Date Caramel Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars
Date caramel lends a natural sweetness and softness to these delicious blondie bars. With a crunch of chocolate in every bite, they are flavorful and not too sweet. Grain-free, dairy-free, delicious.
Equipment
- Food processor
- 8x8 baking tin
- Hand beater or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
Ingredients
For the date caramel
- 20 Medjool dates, pits still in
- 3-4 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the blondies
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 cup chocolate chips or discs or use chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, soak the dates in the boiling water for 20 minutes.
- Reserve ¼ cup of the soaking water, then drain the dates. Peel the dates (skin should easily come off) and remove the pits.
- In a food processor, place the dates, the reserved soaking water, and vanilla extract. Blend for 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as you need until creamy. Gather ¼ cup of the date caramel and transfer the rest to a small bowl. Set both aside until ready to use.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the almond flour, tapioca starch coconut sugar, baking powder, and sea salt. Stir until blended.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and coconut oil. Transfer the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and beat until a batter is formed. Add the date caramel in the small bowl and blend again. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the baking dish, spreading it evenly to all sides. The dough will be thick! Wet the back of your spatula to more easily spread if needed. With the remaining ¼ cup of date caramel, dollop a tablespoon at a time across the top of the batter. Use a knife to swirl it around.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the blondies to completely cool in the baking dish, about 2 hours. I suggest placing the baking dish in the refrigerator for an extra hour before removing the blondies and slicing them into squares.