5 Ingredient Flourless Brownies: Raw Salted Caramel
Today we are making Raw Salted Caramel, 5 Ingredient Flourless Brownies! Someone please explain to me who started putting extra salt in their caramel? This whole salted caramel trend began a long time ago, but why specifically do we have salted caramel of all things? I completely get it – this combination is the right amount of very sweet and a hit of salty. No wonder it’s such a popular combination! It balances out the flavors in the perfect way.
History of Salted Caramel
So, I did a little digging. The story behind this is as follows: The roots of this confectionary can be traced back to France, where a man named Henri Le Roux was studying to be a chocolatier at what was the world’s only confectionary school, in Switzerland. In 1965, Le Roux came back to France to help with his family’s business, and sold it in 1977. He then opened another shop in France, in an area that was known to product a ton of salted butter.
The salted caramel idea stemmed from there, with Le Roux wanting to differentiate his products from the other patisseries in the area. He created a salted butter caramel, which became one of his bestsellers, and he ended up winning the “Best Sweet in France” award in 1980, from the Salon International De La Confiserie, a Parisian bureau of excellence in food production. There are still many Henri Le Roux shops in France, where you can try this early type of salted caramel!
Today’s Recipe
Now coming out of Europe, close to countries that produce some of the best chocolate in the world, I am SURE that someone had the idea to combine this salted caramel with chocolate. I know I did, which is how these Salted Caramel Brownies came to fruition! These are no bake, raw vegan, use dates as a caramel sauce and oats/nuts/dates/cocoa powder as a raw brownie crust. Very quick, they come together in about 20 minutes!
Why You’ll Love These 5 Ingredient Flourless Brownies
Simple Ingredients: Over the last few years, brownie recipes have taken a turn – so many (one may call) “weird ingredients” are being used now! For example, black beans, a ripe banana, almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, almond flour and more healthy fats to make a flourless recipe for fudgy brownies with a rich chocolate flavor.
Goodbye, traditional brownies of the early 2000’s with the boxed mix making a crackly top brownie, eating raw eggs in the brownie batter, mixing together all purpose flour, brown sugar, unsalted butter and a gigantic scoop of vanilla ice cream on top?!
I am all for these amazing brownie hacks! Although, it may be off-putting to use fruits or legumes in chocolate desserts, if you aren’t used to it. Isn’t it just so cool that nature’s ingredients are available to make all our favorite desserts in a healthier way?
That’s one of the reasons why these salted caramel brownies are such a great recipe! I used a pinch of salt to make a salted caramel using Medjool dates, which are like nature’s form of caramel! Then nuts, cacao and dates come together to make a delicious, raw brownie crust with a chewy texture on top of which we dollop all the caramel.
Substitutions
Oats: Use quick oats. If using old-fashioned oats, then pulse them in a spice grinder to make the size smaller. Then use them in the blender with the remaining ingredients. For gluten-free friends, look for certified gluten-free oats!
Walnuts: Instead of walnuts, try blanched almonds or almond flour.
Dates: These are absolutely amazing for getting natural sugar if you have a big sweet tooth! They make up for the lack of flour by helping to bind the dough together. For best results, use soft Medjool dates. Since the dates bind the dough together and it’s no bake, we also don’t need to search for any egg substitute!
Cacao Powder: Cacao powder is the raw, unprocessed version of cocoa powder. However, you can substitute unsweetened cocoa powder instead for these vegan brownies.
Vanilla Extract: I use a non-alcoholic, pure vanilla extract versus the conventional diluted, alcoholic brands available. This makes all the difference in flavor!
5 Ingredient Brownies Recipe Notes
- Top the recipe with optional cacao nibs to keep it fully raw. Alternatively, use dark chocolate chips or drizzle melted chocolate on top for a delicious, although not fully raw, topping!
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If you make these 5 Ingredient Flourless Brownies, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
5 Ingredient Flourless Brownies (Raw Salted Caramel)
Equipment
- High-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
For the Brownie Base
- ½ cup dry quick oats
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- ½ cup and 2 tbsp soft Medjool dates pitted
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch pink salt
For the Salted Caramel
- 9 large, soft Medjool dates
- large pinch of sea salt for the "salted" taste
For the Topping
- cacao nibs or vegan chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Blend together all brownie base ingredients until a dough forms.
- Pat it down into a prepared pan lined with parchment paper. If your mixture is too soft and forms more of a paste than a dough, add in some more walnuts.
- For the caramel, blend together all caramel ingredients until a sticky "caramel" forms.
- Spread this on top of the base. Sprinkle with coarse salt, then top with optional cocoa nibs or chocolate chips.
- Cut into 8 slices, then serve!
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to a week.
