Raw Caramel Slice (GF + V)

For a long time, I was so sceptical about the whole raw dessert thing. Everything is made of dates, I thought. And it all just tastes like coconut oil, I believed. And there’s just as much sugar/fructose in raw desserts as in the “real thing”, so why bother? I mused.

And then I was in a position where I needed to make something vegan for a friend, and I remembered having seen this recipe in a magazine. And I remembered that it looked good. And seemed simple enough to put together.
So after coughing up about $50 at the store to stock up on all the “alternative” ingredients (rice malt syrup, anyone?), I made this raw caramel slice.

And yes, it is made mostly of dates. And yes, it tasted like coconut. And indeed, it’s damn full of sugar, even if that sugar is unrefined. But boy oh boy was it good. So, so good. And addictive? They are super soft at room temperature so I stored mine in the freezer and kept finding myself sneaking back there for just a small slice, and then another one, and then another (or five). I had to give the rest away to stop myself from finishing the whole slab, and for days afterwards I found myself craving the sticky filling, caramel tones, nutty base and chewy texture of these bars.

Now that I’ve stocked up on all the ingredients, I’ll definitely be making these again. The only thing I was totally not a fan of was the “chocolate” topping. It was basically just a whole lot of rice malt syrup + a little cocoa. I would think that if you’re not desperate for the raw element, but still want something vegan, melting down some dark chocolate + coconut oil would probably do the trick. It would be less sweet, would no longer melt at room temperature, and would taste a heck of a lot better. Totally up to you.

Just don’t get addicted. X

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay.