Pecan and Caramel Bars

Leave it to Juli from PaleOMG to create this amazing treat. I could not believe how good these turned out! Dates and coconut milk are processed together to make the creamiest sweetest caramel I have ever tasted, and the nutty crumbly crust underneath is just as decadent! I only wish I would have thought of them myself! I had to get them out of my house in order to avoid eating the entire batch!

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1.5 cups pecans
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the caramel

• 12-14 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water for an hour
• 5-6 tablespoons canned coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• Add your pecans to a food processor and blend until you get more of a meal or flour, then add your melted coconut oil, raw honey and vanilla until you get pecan butter.

• Add that pecan butter to a large bowl then add your almond flour/meal, baking soda and powder and salt, then add your egg and whisk all ingredients together.

• Grease a 9x9 baking pan with coconut oil and then add your crust ingredients to the pan and use a spoon to spread out evenly.
• Put in oven and bake for around 25-30 minutes or until middle is cooked completely through. Use the toothpick method to test it.

• While the crust bakes, lightly clean out your food processor, then add your dates.
• Turn on until dates have broken down (less than a minute) then add your coconut milk tablespoon by tablespoon to the dates while the food processor is still running. Then add your water as well.

• And add your vanilla extract and pinch of salt.
• Process until you get a caramel.

• Once your crust is done baking, let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
• Top caramel over crust using a spoon to smooth out.

• Put in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to set.
• Keep in fridge.