CARAMEL APPLE BARS!

Hello friends! Fall is officially here!

Bring on the apple picking, bring on the pumpkin spice everything, bring on the spooky decorations and big chunky sweaters! I am HERE. FOR. IT!!

In celebration of fall, I decided to bust out my favorite fall flavor: APPLE CINNAMON!!!

If you know anything about me, then you know that I eat pumpkin all year ’round. Even in the heat of July, you can find me baking a pumpkin to eat for lunch. So, to be honest, “pumpkin spice season” is just another day at the office.

But APPLE season! Come to mama!

Growing up, I loved getting caramel apples. You know the type: sticky gooey caramel with picture-perfect drizzles of white and dark chocolate. Sometimes they’d roll it in mini m&m’s, or chopped peanuts.

No matter which way you’d slice it, I loved them.

So — I decided to recreate that iconic black and white caramel apple as a delicious treat to enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Introducing my caramel apple bars!

Sticky, and chewy dates are paired with nutty almond butter and crunchy apple chips, and topped off with the most decadent of dark and white chocolate drizzles!

(I use this brand of apple chips – they are hands down the best I’ve ever had! — this is NOT sponsored! (I wish! haha)

And the best part?! They’re grain and gluten free, vegan, paleo, AND Specific Carb Diet friendly!

Make a batch to keep in your fridge. I’ll betcha they won’t last more than a few days!

Here’s What You Need: (Makes 12 bars)

20 dates, pitted
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup + 8 raw cashews (divided)
1/4 cup + 1/4 cup raw almonds (divided)
2 cups baked apple chips (divided)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 healthy pinches of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Drizzle: (SCD and Paleo: omit)
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp coconut oil, divided

Tools:
Food Processor
Good Chef’s Knife
Parchment Paper
Square brownie pan
Pyrex measuring cup

Directions:
Throw your dates, almond butter, 1/2 cup cashews, 1/4 cup almonds, 1 cup baked apple chips, cinnamon, salt and vanilla into the food processor. Process until it resembles wet sand, and is starting to clump together.

Then, add your remaining apple chips and 1/8 cup of the almonds to the food processor, and process for a few more seconds.

Line your brownie pan with parchment paper. You’ll want it to go up over the sides so you can easily pull out the bars from the pan.

Then, pour all of your dough from the food processor into the lined brownie pan.

Then, take another sheet of parchment paper and place it on top of the dough. Then, with your hands (on top of the parchment), smoosh the dough to the corners of the pan, creating an even layer of dough.

Then, with your remaining 8 cashews and 1/8 cup of almonds, chop or break them up with your hands. Remove the top parchment paper, and place them evenly on the flattened dough. Then, return the parchment paper to the top, and with your hands, smoosh them into the dough. (This creates a nice texture surprise in the bars).

Pop the dough in the fridge to chill.

To prepare your drizzle, melt your baking chips + 1/4 tsp coconut oil in a microwave safe dish or pyrex. Microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring frequently. Then, once it is all drizzly, with a fork, drizzle over your bars, as much or as little as you’d like!

Return to the fridge to cool, for either 2 hours, or overnight.

Then, with a sharp knife, cut into 12 bars. Wrap each individually in parchment paper, and store in the refrigerator in a closed container for up to 3 weeks.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh — these bars were EVERYTHING OF THE SORT!

When I tell you that they are phenomenal, I mean — phenomenal!

The texture on these babies is so delightful. Baked apple chips are SO crunchy and crispy – that when you blitz them up in the food processor, they give the bars almost this rice crispie treat texture. They’re SO GOOD!

And I’ve got to tell you: something happens to dates when you add a little hint of vanilla. It becomes, truly, like caramel! Buttery, rich, sticky, and SUPER sweet – it really gives you that caramel punch you love from a traditional caramel apple.

And I don’t need to tell you how healthy they are! My, my, my – eating well never tasted so good!

So give these a try – they are the easiest thing you will ever make — and the pay off is next level!!

**Another option, is instead of making these into bars, you can roll them into little balls, and drizzle or dip those in chocolate. Then they’re more of a little cookie or a bite!

“This is what the Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ez 37:5

TAKE ME TO THE B³ STORE!

A huge shoutout to Reason Nutrition Beverage! Their all-natural, high calorie drink is not only delicious, but it has no “garbage” in it! Utilizing the wholesome goodness of coconut oil, it’s a phenomenal option for those needing to gain weight in recovery, or for those simply looking to supplement their diet with convenient and fast nutrition. Check them out!

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