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Decadent, fudgy, chocolatey, rich, and creamy Caramel Chocolate Brownies! This vegan, gluten-free no-bake dessert will literally melt in your mouth and you will have a hard time to stop eating it.
Fudgy Caramel Chocolate Brownies
Where do I start?! Well, I have no idea because this fudgy deliciousness blew my mind. Seriously, this dessert is so good and if you have a sweet tooth you have to give it a try! Sometimes we all need a sweet treat and therefore I love to be prepared when the chocolate craving kicks in!
These bite-sized caramel chocolate brownies are perfect as a sweet treat and after eating just one you won’t feel as full as after eating a big piece of cake. But you will be satisfied because the combination of chocolate and caramel will make your tastebuds very happy. So without further ado let’s get started.
No-Bake Recipe
This recipe is a no-bake recipe which means you don’t need an oven to make it! Awesome right? It isn’t a raw recipe though, mainly because of the caramel. However, it’s also possible to make the middle layer of these caramel chocolate brownies with dates.
This would also make the dessert much healthier. Therefore I will include the recipe for the date version in the recipe notes! Then you can choose which version you wanna try. You could also make both versions and decide which one you like more.
Gluten-free And Vegan
As you know all my recipes are always vegan and gluten-free and so is this one. The no-bake brownie base contains ground flax seeds, dates, powdered peanut butter (you can use almond flour instead), cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. And that’s it! It’s actually one of my most popular dessert recipes which currently has 50 (almost) 5-star ratings which proof that the recipe is very good!
The caramel layer makes this dessert even more delicious. As mentioned before, I will give you a second (healthier) option in the recipe notes. The third layer is just melted dairy-free chocolate which means it’s really easy to make!
Store the Chocolate Caramel Brownies in the freezer
I prefer to store these caramel chocolate bars in the freezer and once I have those sweet cravings I take one out and let it thaw for about 20 minutes. Eating just one of these bite-sized caramel brownies will satisfy my tastebuds!
If you store them in the fridge you might have a hard time to stop eating them, haha, therefore I recommend to store them in the freezer as well!
These Caramel Brownie Bites are:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Fudgy
- Chocolately
- Great as dessert or snack
- A yummy no-bake recipe
- Freezer friendly
- Healthier than most caramel brownies
Should you recreate these caramel chocolate brownies, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations. Also, if you love brownies, definitely also check out my other healthy brownie recipes.
Caramel Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
Brownie Layer:
- Wet ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (130 g) dates (should be soft and moist)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean
- Dry ingredients:
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (65 g) flax seeds
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp (30 g) cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 4 tbsp (32 g) powdered peanut butter or almond flour (ground almonds)
- Pinch of sea salt
Caramel Layer:
- 1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup (or agave syrup)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut milk (canned)
- 4 tbsp (40 g) brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 2 heaped tbsp (40 g) peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter)
- Pinch of sea salt
Chocolate Layer:
- 3/4 cup (135 g) dairy-free chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, chopped)
- 2 tsp (10 g) coconut oil
Instructions
Brownie Layer:
- Grind the whole flax seeds in an electric coffee/spice grinder (or blender) until they turn into flour. You can also use 65 g of store-bought GROUND flax seeds but make sure it's fresh.
- Process all dry ingredients in a food processor, then add the dates and vanilla extract and process until the dough sticks together when you press it between your fingers. It might take some minutes until the dough comes together. If it's still too dry after a while then add a few dates in addition or a little bit of maple syrup or raw agave syrup. The dates should be very soft and juicy. If they are rather dry you should soak them in water until they are soft.
- Line a 6-inch square baking pan (double the recipe if you have an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan) with parchment paper and leave about a 2-inch overhang on both sides. Grease the parchment paper with a little bit of oil.
- Transfer the brownie dough into the pan and press it down firmly. Set aside.
Caramel Layer:
- Put all ingredients for the caramel layer into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir with a whisk and let simmer on low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the mixture gets thicker.
- Pour the caramel layer onto the brownie layer, and put the pan into the freezer for about 30 minutes. Check the recipe notes below for a healthier version with dates!
Chocolate Layer:
- For the chocolate layer, melt dairy-free chocolate chips with coconut oil in a water bath (or double boiler).
- Once the chocolate is melted pour it on top of the caramel layer and put the pan back into the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Cut into mini bars (works best with a hot knife!).
- Store in the fridge. You can also freeze these caramel chocolate brownies in zip-lock bags! Enjoy!
Notes
- 130 g dates, soaked in hot water
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) coconut milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp (25 g) smooth peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
- Pinch of salt
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Marthini says
February 28, 2019 at 5:28 pmThis looks lush! Do you think cashew or almond butter would work just as well for the caramel?
Ela says
February 28, 2019 at 6:33 pmThank you! And yes, that should totally work as well. 🙂
Kaitlyn says
May 9, 2019 at 3:00 amAll I have to do is melt the chocolate, but I can already tell this recipe is a hit!!! I used tahini in the caramel layer and it worked beautifully.
Ela says
May 9, 2019 at 5:40 pmYay, that’s fantastic! 🙂 So happy you love the recipe, Kaitlyn!
melissa duuring says
February 28, 2019 at 9:58 pmThis looks awesome! Saw it on your instagram. Can I use chia instead of flax seed?
Ela says
February 28, 2019 at 11:01 pmHey Melissa! Even though I never tried using ground chia seeds in this recipe, I am pretty sure it should work without any problems! Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂
Bianca Zapatka says
March 1, 2019 at 10:40 amThey look so delicious! Would love to grab some ????
Ela says
March 1, 2019 at 8:41 pmThank you, Bianca! I wish I could send you some haha. 🙂
Chelsea says
March 2, 2019 at 5:59 amI made these yesterday and they are absolutely amazingly delish and super easy to make thanks Ela x
Ela says
March 2, 2019 at 12:59 pmYay! I am so happy you loved them! Thanks for your great feedback, Chelsea! 🙂
Mae says
March 2, 2019 at 7:55 amI made these yesterday for a friend who is gluten free. I loved them so much and my friend said they were amazing! I especially loved the peanut butter caramel – delicious! ????????
Ela says
March 2, 2019 at 1:00 pmAwesome! That’s wonderful that both you and your friend loved them. Thank you very much, Mae! 🙂
Jess @choosingchia says
March 2, 2019 at 1:55 pmI love the combination of chocolate and caramel! <3
Ela says
March 2, 2019 at 6:50 pmIt’s the best, isn’t it? Thanks, Jess! 🙂
Hannah says
March 3, 2019 at 8:06 amThese were so delicious! I used chia as had run out of flax and it worked a treat! The children loved them too!
Ela says
March 3, 2019 at 1:18 pmYay, that’s great! I am glad the recipe also worked with chia! Thanks, Hannah! 🙂
Jessica McLaws says
March 4, 2019 at 9:17 pmMine were an ooey gooey mess as my caramel layer never thickened up as much as yours did, but they were still really tasty. I will definitely try them again!
Ela says
March 5, 2019 at 5:29 amThanks for your feedback, Jessica! 🙂
Corrie says
March 4, 2019 at 11:18 pmIs there another ingredient that I can substitute for peanut butter powder?
Ela says
March 5, 2019 at 5:28 amYes, and it’s actually mentioned in the recipe! Almond flour! 🙂
Jean says
March 11, 2019 at 3:36 amHi, recipe sounds delicious, but as much as I like coconut, I get a little bit sick of it as it seems to be in many dessert recipes. What could I use instead of the coconut milk in this recipe?
Ela says
March 11, 2019 at 3:59 amHi Jean, you could use a different plant-based milk instead of coconut milk. 🙂
Michelle says
March 11, 2019 at 4:59 amEla – these are divine! My son and I made them this afternoon and had to share them immediately with our plant-based neighbours. What an incredible recipe. Bravo!
Ela says
March 11, 2019 at 3:26 pmThat’s awesome, Michelle! So happy you liked them. 🙂
Monique says
March 19, 2019 at 8:53 amHi could I use sunflower flour or another suggestion instead of peanut powder or almond flour? We have allergies in our family
Ela says
April 6, 2019 at 2:03 pmYes, sunflower flour should work!
PS: Sorry for the super late reply, but I just found your comment in my spam folder
Juliamikaeela says
March 19, 2019 at 2:59 pmI made these yesterday and they turned out to be really delish! After keeping them in the fridge over night the sweetness and consistancy were even better!
Ela says
March 20, 2019 at 5:18 pmThat’s awesome! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Jessie says
March 30, 2019 at 1:03 amMy caramel layer never thickened. I just went with it and poured it over the brownie layer and it soaked in- it tasted great but was an awful mess lol. Any ideas why it may not have thickened? I used almond milk instead of coconut milk, could this be it?
Ela says
March 30, 2019 at 1:40 pmHey Jessie! 🙂 Yes, that could be it because canned coconut milk is higher in fat than almond milk (and coconut milk also gets quite thick in the fridge). Did you use brown sugar or coconut sugar?
Judith says
April 6, 2019 at 5:15 pmHi, I love the ingredients in this recipe however I have an allergy to dates, do you have any suggestions for another substitution?
Judith
Ela says
April 6, 2019 at 11:35 pmAny other dried fruit would work, for example, dried figs! 🙂