Chocolate Caramel Blondies | Vegan + Gluten-Free
Blondies are such an underrated dessert IMO, they pretty much combine a chocolate chip cookie, cake, and brownie into one!! I mean, how does it get any better than that?! These chocolate caramel blondies are one of my very favorite recipes from our Sweet Laurel Cookbook! We just love how pretty this cookbook looks in the kitchen and all of the beautiful dessert recipes that are made with whole food, grain free ingredients!
Ingredients | makes 1 dozen bars
3 Cups Almond Flour
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil, melted
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
3 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
1 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips (I love Enjoy Life Semisweet or Dark Chocolate Chips)
1 Cup Vegan Caramel
Vegan Caramel Sauce | Makes 1/2 cup
1/4 Cup Almond or Cashew Butter or puree, store-bought or homemade (I used Peanut Butter and it was so yummy!)
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted
1 or 2 Fresh Dates
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Transfer caramel to a glass jar and place in the refrigerator to chill. The caramel will stiffen up in the refrigerator, so if your recipe calls for it to be spreadable, let the caramel sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, and give it a good stir before using. The caramel will keep for about 1 month, refrigerated.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line at 8 x 8” pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the sides for easy removal.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Stir until a dough comes together, then add 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until firm but not quite golden. Remove from the oven and, holding two sides of the parchment, lift the blondies in one piece from the pan. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Pour the caramel evenly over the blondies, m and let set. If it’s warm out, set the blondies in the fridge to help the caramel firm up.
To make the chocolate drizzle, melt the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave (for 15-second increments on low power, stirring in between) or in a double boiler. Use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the blondies and let set. Once the drizzle is set, cut the blondies into squares and serve. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer indefinitely.
For more beautiful, delicious, and wholesome sweets, grab a copy of our Sweet Laurel Cookbook.
