Description
These bars are definitely one of my favorite healthy-ish desserts. They are perfectly decadent, but feature whole, unprocessed ingredients that make this a slightly lighter dessert option. We’re topping the sweet and crumbly shortcrust with a delicious and soft almond butter caramel, fresh raspberries, and a generous dark chocolate drizzle. These bars are crisp, gooey, tart, sweet and salty all at the same time, and are seriously crave-able. They are also completely gluten free. Happy indulging!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Shortcrust:
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Almond Butter Caramel:
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Other Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour and salt, then add in the melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Use a fork to thoroughly combine the ingredients. The mixture will be slightly sticky and crumbly. Add the dough to your prepared baking dish and use your hands (or the bottom of a cup) to press evenly it into the base of the dish and form a flat crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. You can also place it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
- While the crust is cooling, make the Almond Butter Caramel: in a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients for the caramel until smooth. Set aside.
- Once the crust is cool, pour the caramel over the crust and use a spoon or spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the raspberries as evenly as possible over the top, then place the baking dish in the fridge for 30 minutes (or in the freezer if you’re short on time), until the caramel is mostly hardened.
- Make the chocolate drizzle: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Microwave until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds to keep the chocolate from burning.
- Once the caramel has hardened to your liking, use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Finish with a small sprinkle of flaky sea salt, then place back in the fridge for 5 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Remove from the fridge, cut into 9 equal pieces and serve! Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve so the caramel and chocolate layers don’t melt.
