Raw Caramel Slice

I set myself a month long challenge, starting February 1… Vegan. Again.

I really shouldn't say “challenge” because I do enjoy eating vegan. I like finding recipes to create. I enjoy eating said recipes. I don’t really know why I stopped in the first place.. 

So now I’m back on the vegan bandwagon for a while and thought I’d share this “raw caramel slice”. It’s not really raw, because I once again didn't use cacao. To be honest, I think the raw things I've tried that have cacao in them taste like dirt.. I also substituted some other ingredients that no longer make it raw.

I found this recipe for Raw Caramel Slice here, and adapted it a bit to fit with what was in my pantry. I didn't have enough dates for both the base and the filling, I didn't have enough coconut oil for the base, filling and topping and I didn't have raw cashews (only roasted). I think the roasted cashews gave the filling that slightly darker colour.. Either way, still tasted delicious!!

You will need:

BASE

½ Cup Dried Apricots

½ Cup Dried Mixed Fruit

½ Cup Almonds

1 tsp Vegetable Oil

CARAMEL FILLING

1 Cup Dates

¼ Cup Coconut Oil

¼ Cup Vegetable Oil (this is where I substituted ¼ coconut oil and ¼ vegetable oil)

1 ½ Tablespoons Unhulled Tahini

¼ Cup Maple Syrup

¼ Cup Golden Syrup

1 Cup Cashews (covered and soaked in water for approx. an hour, then rinsed)

1/3 Cup Water

CHOCOLATE LAYER

¼ Cup Coconut Oil

¼ Cup Maple Syrup

¼ Cup Cocoa Powder

Slice Pan. (I used a tart pan, as I had run out of baking paper and wanted to use something with a removable base)

Method

Make sure you've soaked your cashews for about an hour or so. If not, you can let them soak while you’re making the base.

BASE

Pulse dried fruits, almonds and oil in a food processor until it resembles crumbs and sticks together. Pour mixture into a slice tin (or tart pan like I did) and press it down to form the base. Place in the freezer while you make your filling.

CARAMEL FILLING

Put dates, oils, tahini, syrups, cashews and water in the food processor and pulse until combined and smooth. If you think it looks a bit too thick, you can add a little more water. Pour caramel mixture on top of the base and return to the freezer to set.

CHOCOLATE LAYER

Make sure the caramel is set before you do this! Mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup and cocoa powder in a bowl. It should look like chocolate sauce. Spread the chocolate sauce on top of the caramel filling. Place back in the freezer to set. Slice it up how you wish and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Tip: It’s much easier to cut the slice when it’s straight out of the freezer. If you let it rest for too long or get to room temp, it turns into a melted mess.