Chocolate Caramel Cookie Protein Bars - vega protein, no dairy, no sugar, peanut-free, healthy cocoa

These plant-based protein rich, chocolatey bars are excellent for energy before or after your workouts. I find them a lovely treat with your tea break...or even a breakfast bar with coffee!

Caramel and cookie dough sandwiched between healthy cocoa-coconut oil chocolate

The recipe uses Vega Sport Protein, which is made with pea, organic pumpkin seed, organic sunflower seed and some other trace minerals. combine that with coconut flour and natural sweet dates and real organic cocoa and coconut oil - all great ingredients for body building and repair.

I turned it into a yummy chocolate caramel snack bar that is hard to believe that it is good for you too!

The ingredients are divided into three parts. The first part is the cookie dough layer:

Cookie Dough Ingredients:

- 4 tbsp natural organic almond butter

- 1 scoop (41 g) Vega Protein Powder vanilla flavour

- 1 tbsp organic raw unpasteurized honey

- 2 tbsp cold filtered water

Assemble the ingredients for the cookie dough layer.

Place the first 3 ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

After mixing the first 3 ingredients, add two tbsp of water.

Add 2 tbsp of cool unfiltered water and stir until the cookie mix becomes a soft dough and sticks together.

Line a square cake pan with parchment paper for the cookie dough.

Once the cookie mix is well combined and becomes a dough ball, transfer it into a square pan line with parchment paper. Press the dough to the edges until it is flattened in the pan.

Press the dough with your clean fingers to the edges of the pan.

Once the dough is flattened evenly and smooth, put the pan in the freezer for several hours to chill.

Place the pan with flattened cookie dough into the freezer.

While the cookie dough is chilling, prepare the caramel layer.

The Ingredients for the Caramel layer:

- 10 organic medjool dates (pitted)

- 2 tbsp organic virgin coconut oil

- 1 tsp organic vanilla extract

- 1 pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt

- 1/4 cup very warm water

Assemble the caramel layer ingredients.

First, remove the pits from the dates, and then soak them in 1/4 cup very warm water for about 10 minutes until the water is mostly absorbed.

Soaking dates in warm water.

Once the dates have absorbed most of the water, assemble all the ingredients into a blender.

Blend the dates, coconut oil, vanilla, salt and water until it becomes creamy.

Scoop out the caramel from the blender into a seperate bowl.

Remove cold cookie dough layer from the freezer, for the caramel layer.

Bring the cookie dough layer out of the freezer and begin spreading the caramel over top.

The caramel is spread over the cookie dough layer,

Once the caramel is spread over the cookie dough layer, put the cake pan back into the freezer to chill once more.

Begin preparing the final chocolate coating.

Chocolate Coating Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup organic natural almond butter

- 1/2 cup organic virgin coconut oil

- 2 tbsp raw organic unpasteurized honey

- 4 tbsp organic unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/2 cup coconut flour

- 1 tsp organic vanilla extract

- 1 pinch pink Himalayan sea salt

Assemble the ingredients for the chocolate coating.

Stir all the ingredients into a heat-proof bowl and combine well. Once it is all mixed, put the bowl in the microwave and set on high for 20 seconds.

Place the cocoa mix into the microwave for 20 seconds to melt.

Take it out of the microwave and stir well again. Have a taste test! If you like a rich dark cocoa flavour then its ready for dipping. If you prefer it sweeter, add a squirt or two of liquid stevia sweetener and stir some more.

Stir the liquid chocolate dip once it comes out of the microwave.

It is now time to take the pan out of the freezer with the chilled cookie dough and caramel layers. Remove the cookie dough/caramel layer out of the pan by lifting the edges of the parchment paper. Slide the paper out from under the dough layer, and place it on a cutting board.

I cut 14 bars about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long.

Begin dipping the bars into the chocolate dip, and place onto a sheet of parchment paper, or dripping rack.

Dip the cookie caramel bars into the melted chocolate.

If there is some left over chocolate, you can spoon the extra over your chocolate caramel cookie protein bars.

Left over chocolate was distributed evenly and spooned over the protein bars.

I know... I made a bit of a chocolate mess.... but its not processed food! Healthy protein bars with the goodness of real organic cocoa, coconut oil plant-based proteins and natural sweetness from dates and organic honey that have their own micro nutrients and a touch of natural stevia.

Store the protein bars in a covered container or ziplock bag in the fridge or freezer.

Then you can grab one whenever you want a quick protein and energy bite anytime of the day!

One bar is 238 calories. Break it in half for only 119 calories.

See how I made these Chocolate Caramel Cookie Protein Bars on my Youtube Channel:

Visit my Youtube Channel for more healthy food recipe videos:

youtube.com/c/AstridHood

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