Vegan Carmelita Bars

I have a confession: I let my kids have this for breakfast. In my defense, the ingredients are so good, it’s basically oatmeal (if oatmeal and dessert had a baby). Presenting vegan CARMELITA BARS!

Normally, I would have used Hu Kitchen chocolate gems, but they weren’t available so I chopped up their salty bars, which is why the chocolate in the picture is not uniform. I like it though because then it’s fun when you get a piece with a big chunk! This is amazing, delicious and not that complicated. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 stick vegan butter or 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup @hukitchen gems (or sub chopped chocolate)
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup dates, softened in hot water at least 10 mins
• 1/4 cup coconut milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8×8 glass baking dish with coconut oil. 
Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. 
Combine melted butter/oil, sugar and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet to dry, and mix until well combined. Press mixture into glass dish. Bake for 10 mins. Allow to cool. 

Combine the softened dates, coconut milk and 1/2 of the pecans to a food processor. Process until completely smooth. This is your “caramel” layer. Add it on top of the oat crust.

Sprinkle the chocolate over the caramel layer with the remaining pecans. Bake for another 15 mins. Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight (and then you can have for breakfast, like we did!).

Recipe Notes

If you like a double layer Carmelita bar, you can double the first seven ingredients (through the vanilla) that make up the oat cookie layer. Then press half the oat cookie dough into the baking dish. Top with the caramel layer, then only sprinkle 3/4 cup of the chocolate and 1/4 cup pecans over it. Add the other half of the oat cookie dough with the last of the chocolate and pecans mixed in.