Where are all of my chocolate lovers at? There's something magic about the combination of chocolate and nuts. They just belong together. Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cashew Bars is a fun twist on the classic pairing.
Crunchy nuts and creamy chocolate are a dynamic duo. The slightly salty, savory bite of cashews combined with the sweet stroke of molten chocolate will have you savoring every bite. The only question is, corner piece or middle?
Ooey Gooey Delicious
Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cashew Bars are just as much about the texture as they are the flavor. A little crunchy, a little gooey, and a little sticky from coconut caramel.
All great ideas start with the perfect crust. This crust is similar to a shortbread style crust. Buttery, sweet, a little flaky and slightly dense. It combines Gluten Free Flour and Dairy Free butter with both white and brown sugar. Just imagine biting into the ultimate tender sugar cookie.
The next layer to these bars packs all of the nutty crunch. Grandy Organics Maple Roasted Cashews bring lightly sweet and salty flavor. The cashews are made with all organic ingredients including maple syrup, sea salt, and vanilla. They're small batch created and are just as perfect for snacking as they are baking.
The next layer of this decadent confection is the caramel that enrobes the cashews. The hard portion of coconut is simmered with brown sugar, Dairy Free butter, and vanilla before it's cascaded over the top of the cashews.
The final layer of Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cashew Bars is the drizzle of melted semi-sweet chocolate. A little flourish of fleur de sel finishes off these delectable treats.
How to Make Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cashew Bars
The delicious bars are just as easy to make as they are to eat. With a few simple steps these are sure to become a favorite.
Time needed: 5 hours.
These bars can be broke down into three easy steps, crust, filling, and chocolate.
- Pregame!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- In Crust We Trust
Add all of the ingredients for the crust to a bowl and mix to combine. It should be like wet sand. Press the crust mixture into your prepared baking dish. Allow the crust to bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Fill it Up
Sprinkle the maple roasted cashews over the top of the crust. To make your caramel, add all of the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a low bowl, stirring constantly. Let it simmer at a low boil for 5 minutes until slightly thickened and the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the top of the nuts.
- Bake it Up
Bake your cashew bars for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to sit until cooled and then refrigerate them for 4 hours.
- Finishing Touch
Melt your Dairy Free semi-sweet chocolate chips either in the microwave or in a double boiler. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cashew bars. Sprinkle with fleur de sel if desired.
Top Tip
You only need the hardened portion of the coconut cream for this recipe. You can reserve the remainder of the coconut cream for something like a curry. To make it easier to separate the solid portion you can refrigerate the can briefly.
When it comes to melting chocolate, using a double boiler is my favorite way to do it. When you create a double boiler, it allows you to cook or melt something at a gentle heat without worry of over cooking it. This is useful for making custards, meringues, melting chocolate, etc. The best part is you don’t need any special tools.
Armed with a pot of simmering water and a glass bowl, you can easily create a double boiler at home. The key is to make sure the water never touches the bottom of the bowl. You want the steam created from the seal to do all of the work.
If you're looking for a chocolate free version of this tasty dessert, be sure to check out my recipe for Gluten and Dairy Free Cashew Bars.
Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate Cashew Bars
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 saucepan
- 1 8x8 baking dish
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 ¾ cups Gluten Free 1.1 baking flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 12 tbsp Dairy Free butter
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
Cashew Filling
- 1 ½ cups Grandy Organics Roasted Maple Cashews
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp Dairy Free butter
- 15 oz Coconut Cream, only the hardened portion
Topping
- 1 cup Dairy Free semi-sweet chocolate chips
- fleur de sel, optional
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- Add all of the ingredients for the crust to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the crust mixture into the prepared baking dish and press it out until it's even.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until it's golden brown. Remove from the oven.
Cashew Filling
- Sprinkle the cashews over the top of the crust.
- Add the hardened part of the coconut cream, sugar, butter, and vanilla to a saucepan over medium heat.
- Allow to come to a low boil, stirring constantly, and let continue to lightly boil for 5 minutes.
- Pour the mixture over the top of the cashews.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Allow to cool to room temperature on the counter and then let the bars refrigerate for at 4 hours.
Topping
- Once fully chilled melt chocolate in either the microwave or on a double boiler.
- Drizzle chocolate over the top of the cooled bars.
- Sprinkle with fleur de sel if desired.
- Enjoy!
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