These Dairy Free and Gluten Free Salted Caramel Pretzel Bars are everything you want…and more!
Ingredients for Gluten Free Salted Caramel Crunch Pretzel Bars
These decadent, layered bars consist of three layers of heavenly goodness. To make all the layers you will need these ingredients.
Your favorite natural peanut butte
Oat flour (or oats)
Powdered peanut butter
Non-dairy milk
Local honey
Vanilla extract
Sea salt
Vegan/Dairy free butter
Unflavored collagen
Gluten free pretzels
Your favorite Dairy free chocolate
You could also omit the collagen and swap the honey for maple syrup to make these vegan. If you omit the collagen, reduce the honey needed in the caramel layer by 1-2 Tbsp.
How Do I Create The Layers?
The freezer is your best friend in this no-bake recipe. To create the layers you will combine all of the bottom layer ingredients and then freeze it for at least 45 minutes. After the bottom layer is frozen and will not easily stick to your hands, you add the caramel layer on top of the bottom (base layer) evenly spreading it across the entire layer.
Once the caramel layer is added you will then add the crushed pretzels and return to the freezer for one hour. Once the caramel layer is frozen its time for the decadent top chocolate layer which consists of melting vegan butter and chocolate in a microwave in increments of 30 seconds at a time.
Once the chocolate mixture is smooth and there are no bumps it is time to pour it on the caramel layer. As with the previous layer, you will evenly spread it and then spread the crushed pretzel on top of it.
The repeated motion of storing this in the freezer and waiting for them to set may seem daunting, but it is a rather simple recipe that involves most of the same ingredients, just different quantities in the layers.
Also, while these are setting you can feel free to catch up on your latest Netflix or Hulu TV show and sit back and relax. I can assure you that the time spent storing these in the freezer is well spent. If the layers are not stored in the freezer long enough the layers will start to mix and the bars will look as if they slightly melted.
So, I advise you to store these in the freezer for at least 45 minutes to 1 hour per layer.
These are Rich Bars!
These are decadent bars, with a capital D, which means they are rich and can be a bit much for some people to have (pallet wise).
To make these bars less rich, I recommend reducing the chocolate you use, making them thinner, or cutting the bars into 16 pieces, as apposed to 12.
For example, you can make the top chocolate layer a drizzle instead of a thick layer, cutting the chocolate in half. This way you can still get the chocolate flavor, but just not as much of it.
Before someone comments, these are not low-calorie bars. However, they are made with wholesome ingredients, no artificial sweeteners, and are packed with over 10 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, making them very filling! I have provided a rough estimate of the nutrition, but it is just that, an estimate. As with anything, moderation is key my friends :).
Cheers to you if you’ve read this far! Please comment below and let me know if you have any questions or how these turned out for you.
I invite you to view some of my favorite gluten free recipes that you don’t want to miss!
These no-bake layered bars are rich and nestled in a thick layer of dairy free salted caramel.
Ingredients
Scale
Bottom layer
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 cup + 2 Tbsp oat flour (you can make this by blending oats to a pulp)
1/2 cup powdered peanut butter
2–3 Tbsp non-dairy milk
5 Tbsp honey
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Caramel Layer
1/4 cup whipped vegan butter (or normal butter)
2 Tbsp peanut butter
5 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3 scoops collagen (you can omit, but if you do reduce your honey by 1 Tbsp)
1 cup gluten free pretzels crushed (I used Glutino)
Top Layer
1 cup gluten free pretzels
2 Tbsp vegan whipped butter
5 oz milk chocolate melted
Optional: sea salt
Instructions
Bottom layer
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Warm the honey and peanut butter together in a small bowl by microwaving it for 20-30 seconds.
Add the wet to the dry ingredients and give it a good stir. The dough will be very thick. if you find it is sticky, add more flour.
Move the thick mixture to an 8×8 pan by evenly distributing the layer and store in the freezer for 45 minutes-1 hour.
Caramel layer
Melt all ingredients together, except for the vanilla, collagen, and pretzels, in a small bowl for 20-30 seconds in the microwave.
Add the vanilla and collagen into the mixture. The caramel should be sticky and will be thick.
Add the caramel sauce on top of the bottom layer.
Sprinkle crushed pretzels over the caramel and store in the freezer for a minimum of 45 minutes.
Top Layer
Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds. Take it out of the microwave every 30 seconds giving it a good stir. Watch it carefully as you don’t want the chocolate to burn. The chocolate will be done when it is smooth and there is no bits that appear.
Pour the chocolate over the pretzel/caramel layer. Be sure to spread it to the corners.
Add the crushed pretzels to the top and sprinkle a dash of sea salt.
Store in the freezer, one last time for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
After the bars have froze, cut them into 12 pieces and enjoy! These are good for about 4-5 days in the freezer. you can enjoy them later but the pretzels may get a bit soggy.
Notes
*If you omit collagen in this recipe reduce the honey by at least 1 Tbsp in the caramel layer. *These can be made vegan if you omit the collagen and swap the honey for maple syrup. *The nutrition has been roughly calculated, so it is an estimate.
You can also try this recipe with peanut butter filled pretzels on the top as other people have had successful results with this. The pretzel brand and thickness of the pretzels you get may yield a slightly different texture so I highly recommend Gutino as they are very crunchy.
I’m not playing when it comes to these chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie bars! These are Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and easily Vegan by swapping out just one ingredient!
The Main Reasons I Love These Bars
Now, as a Gluten Free Gal I can say that making any type of cookies makes me nervous and I am sure you all know what I am talking about…
That’s right! The crumby, dry, and borderline un-bakeable texture that usually are accompanied by gluten free cookies.
But you can have peace of mind when baking these because they are 100% chewy, moist, and most of all a bit melty in the middle, which pairs greatly with ice cream!
You may be wondering, what makes these not crumble like a nature valley bar as soon as you touch it? That would be starch my friends! This includes all starches, like corn starch, potato starch, and arrowroot starch. When adding a starch it acts as the main binder and basically makes that crumble situation disappear.
This is what you’ll need to make these Magical Bars:
Almond butter and peanut butter (the drippier the better)
Plant based butter
Non-dairy milk
Vanilla extract
Honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
Ground flaxseeds
Potato Starch
Almond flour
Coconut flour
Oat flour
Sea salt
Non-dairy mini chocolate chips
It may seem long, but every ingredient has a place and contributes to a chewy chocolate chip cookie bar. As mentioned before, the potato starch will act as the main binder.
You can also feel free to substitute the potato starch with arrowroot starch or cornstarch, you will just have to adjust the amount you add. For every Tablespoon of potato starch you should substitute with 2 tsp of arrowroot starch and cornstarch can be substituted in a 1:1 ratio. I admit I didn’t try substituting these in the recipe, but from my research and general knowledge of baking with starches these substitutions should be very similar since they are all starches.
These are a Triple Threat! They are:
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Vegan (with one swap)
So, that means when you bring these to a party or a potluck, everyone can enjoy the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar deliciousness!
Also, when looking at the nutritional information remember the key here is Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookie bars as these are a healthier alternative to the leading cookie usually has more than 20 grams of sugar and less than 2 grams of fiber.
These chewy, moist, and flavorful chocolate chip cookie bars are gluten free, dairy free, easily made vegan, and are lower in sugar than your average bars! Make this the ultimate dessert to top off your day!
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
6 Tbsp peanut butter
6 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp plant-based butter
6 Tbsp non-dairy milk
2 Tbsp Honey (maple-syrup if vegan)
1 Tbsp Flaxseed
1 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
8 tsp potato starch
2 tbsp almond flour
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 sifted oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup non-dairy mini chocolate chips
Instructions
In a microwave-safe medium-sized bowl add in the nut butters, butter, and milk and microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Add in the remaining wet ingredients, stir, and set aside.
Add all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
Add the wet to the dry. You should have a thick and moldable dough at this point.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spray an 8×8 pan (also feel free to use parchment paper here) and bake for 23-25 minutes. If you would prefer a doughier texture than I would recommend baking more around 20 minutes.
Take out and let cool for 10 minutes.
This goes great with ice cream so feel free to serve these yummy bars with it and enjoy!
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