These. Are. Divine. Seriously, my kids did NOT believe me when I said I made them! They were sure I bought them. THAT’S how good they are!!
Pin it for later!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
|
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- dash salt
- 1 cup almonds chopped, raw or roasted
- 1 10 oz package Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Ingredients
|
Instructions
- Place a piece of parchment paper in an 8x8 glass pan (small enough to just cover the bottom).
- In a saucepan, combine the butter, coconut milk, syrup and salt.
- Cook over medium heat until it reaches about 225 degrees, until the caramel is kind of a thick and gooey texture...about 25-35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips in a double boiler.
- Take about half of the melted chocolate and spread it into the 8x8 pan.
- Sprinkle the chopped almonds over the chocolate.
- Place in fridge while the caramel finishes cooking.
- Once the caramel is done, remove from heat and let sit for about 15 minutes to cool (you can put it in the fridge to speed this part up).
- Pour the caramel over the chocolate and almonds.
- Spread remaining chocolate over the caramel (if you need to re-melt it a little bit, just pop it back on the stove for a few minutes.
- Place in fridge to chill *completely*, then remove and cut into bars.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Be careful, these will suck you in!
Share this Recipe
Like what you read? Sign up here and get my Top 10 Recipes ebook for free!
Jennifer says
Just curious…what can you use in place of the coconut milk? Thanks! These looks so yummy!
radlandon says
You can use regular milk if you’re ok with it!
Laura says
I am soo making this today!! Thanks for the recipe! I really enjoy seeing the awesome things you make that are gluten free and delicious! 🙂
Nikki Wilcox says
Can you use coconut oil in place of butter? How much would you use? I have found I can’t substitute coconut oil 1:1 with butter because my stuff comes out greasy.
radlandon says
Hi, Nikki! I’m sorry, I thought I responded to this yesterday, but it didn’t show up! I have no idea whether coconut oil would work well–you could try doing a 1/4 cup instead of a 1/2 cup of butter, but I can’t guarantee the results!! Let me know if you try it and if it turns out!
Jaclyn says
Maybe try palm shortening? I see it more commonly used as a straight-up butter substitution.
Nikki says
Have you used melted palm shortening before, Jaclyn? I wondered about it, but I have only used it in baked goods and frosting and didn’t know if melting it would work or not.
Shawn says
Yes, I would love to hear of dairy free versions that turned out well!! Please share any positive results!! 😉
Jill Trent says
How exactly did you make the caramel? My came out runny and gooey. I don’t know what I did wrong… It tasted good, but was a MESS! Your picture looks so pretty and mine, well… not so much =)
radlandon says
I’m thinking maybe my thermometer runs low on the temperature as it seems other people are having this problem. The caramel should be almost a “paste” type consistency when you remove it from the heat. If you make them again, try cooking it longer. I am going to alter the temperature in the recipe. So sorry!
Jill Trent says
Also maybe my coconut milk wasn’t mixed well. Maybe I got more of the thin part of the milk or something. I cooked it for a long time. I’ll just keep experimenting until it gets thicker. Btw- this candy bar tastes better than any store bought! Love it!
Julie Hernandez says
I tried to make these, and I couldn’t stop eating them!
radlandon says
Julie, did your caramel harden? I’ve had a number of people with issues with the consistency. I changed the temp in the recipe; I think my thermometer must be running low on the temp.
Kristin G says
I tried this with coconut oil and it did not work…I could not get it to thicken, mostly because it started boiling and splattering everywhere well before 200 degrees. I will try again with butter, even though we don’t usually eat it, because these look so good!!
radlandon says
Thanks for letting me know!
Nikki Wilcox says
Ok. So I made the caramel this morning. I was not making the bars, but just wanted a dairy and chemical free sauce for dipping apples in. I used melted palm shortening. I also mixed 1 TBSP of arrowroot powder and 1 TBSP of water together and added that, since I saw that so many people were having trouble getting it to thicken. It came out pretty nicely. Once it was cold, it was a little thicker than I’d like for dipping apples, so next time I will use half the amount of arrowroot powder. Three of my four kids liked it. I think the 4th would have liked it if it had been a little looser.
Kat says
Lovely sounding recipe can’t wait to make it. I have used coconut oil a lot in the last 1 1/2 years so might be able to answer one of the posted questions. If you use coconut oil in anything the item will tend to be greasier. It’s mostly due to the fact that it melts when temp reaches 76 degrees F (or your hand holding the delicious item heats it up) causing it to start to melt. Usually anything you make with coconut oil, especially candy should be kept stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe…off to make it this afternoon.
Kyra says
I wonder if the consistency problems are coming from using the coconut oil in the carton (which I tried and had the same problem, although it seemed to be “full fat”). I’m guessing it would work great from the pure coconut milk straight from a can.
Thank you for a delicious recipe!!
Anne says
Wow! These are amazing. I used pecans for half. Yummy too. My friend says they taste like See’s candy. I think they taste better because they aren’t as sweet and don’t hurt my teeth! Love your blog!
Kelley says
Can you substitute honey for the maple syrup?
radlandon says
Yes! The flavor will be a bit different, but it should work just fine. Just make sure it is a thick texture before you remove it from the heat!
Meggin D says
Sigh. I wish mine looked as good as yours! LOL!
Mine are delicious, but the caramel didn’t set up. And I cooked it, and cooked it and cooked it. Sooo yummy! And this means that I’ll probably get to eat the whole batch myself!
I should really go freeze some before that happens…
radlandon says
Hi, Meggin! I”m sorry yours didn’t set up. It seems that the caramel is very finicky. I usually cook mine for 20-25 minutes, and remove it once it starts getting kind of like a glue consistency. I’m sorry it didn’t work out!! =(
Meggin D says
It’s totally okay! Mine cooked and cooked and cooked! I’m going to try it again, and I have to say that the bars are sooo delicious that I HAVE eaten nearly the whole thing!! LOL!
Yum yum yum!!!
Thanks for a fantastic recipe – and for replying!
Carey Huyser says
I immediately started making these after they were featured on Just Eat Real Food. Caramel is cooling as we speak. I took a taste and WOW it is so good! Thank you for sharing!!
Yahkaryah says
hey there, ok so first I want to thank you very much for this post I have been looking for a Carmel that is acceptable for my family and I to eat. it having to be dairy free, first time I tried a different one I found it just turned to hard candy not nice at all now this one was so nice I was so excited to make so much with this new found joy of mine lol u first was going to make a twix bar well I didn’t have time to make the shortbread so I made the almond bar but as im ready to put the carmel on its hard so I had to re-heat it to soften it…..ok so as im doing this im also trying to get dinner ready so here I am getting the squash and carrots ready to put in the oven I …………………totally burnt the carmel………..:( so sad. how could I do this I was so excited not cool at all. so my husband said he would still eat it and hes like im sure its going to be great. so whatever I make it anyways the end result its a new improved SKOR bar…. hehe its alright but I cant wait to try this journey again and make the oh so yummy carmel real carmel and using pure maple syrup is the best part, I live in Canada and have pure local maple syrup yes so awesome. 🙂 I really just wanted to thank you for this recipe 🙂 love it
radlandon says
Aw, sorry it burned!!! The Skor bar sounds good though! Hope your next batch turns out!
radlandon says
Just a note: I’ve updated this recipe to say “salted” butter instead of just “butter.” I tried the recipe with unsalted butter, and the consistency was grainy, and the butter seemed to separate a bit. Just wanted to let you all know!
Cynthia says
I made the Carmel and cooked till 225 degrees. Used full fat coconut milk. I had to pour the oil from coconut milk off. Afterwards I let it cool for about 10 minutes and poured over chocolate. Put in fridge so I could go ahead and finish the last layer. They are prefect. Now having to pour off that oil had slightly confused me because they turned out great. Wonder why I had to pour off the oil? It was about a 1/4 cup worth.
Cynthia says
Oops did not proof read!! Perfect not prefect!!
radlandon says
Hmmm, I’m not sure. That has happened to me once before, and I never figured out why. Caramel is so finicky!
Starlene @ GAPS Diet Journey says
I wonder what would happen if you just added some salt to unsalted butter? Maybe I’ll try and see how it works out. These look so delicious!
Jennifer says
Would love to know if that worked out since we try to only use unsalted butter and add Real salt instead.
Life Made Full says
It worked out great for me!
Jennifer says
Thanks! About how much extra salt did you add? Just a pinch or two?
Life Made Full says
Probably about a 1/2-3/4 tsp?
Maddie Lynn says
I don’t have a candy thermometer and was therefore afraid to attempt making the caramel from scratch. So, I used this recipe as a template and did my own thing.
I melted 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave and spread it on a buttered piece of wax paper. I tried to get a thin but reasonably even layer in a rectangle shape.
I pressed 6 oz slivered almonds into the melted chocolate, then put it aside to cool completely.
I then drizzled pancake syrup over the almonds to get the maple flavor in the original recipe.
Next, I heated a 14 oz bag of Kraft caramels in a sauce pan with 2 tablespoons cold water over medium low heat, stirring constantly. As soon as the caramels were smooth and melted, I took it still stirring over to the now-cooled base and poured it on, half at first, down the middle, then spreading it, then adding more and spreading it, until all the pourable melted caramel was pretty much even over the surface of the base.
I then sprinkled a generous layer of coarse pink salt over the warm caramel.
Immediately after that, I sprinkled shredded coconut over the caramel layer and pressed it in. I didn’t measure the coconut, but it was enough to cover the caramel in a nice layer.
I sprinkled a little more pink salt over the coconut and gently pressed it into the still warm caramel.
When all that was completely and utterly cool, I used a pastry brush to remove the excess coconut, brushing it off until all I was left with the coconut that was actually embedded in the caramel. I collected the excess coconut to the corner of the wax paper and put it in a Zip-Loc bag for storage.
I melted another 6 oz of semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave, poured it over the previously layered candy, and spread it evenly to cover, as in the photo of the original recipe.
My finished rectangle was 11 in x 7 in and yielded 24 remarkably evenly sized pieces. I waited until it was completely cool to cut it.
I know this will not satisfy the requirements for nongluten, etc…but it’s an easy and really delicious candy, with many layers of flavor. I can’t thank you enough for your recipe. I have a candy thermometer on my Christmas list. Hopefully I’ll be able to make this recipe for real on December 26th <3
Julie says
I’ve never made caramel before so was a bit scared to try this but was feeling “brave” today… Didn’t have a thermometer so just went for thick and gooey and…. Holy wow is this yummy… Turned out AWESOME which could be a bad thing i.e., way too addictive thing 😉 Thank you for a quick and easy treat.
Julie says
Forgot to mention that I used
– unsalted butter (all I had) plus a pinch of salt
– silicone muffin cups for portion control/portability vs. 8×8 pan
Thanks again
Life Made Full says
So glad you liked it, Julie!!
Tina says
I made this today exactly like the recipe said & the ‘caramel’ never got thick or gooey or caramel-like but instead stayed very runny & soupy. Tasted delicious but obviously couldn’t be eaten as bars but rather with a spoon. Where did I go wrong???
Life Made Full says
Hi, Tina! How long did you cook the caramel?
Tina says
Until it reached 225 like called for. I’m thinking now it may have been the maple syrup. It was from a friend who makes her own & it was a bit more runny than even the organic store-bought kind so I wonder if that didn’t have something to do with it????
Stacey says
I’m making this right now and didn’t have ‘full fat’ coconut milk but only low fat. Rather than run to the store, I decided to take my chances. That was provably a bad idea because the mixture isn’t thickening at all. Is this salvageable?
Life Made Full says
Hi, Stacey! How did it turn out? I haven’t tried it with low-fat before. I hope it turned out ok!
lexee says
hi there! excited to try this recipe… how much does it yield??
Life Made Full says
Hi, lexee! It makes an 8×8 pan, so it depends on how big you cut the squares. Hope that helps!
Nikki Frank-Hamilton says
Saw this on twitter, retweeted but not before I drooled on my keyboard!!! And gluten-free, I am in love! Thank you!
Lori Callo says
I made these yesterday I have had the same issue with my carmel it didn’t thicken up at all. I added some corn starch but that didn’t help either. I finally took it off the stove and put it in a bowl in the fridge for a couple of hours it helped a little but when I poured it over the chocolate and almonds it was runny. I spread the remaining chocolate on top and put it in the freezer. It tastes SOOOO good but it’s more like chocolate almond w/caramel ice cream which I am not complaining about at all just doesn’t look like your. If I keep them in the freezer they stay in tact. I am going to make them again today and see if I can get it right.
Shanti Landon says
Hi, Lori! How long did you end up cooking it? Were you using a candy thermometer?
Lori Callo says
forgot to ask can I substitute Coconut cream for coconut milk? I have full fat coconut cream so that’s what I used….
Shanti Landon says
I haven’t used coconut cream before, so I’m not sure. In theory, it should be ok?
Lori Callo says
Shanti,
I bought the coconut milk full fat and I used a candy thermometer today. I ended up letting it cook for at least 30 minutes before it actually got gooey and thick so I think it’s a matter of how each stove works for each person I don’t think you can put a time limit on this. I just cut the bars and they look great! I was going to post a pic but don’t have that option.
Again thanks for the recipe and replying! They taste absolutely amazing and are very addicting no matter how they look 🙂
Lori Callo says
Shanti,
I bought the coconut milk full fat and I used a candy thermometer today. I ended up letting it cook for at least 30 minutes before it actually got gooey and thick so I think it’s a matter of how each stove works for each person I don’t think you can put a time limit on this. I just cut the bars and they look great!
Anya Leveille says
I made these, but when I went to cut the, the chocolate ‘shattered’ and the insides came all out. =( I cooked the caramel until it was the appropriate temp; maybe I’ll try even longer next time. But it was nearly a paste, and if I stopped stirring it started burning to the bottom of the pan. Taste great though!
Shanti Landon says
I’m sorry to hear this, Anya! =( Hope you were still able to salvage it!
Heather says
Mine turned out terrible. I heated the caramel to 225 degrees, and let it cool for 15 minutes as stated in the recipe. It did not set up. It is runny, and not at all the way the recipe stated. I am starting to think that there are no refined sugar free recipes that actually work.
Kari says
Can I use ghee in place of butter? I’m currently paleo.