• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Evergreen Kitchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cookbook
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cookbook
    • Recipes
    • Resources
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Published: Oct 13, 2018 · Modified: Feb 5, 2022 by bri · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vegan Chocolate Caramel Bars (Carmelitas)

    Easy and delicious oat bars, layered with chocolate and creamy date caramel. Vegan, but you'd never guess it. And best of all, it's just 9 ingredients. If you’ve never tried carmelitas before, now’s your chance! Pairs well with vanilla ice cream, just saying.
    Jump to Recipe
    Caramelitas freshly cut into serving sized squares

    I still remember the day I first discovered Carmelitas. It was a dreary Saturday, and to avoid the rain, I was wandering the mall while on my lunch break. My high-school self must have been looking for something to make me forget about the boring sandwich in my bag...so naturally I ended up with my hands pressed against the bakery’s glass display. Most of the options were exactly what you’d expect: brownies, chocolate chip cookies and slices of banana bread. But what caught my eye was something I’d never seen before. They were oatmeal bars, stuffed with a layer of chocolate and caramel inside. The sign said “carmelitas”, and they were calling my name.

    With carmelitas, it was love at first bite. I mean, it’s pretty hard to go wrong when you combine oats, chocolate and caramel into a soft and gooey bar. Sadly, it’s pretty tough to track them down in bakeries these days, so this delicious treat slipped my mind for years. But I had a recent craving that brought me into the kitchen to make my own. This version is a bit more wholesome (but still plentyyy indulgent). And best of all, it’s super easy to make.

    This recipe keeps it simple with just 9 ingredients, most of which you probably already have in your pantry. I like to use whole wheat pastry flour in the cookie base. It keeps things light, with some whole grain thrown in for good measure. But you could easily substitute with all-purpose flour instead. Brown rice syrup might seem a bit odd here, but trust me on this one. It’s stickiness helps bring the dough together, and it also lends a slightly buttery flavor to our vegan version. And because brown rice syrup is less sweet than other liquid sweeteners, it doesn’t compete with the chocolate and caramel. Pro tip: pour the oil into your measuring cup before the brown rice syrup. It helps it slide out much more easily that way.

    Caramelitas ingredients like chopped chocolate and peanut butter on the counter
    Caramelitas fully layered into baking pan with melted chocolate on top

    Assembling this dessert is quite straightforward. First you mix up the oat cookie base. This mixture also doubles as the topping, so you’ll keep some aside for the top layer. Once the base is packed down and baking in the oven, you’ll prepare a yummy date caramel. Date caramel comes together in minutes, and there’s no finicky cooking over the stove - which is always a win in our books. Also, it tastes delicious. Especially when covered with chocolate.

    The remaining layers are simply roughly chopped chocolate (no need to melt it, the oven will take care of that). Then, the date caramel, which you can dollop over the chocolate or spread with the back of a spoon. The remaining oat cookie dough then gets added on top. A final bake in the oven and a decorative drizzle of chocolate on top for good measure!

    We love to make this dish in advance and bring it over to friends’ houses for dessert. If you’re like us and often running late, you can let the bars cool in their fridge while you’re eating dinner. Thankfully, they’re super portable (just bring them over in the pan) - and even easier to serve. We like to garnish these with a sprinkle of flaky salt; and when we’re feeling really extra, a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

    Stack of four caramelitas squares topped with flaky sea salt
    Caramalitas squares top with ice cream and ready to enjoy

    Vegan Chocolate Caramel Bars (Carmelitas)

    Easy and delicious oat bars, layered with chocolate and creamy date caramel. Vegan, but you'd never guess it. And best of all, it's just 9 ingredients. If you’ve never tried carmelitas before, now’s your chance! Pairs well with vanilla ice cream, just saying.
    Prep Time 13 minutes
    Cook Time 27 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 12
    Author: Bri
    Pin Recipe
    Print

    Ingredients

    Oat Cookie Base and Topping

    • 1¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
    • 1¼ cups rolled oats
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • ½ cup melted coconut oil
    • ⅓ cup brown rice syrup

    Date Caramel & Chocolate Layers

    • ½ cup packed pitted Medjool dates (about 8 dates)
    • ½ cup warm water, divided
    • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 8.8 oz chopped dark chocolate, divided (1½ cups)
    • Flaky sea salt (for garnish, optional)
    • Vanilla ice cream (for serving, optional)
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat: Preheat oven to 325°F (165 C°).
    • Mix Cookie Base and Topping: In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Pour in coconut oil and brown rice syrup. Stir until well mixed. Measure out ¾ cup of the dough and set aside for topping.
    • Bake base: Transfer the remaining dough into 1 (8 x 8-inch) parchment-lined baking pan. Use your fingertips to pack down down into a firm, even layer. Bake until the top turns golden brown, about 12 minutes.
    • Make date caramel: Meanwhile, to a food processor, add dates and ¼ cup of the water. Cover the lid with a kitchen towel (to prevent water from leaking out the sides), and process until a thick paste forms. Add the remaining ¼ cup water, vanilla, and salt. Process until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
    • Add chocolate caramel filling: Set aside ⅓ cup (50 g) of the chocolate for drizzling later. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the base, then spoon in the date caramel.
    • Add topping and bake: Use your fingers to squeeze together small clumps of the reserved ¾ cup dough, and spread them over the date caramel until the surface is mostly covered. Bake until the topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
    • Drizzle and serve: Meanwhile, melt the reserved ⅓ cup (50 g) chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let cool fully before slicing into bars. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you'd like!

    Notes

    1. Yield: These bars are quite decadent, so we recommend cutting these bars into 12 pieces, but do what works best for you.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 286mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 19IU | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 4mg
    Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a rating below and tag us @evergreenkitchen on instagram!

    More Desserts

    • Banana Walnut Cake
    • Best Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
    • Orange Icing
    • Best Vegan Gingerbread Cookies

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      LEAVE A COMMENT Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Sue says

      September 06, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      OMG! I finally made these! Love the sweet middle with the not-too-sweet crust. These are frighteningly addictive. Thanks, I guess. 🙂

      Reply
      • Bri says

        September 11, 2019 at 10:25 pm

        Hi Sue! They're really yummy, aren't they? So glad you love them! And you're so welcome haha - apologies for making them so addictive!

        Reply
    2. Sophia says

      April 09, 2019 at 4:30 pm

      Hello! I live zero waste and on a tight budget, any recommendations for replacing the coconut oil and brown rice syrup? Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Bri says

        April 09, 2019 at 4:36 pm

        Hi Sophia! Not sure if butter (dairy or vegan) is available to you, but that would be the closest 1:1 substitute. Both are typically solid at room temp and melt under heat, which is close to coconut oil. Brown rice syrup is a bit trickier. If you include honey in your diet, that's an option. Brown rice syrup is about 1/3 less sweet than other liquid sugars, so do expect the base to be a bit sweeter with honey than it was originally developed. The liquid sweetener also functions as a binder to bring the crust together, so while you might be able to get away with a bit less honey, I wouldn't cut back too much as the bars may not hold. Hope this helps and if you give it a try, let us know how it goes!

        Reply
    3. Ayesha says

      November 15, 2018 at 11:58 am

      Hi,
      Is there any substitute for brown rice syrup?

      Thanks!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Evergreen Kitchen! We're all about delicious vegetarian food you actually want to eat. Here you'll find craveable dinner recipes, meal prep ideas, healthy-ish desserts, and everyday cooking resources.

    More about us →

    Get the Cookbook!

    Evergreen Kitchen Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone Cookbook Cover
    Learn more about Evergreen Kitchen:
    Weeknight Vegetarian Dinners for Everyone

    Fall Favorites

    • Butternut Squash Quiche with Cheese and Onions
    • Vegan Red Lentil Soup
    • Crispy Breaded Air Fryer Tofu
    • Curried Pumpkin and Lentil Soup (Vegan)
    • Festive Kale Salad with Roasted Squash
    • Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

    Fan Favorites

    • Vegan Smashed Chickpea Sandwich
    • Harissa Spiced Cauliflower Steaks
    • Mushroom Stroganoff
    • Vegan Tom Yum Soup
    • Peanut Butter Coconut Power Balls
    • Homemade Chili Garlic Oil

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    About

    Privacy Policy

    Contact

    Contact us

    Recipes

    Jump to Recipes

    As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Evergreen Kitchen!