Banana Caramel Bars
Banana caramel bars are a party for your tastebuds! Have ripe bananas? Skip the banana bread and try these banana caramel bars. A cookie shortbread crust is topped with creamy banana caramel and covered in white chocolate! These bars are paleo, vegan, and gluten-free, but you'd never guess it!
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract & pinch of sea salt
Banana caramel
- 1 1/2 super ripe, spotty bananas
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract & good pinch of sea salt
Chocolate topping
- 1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9.5x5" (or similar) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Blend the banana caramel ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add it to a pot over medium heat, bringing it to a low-bubble simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring very frequently, until it has thickened up a bit. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Meanwhile, mix together the shortbread base ingredients until dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the lined loaf pan. Bake for 11 minutes, until it's lightly golden, then remove from the oven. Let the base cool for 10 minutes or so.
- Give the banana caramel a good stir, then pour it over top of the shortbread base, using a spatula to gently spread it out evenly. Place the loaf pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours until the caramel layer has firmed up a bit.
- Once the caramel layer is pretty firm to touch, melt the chocolate. You can use the double-boiler method or combine the chocolate and oil in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring well between each, until completely smooth and melted.
- Place in the freezer for 3-4 hours to allow the bars to completely firm up. When ready to cut, let the bars sit at room-temperature for 10 minutes or so. This will help prevent the chocolate from cracking and make them easier to cut.
- Slice into bars and then store in an air-tight container. These can be stored in the freezer for longer term storage (I prefer them straight from the freezer). If you want a softer caramel, remove from the freezer and leave out at room temperature for 10 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
- Slicing tips: To prevent cracking the white chocolate top, leave the bars out at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to allow them to soften just a bit before cutting them. Running your knife under SUPER hot water prior to cutting slices will also prevent this!
- Storing banana caramel bars: Store leftover bars in an air-tight container in the freezer. They're delicious straight from the freezer, however you can let them sit at room-temperature for 10 minutes or so before eating for a softer caramel bar.