Salted Maple Caramel Bars
These bars are the perfect little taste of fall, the soft cinnamon shortbread, gooey maple caramel, rich dark chocolate, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. They’re sweet, buttery, and decadent without feeling overly heavy, making them the perfect dessert that is also made with clean ingredients!
I used cashew butter for the caramel because it has a milder, creamy flavor that lets the maple and cinnamon flavors do the work. But you can absolutely use almond butter, peanut butter, or your favorite nut butter instead! Just keep in mind that stronger flavored nut butters will change the overall flavor slightly.
They’re also made with a little extra protein in the shortbread, but you’d never guess it from the texture!!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Shortbread
1 cup almond flour
½ cup oat flour
½ cup vanilla protein powder
3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons cashew butter (or any nut butter, cashew is the mildest!)
1½ tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Maple Caramel
10 Medjool dates, pitted
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon almond or cashew butter
1¾ tablespoons pure maple syrup
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons unsweetened almond milk
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Chocolate Topping
¾ - 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
1. Prepare the shortbread: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt.
3. Add the melted butter, maple syrup, nut butter, almond milk, and vanilla. Stir until a thick dough forms.
4. Press the dough firmly and evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 14–17 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the center is set. Allow to cool completely.
5. Make the caramel: Soak the pitted dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain well.
6. Add the dates, nut butter, maple syrup, melted butter, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. If necessary, add a little additional almond milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable.
7. Spread the caramel evenly over the cooled shortbread. Refrigerate for 30–45 minutes, or freeze for 15-20.
8. Add the chocolate: Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until smooth.
9. Pour the chocolate over the chilled caramel and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
10. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or freeze for 30 minutes, or until the chocolate is completely set.
11. Slice into 12 bars and enjoy!
Approximate macros per bar:
1 bar (12 bars total)
260 calories
9g protein
29g carbohydrates
14g fat
