Healthier Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups! We're talking a generous oaty cookie crust, a luscious but healthy date caramel filling and a fudgy chocolate topping. Just perfect for snacking and desserts!
Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups. I see your thick, oaty cookie crust, your sticky date caramel insides and your fudgy chocolate topping and I want you right now.
So many wholesome ingredients packed into each cookie cup, and yes, they are as dense, chewy, gooey and fudgy as you are hoping they will be!
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Ingredients
Here are the wholesome ingredients you'll be needing to make Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups:
How To Make Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups
These Healthier Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups are so easy to make. Here's how:
- Make the date caramel. It takes minutes and just needs blending. No cooking is involved.
- Mix the crust up in a food processor and press into a muffin pan.
- Dollop some caramel into each one.
- Melt some chocolate into some coconut milk and pour onto the top of the caramel in each cup then freeze.
Success tip - If your dates are a little dry and hard or you have a less powerful blender or food processor that you think might struggle a bit, you can soak the dates in warm water for ten minutes prior to blending everything. That will make it easier and give you much smooth results.
Storing Cookie Cups
You can keep these cookie cups in the refrigerator, but I prefer to store them in the freezer. Once prepped, pop them straight in the freezer while still in the muffin pan, then once absolutely solid you can remove them and transfer to a container. The caramel doesn't freeze solid so you can eat them right away with no need to defrost.
So, what is in your future? It's you - In the kitchen. A super simple cookie crust on the go. A blender full of luscious caramel. A jug full of melty chocolate. Followed by a stash of Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups in the freezer.
Isn't that what vegan dreams are made of? Let's do this!
More Healthier Treats
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Healthier Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cups
Author:Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup (100 grams) oats ,rolled, old fashioned or quick oats
- ½ cup (60 grams) pecans or walnuts , use shelled sunflower seeds or more oats for nut-free
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons nut/seed butter
- approximately 3 tablespoons maple syrup
For the caramel
- 1 packed cup (175 grams) Medjool dates , measured after pitting (about 10 to 11 dates)
- 2 tablespoons nut/seed butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- approximately 5 tablespoons canned coconut milk
For the chocolate topping
- ¾ cup (130 grams) dairy-free chocolate chips
- ½ cup (120 mls) canned coconut milk
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
For the cookie crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 8 holes in a muffin pan/s with a long rectangular strip of parchment paper across the bottom and up the sides to aid in lifting out the cookie cups. (You can see my strips in my picture in the post above).
- Add the oats, nuts and salt to a food processor and process until a fine crumb, then add the nut butter and process again until combined. Add the maple syrup gradually and process in between additions until you can squeeze the mixture together in your fingers and it doesn't crumble. I used 3 tablespoons.
- Take golf ball sized pieces of the mixture and press them into each hole of the muffin pan being careful not to move the paper too much. Press it tightly and evenly with your fingers, into the bottom and up the sides, forming a cup shape.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes then remove and leave to cool in the pan.
For the caramel
- Add the dates, nut/seed butter, vanilla and salt to a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until completely smooth, while gradually adding the coconut milk to make a really thick, dollopable creamy caramel.
For the chocolate topping
- Heat the coconut milk in a pan or in the microwave until hot then remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate has melted and it's all combined and smooth.
To make the cookie cups
- Once the crusts are cool add a generous spoon of date caramel into each one, leaving just enough room for thickish layer of chocolate. Flatten the caramel as best you can with a spoon.
- Pour in enough chocolate ganache to almost fill the cups.
- Carefully transfer the muffin pan into the freezer, making sure it's flat and leave to set. They only need about 30 minutes.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Hungry For More?
This recipe was originally published on March 8th, 2018. The post has been updated with new information and now I am republishing it for you. The recipe itself remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Fran says
Can you use deglet dates if you don’t have medjool and is there a substitute I can use for coconut milk. These look seriously delicious and I would love to make them if substitutes are possible.
Many thanks
Fran
Melanie McDonald says
Medjool dates are the stickiest and most caramel like. You could use deglet dates but because they are drier you'll need more milk to loosen it up and the caramel won't be quite as rich and decadent. You can use any creamy milk instead of the coconut milk, but again the results won't be as good and rich and creamy.Hope that helps.
Olivia says
Absolutely delicious! I Was wondering if it is possible le to sub with rice flour Instead of oat flour?
Thank you :)
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you, glad you enjoyed them! I wouldn't use rice flour. It has totally different qualities to oat flour and is nowhere near as absorbent. I don't think it would work well and even if it did all hold together well (which I doubt) they'd end up with a slightly gritty texture and wouldn't taste as good.
Hope that helps!
Hélène says
I have just made the caramel and the cookie cups and I can’t wait to take them out of the freezer and try them! This is a wonderful recipe! Thank you!
Hélène
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Hélène. I hope you enjoy them!
Natalia says
The date caramel is absolutely delicious! I also was able to make 12 mini cookie cups with this recipe. Everyone loved them, thank you so much for this recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! So pleased you all enjoyed them. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a rating/review. It's much appreciated!
Maureen Cram says
Made these in mini pans... took me ages to press the base into the little molds... but! We had them today for Easter lunch dessert and they were all eaten and ooed and ahhhed over. Will make again in a larger pan perhaps but will definitely make again. Had enough crumb based for 12 mini cupcake molds. Have lots of caramel over to use and also some chocolate mix. Used the tahini in the caramel and it was amazing.
Thanks so much for the recipe. I have shared it with my vegan FB pages in South Africa.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad you enjoyed them Maureen and thank you so much for stopping by to leave feedback after you made them. It's much appreciated!
The Foodie Journey says
Yuuum! That looks so delicious!