These gooey no-bake bites are the perfect after-dinner snack for anyone who takes chocolate seriously. They are perfect for serving during Christmas and New Year and as a Valentine’s Day treat. This can be made dairy free and vegan if you use dairy-free chocolate (and for a vegan version don’t use honey).
Prep time 50 minutes/Cook time 5 minutes/Makes 36 (plus chill time)
Ingredients:
For the base:
180g (6 oz) oats
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp agave or maple syrup (or clear honey)
For the caramel:
225g (1/2 lb) pitted soft dates (I used medjool)
2 tbsp smooth almond butter (or other nut butter)
150g (3/4 cup) full-fat coconut milk (from a tin)
For the topping:
300g (2/3 lb) dark chocolate, chopped
2 tsp coconut oil
25g (1 oz) toasted flaked almonds, optional
Method:
Line an 18cm (7 in) square baking tin with baking parchment. Blitz the oats in a small food processor until very finely ground and flour-like, then tip into a mixing bowl. Mix in the cinnamon, coconut oil and syrup or honey with a pinch of salt, then use your hands to bring everything together to form a rough dough.
Press this mixture firmly into the prepared tin to create an even base, then transfer to your freezer to chill while you prepare the caramel.
In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the dates, nut butter, coconut milk and a pinch of salt and blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Spread this evenly over the base and return to the freezer to set for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Remove the cake from the freezer, lift out of the tin using the lining paper and slice into small bite-size squares (6 pieces each way). For the topping, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Carefully coat each bite in turn, using a fork to dip each one into the chocolate and letting the excess drip off. Place on a lined tray and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until set. Drizzle over any leftover chocolate, sprinkle with the toasted flaked almonds, if using, and chill again.
Enjoy straight from the fridge.
