Paleo Chocolate Turtle Bars with Honey Caramel

This recipe started with a single sweet craving for caramel. I wanted it silky and coating apples as soon as the first days of fall hit. I wanted it chewy, lightly salted, and wrapped in little wax papers. Then, I wanted it gushing out between layers of chocolate. That's when I gave in. 

There is nothing like Halloween to get your sweet tooth going. I used to be a total sucker for those sugary fruit-flavored candies you would fill pillow cases with as a kid, but now I'm more for anything chocolate (which you might already know, just from perusing the dessert section of this site). Visions of chocolate layers is probably what ultimately did me in with that caramel craving.  

A word of warning: this caramel is ooey-gooey. Like, if you plan on taking the whole batch of bars out of the pan at once, make sure you have a plate or napkins handy. That ooey-gooey deliciousness can get a little sticky! But see all of those caramelly drips? They are what make this so sinfully good. Exactly what you'll want to dig into when you sit down to watch a scary movie tonight, or what you'll want to munch on between answering the door for trick-or-treaters.

But they're also not a Halloween exclusive--if you ask me, caramel and chocolate fit well with just about any holiday you name, even if that holiday is I-just-freakin-want-a-treat-right-now day. (Note: they are really good on those days. I know, because I had a few recently.) 

Paleo Chocolate Turtle Bars with Honey Caramel

Published October 31, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 20   |    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Crust:
• 2 cups almond flour 
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup butter

For the Caramel:
• 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
• 1/2 cup mild flavored honey 
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 

For the top:
• 1 cup chocolate chips 
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 20 whole pecans 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or flake sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a 9x9 glass baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Then, make the crust. In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry crust ingredients and whisk to minimize clumps. Then, in a small bowl, melt honey and butter. Pour melted butter and honey into dry mixture and stir with a spatula until a crumbly dough forms. It should stick together when you squeeze it between your pointer finger and thumb. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared 9x9 pan in an even layer. Then, bake for 8-9 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
3. Next, make the caramel. Add coconut milk and honey to a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil. While the stove heats, pour cold water into a medium side bowl or glass and set near by. Cook caramel at a gentle boil, and stir constantly, until it reaches the soft ball stage. Then, remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, butter and salt. Allow caramel to cool 5 minutes.
4. Once the caramel has cooled for about 5 minutes (careful, it will still be a bit warm), pour 1/2 to 3/4 cup caramel over the crust, and spread into an ever layer. Place in fridge to allow caramel to set further.
5. While caramel sets, make the chocolate topping: heat chocolate chips and butter in the microwave for 30 seconds, and stir, and then heat again for 30 seconds, repeating process until chocolate is smooth and no chips remain (You can also do this in a double boiler). Working quickly, remove caramel bars from fridge, and drizzle chocolate over top (see note below). Spread in an even layer using a spatula. While chocolate is still setting, arrange pecans on top and sprinkle with salt. Return to fridge until chocolate has set (about 10 minutes), and then slice into 20 rectangles to serve.
6. Note: if your caramel is a bit runny, you can place it in the freezer to help it set more before you add the chocolate. When you do add the chocolate, the cold caramel will make it set even quicker, so work in small batches, spreading on part of the chocolate at once.

Soft Grain-Free Pumpkin Cookies

This is an older recipe, but one I love! I recently updated it with new images, and notes on how to ice the cookies. Enjoy!

Come October, the only dessert I want is a pumpkin cookie. Make me a batch of pumpkin cookies and then I can move on, but until those cookies are pulled from the oven I'm going to be day dreaming about them. 

I think it's because my mom and I used to make these cake-y pumpkin cookies every fall when I was a kid. It just became tradition. Unintentional, delicious, sweet tradition. 

This recipe has been adapted to be grain-free, using almond flour instead of wheat. You can frost them how ever you like — a Paleo option would be with melted coconut butter, but a more traditional option would be with royal icing (recipe included below). You could also get really fancy and top them with maple butter cream……. just saying.

Soft Grain-Free Pumpkin Cookies

Published March 6, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

Yield: 12-24, depending on size   |    Active Time: 60 minutes

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Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, softened

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/16 teaspoon ground cloves

Icing:
You have options when icing these. For a Paleo-friendly cookies, melt 1/4 cup coconut butter (different from coconut oil!) and drizzle over top of cooled cookies. For a sweet treat, make royal icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring extract

1 1/2 tablespoons milk of choice

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, pumpkin, sugar and honey until combined (use an electric beater or a hand whisk). Add the egg and vanilla, and beat into mixture.
2. Separately, combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, and spices), and sift or whisk together until no clumps remain. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until combined in a consistent dough. Place bowl and dough in fridge for 10-15 minutes to chill.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Using two spoons, scoop the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment (or a sil-pat) in heaping tablespoonfuls, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie. 
5. Place pan in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cookies should be soft, but just starting to firm (they will bounce back a little bit when poked). Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
6. Icing: Drizzle cooled cookies with melted coconut butter, as mentioned in the instructions, OR make icing by whisking together powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Drizzle icing over cookies.