Homemade Chocolate Caramels {Vegan Option}

February is National Chocolate Lovers Month!  With Valentine's Day coming up, why not indulge and enjoy some delicious chocolate?  

These Homemade Chocolate Caramels are sweet, delectable and oh so good!  They remind me of the See's candy that I grew up eating.  

The best part is they're so easy to make and only have 3 ingredients.  Make up a batch in time for Valentine's Day {or any day} and share some with those you love.

Homemade Chocolate Caramels

Equipment: Small Saucepan or Saute Pan, Food Processor, Unbleached Parchment Paper, Baking Tray, Double Boiler or Medium Size Sauce Pan and Medium Size Heat Proof Glass Bowl

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Note: Advance Preparation Required

• 12 Medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil {buy my 2 favorite ghee brands here and here}

• 1/2 cup allergy free chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 

1. Melt 1 tablespoon ghee or coconut oil in small saute pan over medium heat.  

2. Prep date pieces - break them in half with fingers and remove the pit.  Add to the saute pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Heating the dates is important, the heat softens them and the ghee or coconut oil brings out their natural caramel flavor.

3. Pour cooked dates into food processor fitted with the "S" blade.  Pulse until dates turn into a paste, about 30 seconds.

4. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  Grease fingers with coconut oil {water can be used on fingers too if you do not have extra coconut oil}.  Using about a teaspoon or more, roll date paste into tiny caramel centers - I make them into balls/circles, then form a flat bottom and then make a flat top, which I make a little smaller than the bottom.  This should make about 12-14 caramel centers.  Place caramel centers into the freezer to set for at least 1 hour or overnight.

5. Make a double boiler by setting a heat proof glass bowl over a medium sauce pan that has been filled with about an inch of tap water.  The water should not be touching the glass bowl.  Heat over medium heat.  Add chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon coconut oil to glass bowl.  Stir until melted.  

6. Remove frozen caramel centers from the freezer.  Working quickly, drop one caramel center into the melted chocolate - using a fork or spoon, fully coat the caramel with chocolate and set back onto baking sheet.  Repeat until all caramels are covered in chocolate.  {For an extra touch, once caramels are covered in chocolate, use a fork dipped in chocolate and quickly move the fork back and forth in the air above the chocolates to make chocolate drizzles.  If you find it's not working, place the chocolates in the freezer for one minute to set, then remove and try again.}  Place chocolates in the freezer and freeze for about 1 hour or more. 

7. Serve chocolates frozen, right from the freezer.  Make sure to freeze them at least 1 hour before eating for the full caramel texture.    

Enjoy and share some with someone you love!

Yield: Makes 12-14 chocolates

Vegan Option: Use coconut oil instead of ghee.

Looking for more CHOCOLATE recipes?  Check out some of my favorites:

Mini Warm Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Chocolate Sunflower Freezer Fudge

Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Honey Sweetened Hot Chocolate

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

... and a few recipes that I have made and loved:

Raw Freezer Fudge from my friend Amber @ The Tasty Alternative 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles from Common Sense Homesteading

Double Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Chunks from Gourmande in the Kitchen 

Fudgy Brownies from Real Food Girl Unmodified 

Amazon links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop. 

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Dates

These are SO delicious!  They’re probably one of my favorite appetizers ever.    

Perfect appetizers for holiday parties, dinner parties or for a special dinner for two with your honey on Valentine’s Day. 

Equipment: Toothpicks, Large Baking Pan/Sheet (I use Stoneware), Cutting Board, Small Paring Knife, Small Bowl, Tongs

·      16 organic dates – pitted (buy pitted or remove pit during prep)

·      ¼ cup organic cream cheese, softened

·      ¼ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (See Resources)

·      ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon – optional

·      8 pastured or organic bacon slices, cut in half (See Resources)

·      16 toothpicks

1.    Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.   Prep dates – open up dates carefully with a paring knife, cut 2 lengthwise slits in the dates, making sure not to cut all the way through the date, remove small piece of date (save to snack on), remove pit if necessary.  See picture.

3.   In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, sea salt and optional cinnamon.  Stuff dates with about ½ teaspoon of the cheese mixture.

4.   Tightly wrap each cheese stuffed date with ½ slice of bacon.  Secure with toothpick.

5.    Place bacon wrapped dates seam side down on baking pan.  Place baking pan in oven, set timer for 10 minutes.  At 10 minutes, use tongs to flip each bacon wrapped date.  PLEASE USE CAUTION, the bacon grease is very hot, use an oven mitt to protect your hand/arm.  Set timer for another 10 minutes.  Bacon is done when it “looks” crispy and is dark golden brown.  Watch the bacon closely, all ovens cook differently, you don’t want the bacon to burn.  You should be able to tell at the 10-minute mark about how much longer you will need to cook the bacon.  If you’re not sure, just keep an eye on them.  You may need a few more minutes after the 20 minute mark to crisp the bacon enough.

6.   Serve warm or at room temperature.  Make sure to wait a couple of minutes before taking a bite, they are super HOT when they come out of the oven.      

    

Yield: Makes 16 bacon wrapped stuffed dates.  

Grain-Free Carrot Cake Pancakes

My oven stopped working the night before Easter, so that meant the grain-free Carrot Cake that I had planned to make was not in the cards for us.  Little Love was SO looking forward to that Carrot Cake, so I had to come up with something else.  We decided to make pancakes instead, Carrot Cake Pancakes!  They were a huge hit. 

Enjoy!

Grain-Free Carrot Cake Pancakes

Advance preparation is required, the dates need to be soaked at least an hour (or soak them overnight, that’s what I do). 

Equipment: Small Bowl, Food Processor or Blender, Medium Size Mixing Bowl, Peeler, Standing Grater, Microplane Zester/Grater, Hand Mixer or Wisk, Large Skillet or Griddle, Flipper Spatula

Soaked Dates/Pureed Date Mixture

·      8 dates

·      Filtered water, enough to cover the dates

Carrot Cake Pancakes

·      4 pastured or organic eggs (See Resources)

·      1 medium size carrot, peeled and finely grated

·      ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated/minced

·      ¼ cup coconut flour

·      ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·      ¼ teaspoon baking soda

·      1 tablespoons organic maple syrup grade B

·      ½ pureed date mixture

·      2 tablespoons date soak water

·      2 tablespoons ghee, coconut oil or pasture butter (See Resources)

Cream Cheese Topping

·      7 ounces homemade or organic cream cheese, room temperature

·      2 tablespoons organic maple syrup grade B

·      ½ pureed date mixture

·      2 tablespoons date soak water

·      ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated/minced

1.    1 hour prior to making pancakes (or the night before, my preference), place dates in a small bowl and cover with filtered water, about ½ cup of filtered water or enough to completely cover the dates.  Place dates in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

2.   Break dates in half and remove pit.  Add date flesh to food processor fitted with “s-shape” metal blade.  Add a couple of tablespoons of the date soak water to the food processor.  SAVE the date soak water, set aside.  Pulse until dates become pureed.  Add more date soak water if necessary to combine.  Leave in the food processor and set aside (you will use the food processor again, so make sure to leave it as is and set aside).

3.   Start preheating skillet or griddle, melt ghee, coconut oil or pasture butter over medium-low heat.

4.   Pancake Batter: In a medium size mixing bowl add eggs, grated carrot, grated ginger, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, maple syrup, ½ of the pureed date mixture, and 2 tablespoons date soak water.  Using a hand mixer, mix on low speed until all ingredients are combined.

5.    When skillet/griddle is ready, pour about 1/8 cup batter onto skillet/griddle.  Cook for about 2 minutes, flip and cook for another 2 minutes, repeat until all pancake batter is used. 

6.   Cream Cheese Topping: Using food processor with ½ of the pureed date mixture already in it, add cream cheese, maple syrup, 2 tablespoons date soak water and grated ginger.  Pulse until combined and smooth.  Set aside.

7.   To Assemble: Serve pancakes layered, top each pancake with a layer of Cream Cheese Topping, or to make dairy-free, serve pancakes with organic maple syrup grade B.  [Note: You can use a frosting bag or small reclosable plastic bag (cut a small opening in one corner of the bag to make the frosting tip), add topping into frosting bag, pipe topping onto pancakes.]

Yield: Makes about 11 small pancakes.

Storage: If you have extra pancakes leftover, the keep well in the refrigerator and can be reheated over low heat on the stovetop or on a warming temperature in the oven.  Cream Cheese Topping can be stored in the refrigerator for extra use too.  


This post is part of Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Freaky Friday @ Real Food Freaks, Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health, Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Make Your Own! Monday link-up @ Nourishing Treasures, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, Whole Foods Wednesday Recipe Swap @ This Chick Cooks, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Gluten Free Pantry.