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Salted caramel turtle bar stacked on a wood cutting board.

Salted Caramel Turtle Bars

Layers of coconut flour cookie crust, rich date sauce, pecans and dark chocolate make for decadent Salted Caramel Turtle Bars.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Cooling: 2 hours
Servings: 12 bars
Author: Katie Stewart

Ingredients

For the cookie crust

  • 2/3 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowrot startch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

For the salted caramel

  • 1 1/2 cups pecans
  • 20 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

For the chocolate

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (I used almond butter)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, coarsely ground

Instructions

To begin:

  • Prep the caramel, by placing the dates in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside.

For the cookie crust:

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8x8 pan with a little coconut oil and then line it with parchment paper to allow for easy removal after cooking/cooling.
  • Add all the ingredients for the cookie crust to a medium bowl. Mix with a fork (or clean hands) until well combined.
  • Press firmly into the lined pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until the crust starts to golden.
  • Once the crust has finished baking, remove it from the oven and set aside.

For the salted caramel:

  • While the crust cooks, strain the water from the dates and add to a blender or food processor along with the sea salt.
  • Add ¼ cup fresh water and turn the blender or food processor on. Add a little more water if needed to thin the consistency.
  • Use a spatula to spread the salted caramel date sauce on top of the cookie crust.
  • Sprinkle the salted caramel with pecans and gently push them into the caramel.

For the chocolate:

  • In a double boiler (see notes), place chocolate chips, nut butter, and coconut oil. Stir constantly while the ingredients melt and blend together. It will be a thicker consistency.
  • Just before you remove it from the heat, stir in the maple syrup (to help prevent it from burning).
  • Pour chocolate sauce over the pecan layer. Use a spatula to spread it evenly.
  • Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the freezer to cool for at least 2 hours (makes them easier to cut without the caramel squishing out the sides).
  • When cooled, remove from the pan and cut into desired-sized bars.
  • Keep bars in the fridge until ready to eat.

Notes

To make a double boiler, use a stainless steel bowl that is slightly smaller than your pot. It should be small enough to fit inside to pot but large enough where the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water in the pot.
Fill the pot with 1” of water and bring to a boil. Place the stainless steel bowl on top with the chocolate and follow the directions above. Use an oven mit to hold the bowl in place.