The word guilt free gets thrown around a lot these days, particularly when it comes to justifying over consumption of sweet foods. While I can assure you these tasty alternatives to the processed store bought variety are super high in fibre, monounsaturated fats and protein, they are definitely guilty in terms of total calorific content so eat sparingly.

Be aware that the quality of foods you consume plays a key role in your physical and mental health, however it is ultimately the quantity which dictates your ability to manage your weight.

These tasty salty squares are a treat and like all good treats we should only be whipping up a batch of these every once in a while when we need a post workout pick me up or like me you want to impress your dad when he has you over for dinner (incase you were wondering he said they were not bad but suggested ten ways he could make them better, typical eh) oh and they only take around 15minutes, are vegan, veggie friendly & gluten free of course.

Ingredients

For the base:

75-100g Raw cashews
75-100g Mixed seeds
2 Heaped tablespoons of coconut oil
1 and a 1/2 Teaspoon of vanilla extract
A few handfuls of chopped dates

For the salted caramel:

150g Chopped dates
2 - 3 Heaped teaspoons of nut butter (I used Whole Earth peanut butter)
10-12 table spoons of water
2 heaped tablespoons of coconut oil
A few pinches of sea salt

Topping:

2-3 Heaped tablespoons of choc shot vegan chocolate spread (high quality dark chocolate is a great alternative)

How to:

Pop the nuts & seeds in a food processor & blitz until it reaches a flour like consistency.
Add the coconut oil, vanilla & dates & blitz further until the mixture binds.
Remove and pat gently with a spoon into an oven dish or cake tin to form a base.

For the caramel

Add the dates, coconut oil, peanut butter, salt and water to the food processor & blitz for a few minutes until it's a thick caramel like consistency

To serve

Spread caramel over the base, then add the choc shot and spread on top of that.

Enjoy sparingly!