Happy New Year! What better way to start the new year than with these delicious sweet treats. They have an oat & almond base, topped with a date caramel, salted peanuts and a layer of chocolate.
I find trying to coat chocolate bars in chocolate on all sides is a bit of a nightmare so these are a bit easier to prepare and I think it tastes better with less chocolate since the dates already add a natural sweetness.
I bought my reusable silicone mini loaf pan from Kmart. They work so well for raw bars like this and I highly recommend them.
RECIPE:
For the base:
1 cup oats
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
For the caramel:
1 cup medjool dates 1/4 cup peanut butter
Water - as much as needed
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup chocolate chips for topping
1. In a blender combine the oats and almonds and mix until a fine flour forms. Add the peanut butter and maple syrup and mix together until a sticky mixture forms.
2. Press the mixture into a loaf pan and set in the freezer for 10 mins while you prepare the caramel.
3. To prepare the caramel combine the dates with peanut butter and water in a blender. Start with only a small amount of water at first - a couple of tablespoons. Add more water gradually as needed until the caramel is smooth and creamy. Remove the pan from freezer and top with the caramel. Sprinkle with salted peanuts and press them down a little into the caramel. Return to freezer for 10 mins.
4. Melt the chocolate and mix until it cools a little. Remove the pan and pour the chocolate on top of the peanut. Return to the freezer for about 4 to 6 hours but I prefer to leave it overnight. Remove from the pan and enjoy!
You can store these in a container in the fridge for up to 1 week or keep them in the freezer so they'll last longer!