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.
Dense, Peanut-buttery, and absolutely Gluten Free and Dairy Free! These Collagen Perfect Bars resemble the texture of your typical Perfect Bar, but without the dry milk and egg powder all while packing a protein punch with 14 grams of protein per bar!
I admit, I love Perfect Bars! But something is so satisfying about making your own makes them taste that much better.
The Customization
The best thing about making these bars is that you get to add in your favorite add-ins (and I am talking about more than just chocolate chips!
For example, you could add cranberries and walnuts and use almond butter as the base to create a completely different flavor with these bars.
Why Collagen?
Collagen is one of my favorite ways to add protein in a dairy free way without messing with the texture. It’s tasteless properties and superfine granuals make it ideal for baking and in no-bake desserts.
If you were to use vegan protein, it will likely create a different texture and not so subtle aftertaste of pea protein (as that is the base of most vegan proteins). I am not saying that you shouldn’t use vegan protein as I incorporate it in other recipes, but in certain ones the flavors and textures don’t mix together as well as collagen.
Another great thing about these Collagen Perfect Bars is that they are simple to make as you won’t need much and odds are you have all of it in your kitchen!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Peanut butter
Collagen
Honey
Vanilla extract
Coconut flour
Oat flour
Non-dairy chocolate chips
You can feel free to sub out the chocolate chips for other add-ins that you prefer.
When adding these ingredients together you will get a very thick and dense dough that is moldable and shouldn’t stick to your hands.
Overall, it should be an easy transfer from the bowl to an 8×8 pan.
When it comes to the size of these bars it’s honestly up to you and your preference. I prefer bars on the thinner side, but that’s just me.
I you prefer thicker bars I recommend using a smaller baking dish to achieve this. You won’t get as many bars out of this but they will be very thick…With a capital T on the Thick!
These yummy dairy free and gluten free collagen protein bars are packed with 14 grams of protein and made with minimal ingredients. Did I mention they are customizable and taste like your favorite Perfect Bar?!
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup natural peanut butter
4 scoops collagen (or more if you prefer, but this may affect the taste slightly)
1 Tbsp water
3 1/2 tsp honey
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp coconut flour
2 Tbsp oat flour
2 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp (or more for sprinkling chocolate chips on the top)
Instructions
Combine the peanut butter, water, vanilla extract, and honey together in a small to medium-sized bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, add in the collagen, coconut flour, oat flour, salt, and give it a good mix until all of the ingredients are combines.
Add the peanut butter and honey mixture in the small to medium-sized bowl to the medium-sized bowl with the dry ingredients and combine until the batter is thick and moldable. You may need to add an additional 1-2 Tbsps of water if you didn’t use natural peanut butter or added more collagen. If your batter is too thick, slowly add in 1 Tbsp of water and mix until the dough is moldable and resembles that of the photo.
Fold in 2 Tbsp of chocolate chips and add the dough to an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Then, sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and store in the freezer for a minimum of 1 hour. Once they have froze, cut into 9 bars and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
*I recommend using a drippy nut butter
Nutrition
Serving Size:1 Bar
Calories:262
Sugar:14
Fat:14
Carbohydrates:20
Fiber:4
Protein:14
Keywords: No-bake, honey, perfect bar, gluten free, dairy free, protein bars, healthy bars, breakfast, snack, snack bars
I don’t know about you, but I think these Peanut Butter Banana Blondies are the legit Bomb .Com
After all, what could beat the most satisfying combo of Peanut Butter, Bananas, and Honey?
We’ve all been there, those spotty bananas eyeing you as soon as you enter the kitchen…
They have one day before their bad, but you don’t want to waste the sweetness of the fructose coming to its full bloom!
Then it hits! Not banana bread, but Banana Blondies! With hues of honey and peanut butter the ultimate breakfast and snack overtakes your mind!
And your tastebuds 😉
One of the best things about these is how versatile they are. Since they are gluten free and dairy free all your dietary restricted friends can enjoy! I have a few friends who fall into these categories and whenever we attend a potluck I always make it a priority to make something they can enjoy.
As well as for myself of course because I fall into both of those categories. Gluten free 100% of the time and dairy free about 70% of the time. Some days are better than others…and some are full of goat cheese staring you in the face with crackers and red pepper jam…
Any-who, as I was saying these Peanut Butter Banana Blondies are great for breakfast, a mid afternoon snack, second breakfast, and dessert.
You are not seeing it wrong I did say second breakfast because some days you need a breakfast after your breakfast.
I know what you’re thinking…that looks like a lot of collagen and you’re right in a sense (these ingredients are spread over many servings) but let me tell you why I opt for collagen in this case instead of a typical vegan/dairy free protein.
Frankly, I am fed up with using pea protein blends. Yes there is egg protein as well and hemp but I despise the texture and the taste. Every time I hear people say you can mask the taste I have to wonder…
Why would someone lie about that?
Seriously though, if you’ve tried straight or even flavored hemp protein and pea protein you know what I’m talking about!
Yes there are good brands and blends here and there but the beauty of collagen is that you can add it to baked goods without the texture changing. When you use a pea or a hemp beyond it’s serving size things usually tend to get, well…
Earthy…
You can draw your own conclusions there but trust me! Collagen is the way to go for this recipe. You can also omit this if you would prefer not to have it in the recipe just remember, as I mentioned before collagen doesn’t affect the texture of the recipe so there is no reducing liquid or changing ingredient amounts.
The same goes for my collagen glaze, you can omit the collagen if you would like but you will miss out on the added benefits of a higher protein treat that will keep you satiated longer.
But it’s your choice, either way these Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Blondies will turn out divine!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray
Microwave the peanut butter in a small bowl for 30 seconds
In a food processor add the honey, mashed bananas, and vanilla and blend until all ingredients are combined.
Sift the flour into the food processor and add in the baking soda and powder.
Add the chocolate chips in and pulse them in short bursts to slightly spread and break up the chips.
Spread the mixture into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. This may vary based on the all-purpose flour you used and if you used natural drippy peanut butter.
Notes
The nutrition was calculated using 1/2 batch of the protein collagen icing.
These Lemon Blueberry Scones are made with the perfect gluten free flour blend and are not dry like a typical scone. They do not crumble much and are packed with flavor! Which is the way I think a scone should be.
Now, you can choose to make these lemon blueberry flavored or you can swap the flavor.
You can add chocolate chips and a dash of vanilla to make a great chocolate chip scone or you could add cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg to make these more of a strictly breakfast affair.
The process:
To make these you’ll want to sift all of your flours together and then add in the baking powder and salt.
After this you’ll want to add all of the wet ingredients together in a bowl and give them a good stir until they’re combined. Then, you’ll add in the dry ingredients.
Once all of the ingredients are combined you’ll want to make a large bowl in the center of a pan with parchment paper and flatten it into a 6-7 inch circle. This is a rough estimate but that was about the size mine was. To make thicker scones, as these don’t rise as much as a typical scone without yeast, I would recommend making a smaller circe.
It may seem like a long ingredient list but it’s well worth it and the scones themselves don’t need time to rise (as these are yeast free) and the Glaze…
Which takes only m i n u t e s to whip up.
The sweet glaze adds a great touch of sweetness to these scones and really adds that bakery-style element in my opinion.
After the scones are done baking in the oven I would recommend letting these yummy scones cool for 10-12 minutes before adding the glaze.
I prefer adding the glaze when the scones are warm, but not hot to the touch. Otherwise your tongue and tastebuds will not be able to enjoy the flavors of this scone as they will be rather scorched.
If you’re looking for more gluten free healthy recipe ideas check out my latest posts!
Sift all flour into a large bowl. Then add the sweetener, salt, and baking powder in the bowl and combine.
Add the butter into the large bowl and with a fork combine the butter into the flour until it forms large crumbs.
Add the non-dairy milk and applesauce to the bowl and give it a good stir.
Fold in the Blueberries and place on a baking sheet in a large ball.
Make the dough into a 6-7 inch circle, flattening it to your desired thickness. These will not puff up as much as a usual scone as this is an eggless recipe.
I recommend dividing these into 8 pieces with a knife before baking them for 18-22 minutes.
While the scones are baking whip up the glaze by making my Collagen Glaze and adding 1 lemon juiced to it.
Let cool for 10-12 minutes and top with the lemon glaze in a drizzle fashion.
Notes
I used King Arthur’s gluten free all-purpose flour, which has xanthan gum in it. If you use a different gluten free flour add 1/4-1/2 tsp xanthan gum to the flour if your flour doesn’t have it in it.
Nutrition was calculated with 2 Tbsp Truvia and 2/4 batch of my Collagen Icing.
Did someone say Delicious Dairy-Free protein icing? That’s right! My Protein Collagen Frosting is the perfect addition to any cinnamon roll, cake, or really any pastry. With less than 5 ingredients it is my go-to glaze.
Prepare for Deliciousness in Minutes
I don’t lie when I say this recipe takes minutes! All you need is:
Powdered sugar
Collagen peptides
Vanilla extract
Dairy-free milk
That’s all folks! Nothing more.
Simply whip all the ingredients in a small bowl and you are good to go!
What can this be used for?
Like I mentioned before this simple glaze can be used as the perfect healthy addition to:
Cinnamon rolls
Scones
Cakes
Cookies
Much more!
If you want to make a deliscious breakfast, snack, or dessert to pair with this glaze I suggest trying my lemon Blueberry Scones!
They are packed with flavor and are not the least bit dry!
You can also try some of my other healthy recipes like
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