsalt
3Tbspsmelted and cooled coconut oil
3Tbspspure maple syrup
For the peanut butter layer:
¾cupdrippy natural peanut butter
⅓cuppure maple syrup
¼cupcoconut oil
¾cupcoarsely chopped roasted salted peanuts
1tspvanilla extract
¼tspsea salt
For the chocolate layer:
¾cupchocolate chipsdairy free or vegan if wanted
1Tbspcoconut oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) square pan with parchment paper. Using this size is crucial as a larger pan might 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 you get a thick, crumbly texture. Press this mixture evenly into the prepared pan using your fingers.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Let the crust cool for about 10 minutes before adding caramel. After baking, sprinkle peanuts evenly over the crust.
While the crust bakes, prepare the peanut butter caramel layer:
In a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Stir frequently for about 2 minutes, until the mixture just starts to bubble slightly.
Remove from heat. Pour the caramel over the peanuts and slightly cooled crust.
Place in the fridge for 30-45 minutes to harden. If you're in a hurry, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes to speed up the process.
After 30 minutes, prepare the chocolate layer:
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until completely melted. Alternatively, melt them in a small saucepan over low heat.
Pour the melted chocolate over the caramel layer, tilting the pan to spread it evenly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the chocolate hardens and the bars are completely cooled.
Remove from the pan and cut into 16 bars or any size you want. Cut the whole pan in half, then cut each half into 8 (1-inch) bars. Enjoy! Keep bars covered in the fridge until serving.