I honestly struggle with how to introduce recipes to you in a humble yet enticing way – but then again, I could never post a subpar recipe; and these are definitely not subpar. In fact, I think they could be my favourite sweet treat yet. It should be clear by now that I like chocolate (who doesn’t?), but chocolate, almond and caramel? Need I say more? These chocolate almond caramel bites are super sweet and decadent – we don’t demonise a little sugar and fats here – but use mostly whole ingredients. That’s my vibe!

Here in Northern Ireland, we eat a lot of traybakes. During my two years living in England, I became dangerously deficient due to the sheer lack of Fifteens, Malteser Squares and Rice Krispie buns. It was quite a shock to the system and frankly, rather traumatising. But we all go through hard times.

These traybakes are made up of three delicious layers – a chocolate almond base, a gooey caramel centre, and a crispy chocolate finish. The caramel is a recipe that I’ve perfected over time – you’ve seen it before in my bubble balls recipe, and you will see it again. All the ingredients will either already be in your cupboard, or are widely available (and affordable) from supermarkets – there’s nothing worse than a recipe that calls for ingredients you can only find from one obscure website and cost £35. It becomes a bit of an adrenaline rush – “how much do I risk getting scammed for the sake of my tastebuds?”

If you aren’t a fan of almonds, give hazelnuts or cashews a go! I can’t say I’ve tried these, but we all know how much I like to experiment, and you should too! Please let me know if you enjoyed these (or any other variations) by posting on your Instagram and tagging me!

Chocolate Almond Caramel Bites

Recipe by Katie Wilson at Salt & HoneyCourse: Sweet TreatsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Chill time

1

hour 

These triple-layered bites are decadent and delicious, made with easy-to-find and wholesome ingredients. I won’t lie – they’re not what I’d call a highly nutritious snack, but they sure are good. Starting with a chocolate almond base, filled with gooey caramel, and finished off with a puffed rice and chocolate top layer. Trust me on this one – you’re gonna want to try these!

Ingredients

• Chocolate Almond Base

• 2/3 cup almond flour

• 3tbsp cacao

• 3tbsp maple syrup

• Pinch salt

• Caramel Filling

• 1/2 cup almond butter (can substitute for any nut bitter)

• 2tbsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2tbsp butter or coconut oil

• Pinch salt

• 1/3 cup puffed rice

• Topping

• 75g high quality dark chocolate

Directions

• Make the base by combining all the base ingredients in a bowl and then transferring into a lined baking tray or glass container. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon (or your fingers) and place in the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blitz the filling ingredients in a food processor. Layer on top of the base, spreading out evenly. Sprinkle with the puffed rice and gently press into the caramel, then place back in the fridge or freezer for another 10 minutes.
• Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave in 15-30 second bursts, or alternatively in a glass bowl over a saucepan of boiling water on the hob. Evenly pour over the bars and put in the fridge for a final 30-40 minutes to fully set.
• To cut into bites, remove the lining and block from the container. Allow to come to room temperature for 5-10 minutes – this lets the chocolate slightly soften to prevent cracking. Cut into even squares or rectangles using a sharp knife.
• These will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight container, ideally in the fridge. They will also freeze well, and can be kept in the freezer for around 2 months.

Additional Notes

• If you like an extra crunchy moment, you could for sure add some roughly chopped whole almonds to the base. Always room for extra crunch!