Oat Caramel Apple Bars

Fall Treat Everyone Will Love

Caramel apples were a childhood fall staple of mine. Anytime I saw one I needed to have it. Since going vegan, I haven’t had a caramel apple. While this recipe isn’t exactly like the real thing, it still tastes super delicious and is made with healthier ingredients.

This recipe is also gluten-free (depending on the oats you use) and refined-sugar-free. To make this nut-free, you can omit the almond flour and add in more protein powder.

If you have never baked with dates before or tried them, they are naturally super sweet. They give off a caramel like taste. A lot of vegan caramel recipes use dates. They are super nutritious as well.

Oats: I used rolled oats. You could also use quick oats.

Maple syrup: you can substitute this with any liquid sweetener of choice.

Nut butter: I used sunflower seed butter. Any nut or seed butter will work. I wouldn’t recommend peanut butter as it has a super strong flavor.

Protein powder: I used a plant-based vanilla protein. Any flavor will work. I would recommend a somewhat plain flavor, so it doesn’t overpower the whole recipe.

Nondairy milk: I used unsweetened almond milk. Any nondairy milk will work. If you aren’t vegan traditional milk also works.

Apple: any type of apple will work.

Before making the caramel layer, I would recommend soaking the dates in boiling water. It makes it a lot easier to mash them and not have clumps in the caramel.

I made the caramel layer in a pot. You could also add those ingredients to a blender as an easier option.

Ingredients:

• Oats

• Maple syrup

• Nut butter

• Protein powder

• Almond flour

• Dates

• Nondairy milk

• Apple

Recipe:

Base:

• ½ cup oats

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 1/3 cup nut butter

• ¼ cup protein powder

• ¼ cup almond flour

  Caramel:

• About 10 dates

• 1/3 cup nut butter

• ¼ cup nondairy milk

  Top:

• ½ - ¾ cup chopped apple

Directions:

1.    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.    Line a baking pan with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

3.    In a pot on low heat, add your dates, nondairy milk, and nut butter.

4.    Continue to stir until a caramel like paste forms. Set aside once that is achieved.

5.    In a bowl combine your oats, maple syrup, nut butter, protein powder, and almond flour.

6.    Stir well until a batter is formed.

7.    Transfer this to your baking pan and add the caramel layer on top.

8.    Add the chopped apple on top of this and bake for 20 minutes.

Be sure to store these in the refrigerator or freezer. They should last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can prep a large batch and store them in the freezer. They should last for a month minimum.

If you try this recipe and enjoy it, I would love if you could press the “like” button at the bottom of this page or leave a comment. Either one of those really helps me out!

If you ever have any questions about a recipe or substitutions, don’t hesitate to reach out 