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!
PREP TIME: 20 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 10 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the crust
1 cup (100grams)oats ,rolled, old fashioned or quick oats
½ cup (60grams)pecans or walnuts, use shelled sunflower seeds or more oats for nut-free
¼teaspoonsea salt
4tablespoonsnut/seed butter
approximately 3tablespoonsmaple syrup
For the caramel
1 packed cup (175grams)Medjool dates, measured after pitting (about 10 to 11 dates)
2tablespoonsnut/seed butter
½teaspoonvanilla extract
¼teaspoonsea salt
approximately 5tablespoonscanned coconut milk
For the chocolate topping
¾ cup (130grams)dairy-free chocolate chips
½ cup (120mls)canned coconut milk
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
Store the cookie cups in the freezer. You can leave them in the tin or pop out and store in a container. Leftover caramel? Store date caramel in a jar in the fridge. It will keep for up to 14 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.