These salted caramel oat cups have an oatmeal cookie crust, a creamy healthy caramel center made of dates, and a fudgy melted chocolate top. These no bake treats are ready in minutes.
These salted caramel oat cups are the perfect for a healthy breakfast or snack, and they are made with wholesome ingredients like rolled oats, almond flour, dates, and dark chocolate. Like my chocolate oatmeal bars , my overnight oats with yogurt and my peanut butter oatmeal bars, this is an oatmeal treat you can feel good about.
Why You’ll Love Them
Naturally sweet. These caramel cups are filled with a delicious healthy caramel made with dates, so they don't require any refined sugar. Dates are delicious and easy to turn into caramel. Here is my detailed post about making date paste.
A great way to increase your oats. While these cups focus on caramel, they also have a considerable amount of rolled oats. Oatmeal is known for its ability to energize, to support weight-loss because of satiation, and to reduce cholesterol.
They’re easy to prepare. No oven is involved, these are an easy no bake chocolate cup treat. Create layers in a blender, layer into a cupcake pan and freeze. These delicious caramel cups are easy to freeze.
Nutritious & dairy-free. Between the rolled oats and the dates, these caramel cups are high in nutrition and everyone can eat them because they are vegan, dairy free, gluten free and refined sugar free.
Ingredients
- almond flour. Or ground almonds would work, or even oat flour though the later won't be as buttery.
- rolled oats. Quick oats would also work, but not steel cut oats, they require cooking.
- maple syrup. Or any liquid sweetener.
- dates. Buy Medjool dates, usually dried and in packages in the produce section.
- nut butter. Any natural nut butter will work. Regular peanut butter also works but contains so much sugar, I'd advise you to look for one that has only nuts in the ingredients.
- chocolate chips. Or a chocolate bar can work. You will be melting this to create the top.
- salt. Use himalayan pink salt if you can because it has a unique panel of compounds that boost hydration, stimulation circulation and detoxify the body.
Step by Step Instructions
1. Make the crust. Mix up the ingredients for the crust in a food process or blender, and then press this mixture into each cup of a greased cupcake tin. This recipe makes 12 cheesecake size cups or 9 full cupcake cups.
2. Make the middle caramel layer. Soak the dates for 5 minutes in just boiled water. Then pit them, and add to a blender with a tiny bit of water and other middle layer ingredients. Add the salt and spread this layer evenly on the base of each up.
3. Make the top. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe container for 30 seconds, stir until smooth. Pour this chocolate on top of each cup. Put the cups in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
Storage
Keep the caramel cups in a sealed container for one week in the refrigerator or freeze for three months. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before you want to eat them.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
Store-bought caramel sauce can replace the dates, but date paste is easy to make and healthier. Learn more on my post about date paste here.
Quick oats can be used instead of roll oats for a smoother texture, less chewy, to the crust.
To use maple syrup instead of dates for your caramel sauce, stir ¼ cup of maple syrup into ¾ cup almond flour. The mixture will harden into a batter-like cream, as opposed to the sauce-like texture you will get using date paste.
For a softer chocolate top. The top is hard chocolate if you just melt and pour it on top. To make it a fudgier softer consistency, add a bit hot milk. Microwave the chocolate chips to melt them, then separately microwave some milk, and pour that into the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. Spoon that onto the oat cups while they are still in the pan. Freeze or keep refrigerated.
FAQS
Does salted caramel taste different?
Salting caramel actually makes the sweet flavor sweeter, and also enhances the the overall flavor of the sweet treat. [source]
Is caramel made from dates?
Date caramel is another name for date paste which is a sweet paste made from blending Medjool dates with a little water. The paste can be used as a healthier replacement of caramel in treats and snacks. It is also an ideal dip for fruit slices, and can be swirled into yogurt or even used to sweeten tea or coffee.
Other Date & Oats Recipes
- Overnight Oats with Yogurt
- Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
- Homemade Fudge Bars
- Rolo Candy
- Creamy Chocolate Smoothie
- Caramel Frappe
- Chocolate Caramel Candy Bars
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📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Oat Cups
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Mixing bowl
- mini cheesecake pan with removable bottoms or a small cupcake/muffin pan
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Caramel middle
- 1 cup Medjool dates, soaked and pitted plus 3 tablespoons of water
- 3 tablespoon nut butter
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon salt I use himalayan pink salt but any salt works.
Chocolate top
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Prep
- Soak your dates for 5 minutes in a bowl of just-boiled water.
- Melt coconut oil by setting uncovered jar in a pot of just-boiled water.
Make crust
- Blend almond flour, oats, oil, and syrup in a blender or a food processor.½ cup almond flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 3 tablespoon coconut oil, melted, 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Press the mixture into a mini-cup pan or into mini-cupcake papers. Rinse out the blender.
Make Caramel
- Add soaked and pitted dates to the washed blender jar. Add 3 tablespoons of water and blend into a paste. Add the nut butter, coconut oil and salt. Blend again until smooth.1 cup Medjool dates, soaked and pitted, 3 tablespoon nut butter, 3 tablespoon coconut oil, ½ teaspoon salt
- Spoon this mixture onto crust, and smooth with spoon.
Top
- Microwave the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.1 cup chocolate chips
- Spoon the melted chocolate on to the date paste layer. Smooth the chocolate layer with a spoon.
- Freeze 30 minutes or longer. Pop out the cups.
Storage
- Keep the oat cups in a sealed container for one week in the refrigerator or freeze for three months. Remove from freezer about 10 minutes before you want to eat them.
Bianca Zapatka
These cups look so delicious, Dee!
Such a great recipe ❤️
Lots of love,
Bianca
Dee Dine | Green Smoothie Gourmet
Aww thanks so much Bianca, thanks for stopping by! Dee xx
Mary
Have you subbedd anything for the almond flour? I have an almond allergy and wonder if oat flour will work.
Debbie
Mary, I haven't tried oat flour, but I'm sure it would work. Only coconut flour would be too absorbent. Good luck!