Salted Date and Chocolate Bites is a traditional British recipe for a classic candy of date, almond butter and coconut milk caramels on an oat base cut into squares and coated in dark chocolate. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Salted Date and Chocolate Bites.
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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).
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.
