Date and Nut Caramel Bars

These date and nut caramel bars are gooey, but have a wonderful texture thanks to the nuts and seeds included in them.

This is such a quick bake and works wonders for a teatime treat. The recipe is really a mish mash of everything I can find in my kitchen when making them.

The inspiration for the date and nut flavours come from my favourite muffin from Mugg and Bean, which they have sadly discontinued. I love the gooeyness which comes from the caramel, but all the different nuts and seeds included add some texture and crunch to the bars.

I stumbled across this recipe in a recipe book a while back, but for the life of me cannot remember where. I would credit the original recipe if I could recall it. That being said, this recipe is never the same each time I make it as there are new additions thrown into the mix. The latest version had cranberries in it. I have included a list of substitutes which you can use in the tips below, so that there are ideas you can explore. That being said, let me know if try any other adaptations, in the comments.

Happy baking!

TIPS FOR MAKING THESE DATE AND NUT CARAMEL BARS:

• What can I use instead of the golden syrup? The golden syrup gives this recipe its wonderful chewy, caramel flavour. You can substitute runny honey or glucose syrup in equal quantities.
• Can I make substitutions with the almonds and pecans? The nuts in the recipe can be easily substituted with other nuts. Try pistachios, walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts and even hazelnuts.
• Can I make substitutions for the dates? Try using raisins, sultanas, dried cranberries or even goji berrries.
• Can these be made vegan? I personally have not tested this as a vegan recipe, but you can try substituting the butter for coconut oil and the cream for coconut cream.

If you make this recipe, please share it with me by tagging me on Instagram @adventureswithsugar or on Facebook at Adventures with Sugar. Please also leave a comment below to let me know how you got on with the recipe.

DATE AND NUT CARAMEL BARS

• 135g unsalted butter
• 120g light muscavado sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 45ml cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 100g almonds
• 50g pecans
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 60g rolled oats
• 50g sunflower seeds
• 50g pumpkin seeds
• 50g sesame seeds
• 120g mejdool dates, rougly chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with baking paper and set aside.
2. Place the almonds and pecans on a tray and roast for 5 – 8 minutes, until they smell nice and toasty.
3. Whilst the nuts are roasting, place the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a pot and heat for 3 minutes until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved into the butter.
4. Add in the cream and vanilla essence to the butter and continue to mix for another minute. The mixture will bubble up a bit.
5. Chop the roasted almonds and pecans. I usually just blitz them in a food processor.
6. Add the coconut, oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and dates to a bowl.
7. Add in the roasted almonds and pecans and pour in the caramel mixture.
8. Mix until everything is combined and place into the baking tin.
9. Bake for between 15 – 20 minutes, until the bars turn a golden brown and the edges begin to get darker.
10. Once they are out of the oven, let them cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then place them in the fridge to cool completely, before slicing them.

Recipe by adventureswithsugar.com