By Suzanne Perazzini 19 Comments
Chocolate caramel bars are a classic here in New Zealand bakeries. Every self-respecting cafe or lunch bar has caramel bars. I am not sure if that is true of other countries or not but I am sure you will agree this is a recipe worthy of kings. It combines my favourite flavours of chocolate and caramel. Those on a low FODMAP diet have to be a little careful of chocolate so one small bar will be enough. The Monash University research centre for FODMAPs has declared cocoa as being moderately high in FODMAPs but we can still have a little. Just don’t load up on other FODMAPs at the same sitting. That is, of course, true of any sweet treat, but as long as you avoid processed store-bought treats, which could have high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, then you should be okay with a small helping.
1.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Caramel Bars
Author: Suzanne Perazzini
Ingredients
For the base
- 500g /17.5oz dark chocolate
- 6 eggs (separated)
- 250g/9oz coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp sugar
For the caramel
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup coconut cream
- ½ tbsp gelatin
For the ganache
- ½ cup coconut cream
- 150g /5oz dark chocolate
Method
For the base
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Chop chocolate into the top of a double boiler and add the coconut oil.
- Place over simmering water and melt. Add the vanilla and remove from the heat then quickly stir the egg yolks into the chocolate.
- Beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff but not dry.
- Beat in the sugar a little at a time until stiff peaks form.
- Stir 2-3 tbsp of meringue into the chocolate then gradually fold the chocolate into the meringue.
- Turn into a greased and lined 17.5 x 27.5cm/7” x 11” baking tin and bake for 20 mins.
- Remove from oven and cool.
For the caramel
- Dissolve the gelatin in a little very hot water
- Place the oil and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Boil until it reaches the soft ball stage. (Drop a little into a glass of cold water and see if it forms a ball of set caramel).
- Remove immediately from the heat.
- Add the cream slowly so it doesn’t splatter.
- Beat until the caramel is smooth.
- Add the dissolved gelatin and beat again to incorporate it.
- Pour the caramel onto the cooled base.
- Place in the fridge to set.
For the ganache
- Heat the coconut cream gently in a saucepan.
- Break up the chocolate into smallish pieces and place in a heatproof basin.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it stand for a while.
- Stir vigorously to a smooth paste.
- Spread the chocolate ganache over the set caramel.
- Place in the fridge to set.
- When set, remove from the tin and cut into bars.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Laura (Tutti Dolci) saysWhat delicious bars, I love chocolate and caramel together!
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
I agree completely, Laura. It’s a combination made in heaven.
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- John@Kitchen Riffs says
Chocolate and caramel really is such a wonderful combo. Glad you found a recipe you can make! These look extraordinary — thanks.
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
They are certainly a good-looking bar, John. And the eyes are important.
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- Chantelle says
Yum! I’m planning on making these today for some dairy-free friends (and us). Just to confirm…it’s 500g chocolate in the base, yes? (Sounds like a lot…but SO delicious).
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
It is a lot but it is one of those flourless chocolate cake mixes and so needs it. That’s why I mentioned about eating only a little. LOL. I hope all is well with you.
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- Chantelle says
Awesome, thanks for confirming that! I bet it’s delicious! Here’s to small portion special treats…just the way it should be…dainty & decadent 🙂 Will let you know how it turns out. Yes, doing really well, thanks… as long as I follow low FODMAP I feel “normal”. It’s SO helpful. Glad to see that your change in lifestyle (leaving your job & going the freelancing route) is a better path for your health…good on you 🙂 Yay!
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
I am glad to hear you are doing well. it is a matter of following the diet and never letting the guard down. But what great change it makes. The path I am on career-wise is certainly a much healthier one.
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- Hotly Spiced says
This is a very popular slice on this side of the Tasman too. I love it and it would be my favourite thing to order in a cafe. I think when I was pregnant I particularly over-indulged. I’m so glad that with your dietary restrictions you’re still able to enjoy this slice xx
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
Good to hear – maybe it is popular just in the Downunder countries. I certainly can’t eat much of it – maybe half a slice.
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- Shayne says
Hi there, I’ve just tried this recipe for the first time and its been a big, fat failure for me! Maybe you can shed some light on what I need to do differently next time? The problem came with the caramel – the first batch burnt terribly because I didn’t realise that coconut oil doesn’t actually ‘boil’ (perhaps a change of description is necessary here?) and with the 2nd batch I tried, as soon as I put the coconut cream in the pot all around the edges solidified – i never stopped stirring. So I’ve poured this onto the base but I can see that all the sugar is stuck to the bottom of my pot and the actual slice just has a thin layer of milky coloured liquid on it.
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
Making caramel is an art and many people fail at it. You have to follow the instructions carefully and not let it burn. It’s all about the right temperatures.
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- Carole says
I have just signed up and m waiting to join the next 2 week coaching session Suzanne so in the meantime am following what I can on your website. I lived in Australia for many years so am VERY fond of choc caramel bars. These do sound good but they also seem to have a great deal of coconut oil in them, which I know, although healthy in some ways is high in saturated fat. Is it again just the need to only eat a small piece which makes them okay? I find high fat foods don’t agree with me very well.
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
Fat is a gut irritant and has to be controlled. As long as the bars are low Fodmap in all aspects, then you can have a small piece. Coconut oil has no Fodmaps because fats have none so only the quantity would be an issue from the fat point of view.
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- RH says
I had the same problem. I tried making the caramel twice and even though I was really careful it burned both times. The resulting mixture had an extremely bitter taste and had to be poured down the sink. Not recommended.
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- Suzanne Perazzini says
Caramel is tricky. Either it burns or stays too pale.
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- Cornelia says
If I don’t want to use as much chocolate for the base, can I replace some of it with gluten-free flour? How much would you recommend in each part (the flour and the chocolate)?
P. S. I’m from Europe and have never had chocolate caramel bars but I want to try them. They look delicious.Reply
- Suzanne Perazzini says
It is best not to mess with a baking recipe because the balance could be thrown off. They are indeed delicious.
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Trackbacks
[…] to continue on the vein of the oldies, but goodies classics. Neenish tarts are the same as the chocolate caramel bars I made last week – a staple item in most cafes and lunch bars here in New Zealand. They are […]
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