Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars

These salted caramel dark chocolate pecan bars are one of my favorite holiday desserts. They’re rich and fudgy and really just the perfect combination of sweet and salty. They’re also gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and refined sugar free. I prefer to bake my bars, but you can choose not to bake these bars if you prefer (see recipe notes below for the no-bake option). If you’re a fan of caramel, chocolate, and pecan, these bars are a must make!

What ingredients will I need to make these pecan bars?

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make these bars. Here’s what you will need:

• almond flour
• coconut sugar
• sea salt
• pecans
• coconut oil
• water
• cashew butter (or other nut/seed butter)
• pure vanilla extract
• dark chocolate (I use dairy free and refined sugar free)

I’m allergic to coconut, what else can I use?

If you’re allergic to coconut, you can substitute the coconut oil with vegan or grass fed butter and the coconut sugar with brown sugar or raw cane sugar.

What if I don’t have cashew butter?

If you don’t have cashew butter on hand, that’s totally fine. You can substitute the cashew butter for any other nut or seed butter (though I personally recommend cashew butter in this recipe). Some other good options include almond butter, walnut butter, hazelnut butter, and peanut butter.

How do I make my own chocolate topping?

If you want to make your own chocolate topping instead of using melted dark chocolate for the topping, simply follow these instructions: add 4oz unsweetened chocolate and 1 TBS coconut oil to a small saucepan and heat it over low heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring frequently. You can also heat the mixture in the microwave if preferred. If you melt the chocolate in the microwave, make sure to stop and stir it every minute so that it doesn’t burn.

Once the chocolate is melted with the coconut oil, stir in 1/4 cup + 2 TBS maple syrup, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Do I have to bake these bars?

These bars can be enjoyed baked or unbaked (I personally enjoy them baked). The recipe below is for the baked version, but if you prefer not to bake these bars or don’t have an oven on hand, you don’t need to bake them.

To make the unbaked version, simply freeze the crust before adding the caramel to it, then once you add the caramel, freeze the crust and caramel layer before adding the melted chocolate. Once the melted chocolate has been added, freeze the bars until the chocolate hardens, then slice and serve! Store the bars in the fridge or freezer.

Looking for more tasty bars to bake?

Try some of my other baked bar recipes!

• Homemade Snickers Bars
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
• Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Millionaire’s Shortbread

5 from 1 vote

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Pecan Bars

Servings 16

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the Crust

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Caramel Pecan Filling

• 1/2 cup cashew butter (or other preferred nut/seed butter)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

For the Dark Chocolate Topping

• 8 oz dark chocolate (I use dairy free and refined sugar free)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
• While the oven preheats, mix together your crust ingredients in a large bowl until a smooth mixture forms.
• Place the crust in the lined baking dish and use a separate piece of parchment paper to press it down and spread it out evenly across the bottom of the pan. Make sure it covers the bottom of the pan completely.
• Next, prepare the salted caramel pecan filling: add the cashew butter, coconut sugar, pure vanilla extract, water, and salt to a small saucepan and heat it over low heat until the mixture begins to bubble, whisking frequently. Once the mixture beings to bubble, remove it from the heat and let it cool. You can also heat the mixture in the microwave if preferred. Whisk well before heating and heat until it begins to bubble. Once slightly cooled, stir the chopped pecans into the caramel.
• Pour the pecan caramel over the prepared crust and evenly spread it out. Bake the bars for 20 minutes in the oven, until the caramel begins to set. Once baked, let the bars cool in the pan.
• While the bars cool, prepare the chocolate topping: add the dark chocolate and coconut oil to a small saucepan and heat it over low heat until the chocolate is completely melted, stirring frequently. You can also heat the mixture in the microwave if preferred. If you melt the chocolate in the microwave, make sure to stop and stir it every 30 seconds so that it doesn't burn.
• Once melted, allow the chocolate to cool for several minutes before pouring it over the caramel pecan layer. Smooth it out with a butter knife or spatula.
• Once the chocolate layer is finished, place the bars in the refrigerator to chill until the chocolate layer is hardened, about 30 minutes.
• Once chilled remove the bars from the fridge and slice into 16 squares. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until serving.

Video

Notes

Store bars in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Course: Dessert

Diet: Gluten Free, Grain Free, Refined Sugar Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Paleo

Keyword: Gluten Free Chocolate Pecan Bars, Gluten Free Pecan Bars, Salted Caramel Chocolate Pecan Bars, Vegan Chocolate Pecan Bars, Vegan Pecan Bars