Chocolate Caramel Bars (Paleo, AIP Option)

This Chocolate Caramel Bars recipe is almost like a candy bar. It’s got a cookie base, a crunchy interior with a sweet caramel filling and chocolatey topping. It’s the ultimate no bake treat. This recipe is Paleo with an AIP option.

Ingredients

This recipe only requires 9 ingredients:

• Coconut Cream. Make sure you check the ingredients and there are no added gums or emulsifiers.
• Coconut Sugar.
• Sea Salt.
• Shredded Coconut. It’s best to use unsweetened. Again, read the ingredients so you’re getting just coconut.
• Nut/Cassava Free Grain Free Flour Blend. This flour blend is primarily made from tigernut so it gives a great graham cracker taste. But you could also use the Grain Free Flour Blend as a substitute.
• Honey or Maple Syrup.
• Coconut Oil.                     
• Love Bird Unsweetened Cereal. Make sure to use the unsweetened cereal. There’s plenty of sweetness in other areas of this bar and the unsweetened cereal is just right. Use this link and the code BONAIPPETIT10 to get 10% off your order.
• Chocolate Chips. It’s good to use a brand like Hu's Gems as they are non-dairy and don’t include any refined sugar.

Can you have chocolate on AIP?

Unfortunately, no. Chocolate is a seed (reintroduction) and can be hard to digest. And most candy bars you find in the grocery store are filled with other ingredients like refined sugar, low quality dairy, emulsifiers, and natural flavors. For these reasons, it’s not allowed during the elimination stage of the autoimmune protocol. However, pure cacao is good for you if you can tolerate it. That may be confusing, but Phoenix Helix has an informative post about chocolate that goes into detail. Most of my recipes using chocolate have an AIP option using carob like these Cocoa Dusted Truffles.

If you wish, I have a substitute for the chocolate drizzle using carob. Combine 1/4 cup melted Coconut Butter, 1/4 cup melted Coconut Oil, 2 tablespoons Carob Powder and 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup into a small bowl. Stir to combine and then drizzle like you would the chocolate according to the instructions.

How to you make Chocolate Caramel Bars?

1. Prep the 8x8 inch glass casserole dish with parchment paper. Then make the caramel sauce, place coconut cream and coconut sugar in a small saucepan. Turn heat to medium and bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and maintain simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn off heat and stir in sea salt. Let cool slightly.

2. To make the bars, combine all the ingredients until smooth. Pour into the pan and pat down. Place in freezer for about 10 minutes.

3. Take the dish out of the freezer, pour the caramel sauce over the bars, and then put back in the freezer for another 10 minutes while you make the chocolate drizzle.

4. To make the chocolate, use a small double boiler (or saucepan with water and glass bowl) to melt the chocolate. Once melted set aside.

5. Remove the pan from the freezer and sprinkle the cereal over the top. Then drizzle the chocolate over the top.

6. Next sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded coconut over the top. Place the pan in the refrigerator until it’s completely set, about an hour.

7. Remove from the pan, cut into 9 bars and then serve.

Tips for making the BEST bars

• Must store in the refrigerator, otherwise it will melt.
• To make this AIP, you need to replace the chocolate topping with a carob glaze. Combine 1/4 cup melted Coconut Butter, 1/4 cup melted Coconut Oil, 2 tablespoons Carob Powder and 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup into a small bowl. Stir to combine and then drizzle like you would the chocolate according to the instructions.
• Make sure to let the caramel layer set in the freezer before adding the cereal. Otherwise, the cereal will absorb the caramel and get chewy. You won’t get the crunch you expect from cereal.

If you like this AIP recipe, you’ll love these AIP desserts.

• AIP ‘Chocolate’ Marshmallows
• AIP ‘Chocolate’ Mug Cake
• AIP Hot ‘Chocolate’
• AIP ‘Chocolate’ Cake
• AIP Lace Cookies

Love seeing my delicious recipes? You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to.

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise.
• I always use Himalayan sea salt or Celtic sea salt, unless otherwise noted.
• The majority of my recipes are strict AIP or include notations for reintroductions. However, while I make every effort to label non-AIP ingredients and recipes sometimes, they slip past me. If you have questions, please ask in advance.

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing your thoughts on my recipes so please rate and comment below.