Raw Cinnamon Caramel Slice
Hands down my favourite dessert growing up was a caramel slice. One of the best caramel slices I ever had was at a café near my Grandad’s house in Spain. I have no recollection of how old I was, or what we were discussing, just the taste of the perfect caramel slice; a slim biscuit base, a thick caramel layer and a generous amount of chocolate.
My mum used to buy mini caramel bites from the supermarket for school snacks, but I had ZERO portion control and would eat half the pack as soon as it was opened. To be honest, they weren’t even that tasty, not a patch on these raw cinnamon caramel slices, but I was addicted to sugar and used to eat so much processed food. Young(er) me would not believe I was eating nuts and seeds as dessert!
Now that I’ve cleaned up my diet, I’m finding it really fun to create all my favourite ‘unhealthy’ foods with wholesome, healthy ingredients that aren’t going to upset my gut or cause my skin to break out in cystic mountains.
The first thing I recreated was chocolate, because chocolate is life…duh. My chocolate obsession is closely followed by my cinnamon obsession. I add cinnamon to ALL sweet things: fruit, raw treats, bakes and my smoothies. That’s why when I was blending up the caramel layer for this caramel slice, I couldn’t help myself but add in some ceylon cinnamon.
What’s Makes Caramel in This Raw Caramel Slice?
To create a thick dairy free caramel layer I’ve used sticky toffee like medjool dates and blened them with almond butter. The almond butter adds healthy fats that help slow the release of sugar (from the dates) into the blood stream, the cinnamon futher helps to balance blood sugar levels.
How Long Do Raw Caramel Slices Keep For?
As these raw vegan caramel slices are made with whole food ingredients they tend to be best eaten within 3 days, but last up to 5 days in an air tight container in the fridge. I found they work best if you freeze them in a container and then take you out as and when you want to eat one. They dethaw pretty quickly.
What’s So Special About Ceylon Cinnamon?
Whilst cassia cinnamon (the standard type you get in the supermarket) has benefits, Ceylon cinnamon (a.k.a true cinnamon) contains 250 times less coumarin. Coumarin is a potentially toxic flavouring substance (and ingredient in the blood thinning medicine Warfarin) that can cause liver damage in sensitive individuals. Don’t panic! It’s only an issue if, like me, you eat A LOT of cinnamon on the regular.
Benefits of Ceylon Cinnamon:
- Anti-inflammatory: helping to reduce inflammation in the body associated with auto immune diseases
- Anti-oxidants: fight ageing free radicals, making it great for your skin
- Regulate blood sugar levels: making it great for diabetics, and reducing sugar spikes
- Anti-microbial: to fight unwanted bacteria and fungal infections
Now let’s eat! Cinna-nom.
Ingredients
BASE
½ cup ground almonds
¼ cup coconut flour
1 tbsp ground / milled flaxseed
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
3 tbsp honey or maple
¼ tsp vanilla
3 tbsp water
CARAMEL
7 soaked medjool dates
Water (from the soaked dates)
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp ceylon cinnamon
CHOCOLATE
¼ cup cacao powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
2-3 tbsp coconut sugar
Pinch Himalayan / sea salt
¼ tsp ceylon cinnamon
3-4 tbsp warm water
Method
- Soak the dates in hot water and set aside.
- Line a freezer friendly container with baking paper. I used a little coconut oil to stop the base layer sticking.
- Add the dry base ingredients to a bowl. Mix. Then add the wet. Mix until it comes together like a dough.
- Transfer the base to the container and firmly press until roughly level. Place in the freezer.
- Add the dates to a blender. Keep the water! Blend until finely chopped. Gradually add some of the date water until the date mix becomes smooth.
- Add the rest of the caramel ingredients and blend until well combines. Taste and adjust sweet/saltyness to your preference.
- Pour the caramel over the base and spread out into an even layer. Place back in the freezer.
- Allow the caramel to set a little before making the chocolate.
- Add all the chocolate ingredients to a bowl and mix until silky smooth and pourable.
- Pour the chocolate over the caramel. Return to the freezer to set.
- Once set, cut into slices & enjoy! I stored my in a tub in the freezer to defrost (or even eat icy cold) whenever my sweet tooth demanded.
