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This recipe I’m about to share with you guys has been a favorite of mine for YEARS. It was one of the first vegan recipes I created on my own and I still think it’s one of my best creations to date. I will warn you though, they are addicting! The base layer tastes like Oreos and the top layer tastes like a decadent caramel cashew sauce.

Ingredient Notes
Walnuts & Cashews – I buy these in bulk at Costco. Make sure when you buy nuts for this recipe, they are unsalted. If you can only find nuts that are roasted and salted, you may need to omit the salt in the recipe.
Cashew butter – I like to use homemade cashew butter but you can also buy cashew butter at the store. I’ve made this with almond butter and they’re still good but I prefer cashew butter. Peanut butter would also be delicious in this recipe but the taste will be less caramel-y.
Dates – You’ll want to make sure you use fresh dates in this recipe. If your dates aren’t fresh, you can soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes to soften them up.
Instructions
- If your dates are a little dry, add them to a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
- Blend walnuts and cashews in food processor until they are the consistency of flour. Next add in almond flour, cacao powder and salt and process until mixed.
- Add dates (drained, if you had them soaking) and vanilla to food processor mixture and blend until mixed well. You may need to add 1-2 tbsp of water if your dates aren’t moist enough. The dough should stick together when pinched.
- Transfer dough to lined loaf pan.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together cashew butter, maple syrup and coconut oil until well combined. Pour over dough and place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
- Once set, cut into 8 bars and enjoy!


Notes
I highly recommend weighing out the ingredients instead of using measuring cups. It’s hard to gauge how full a cup of nuts needs to be or how many dates you need if you don’t weigh these out. It also saves you from washing more dishes which is always a plus for me!
These are very rich bars. You can easily cut these into smaller bars or are bringing them for a potluck. You can also double the batch and use an 8×8 pan instead of a loaf pan.
Storing Instructions
Store bars in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Caramel Cookies & Cream Bars
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 3/4 cup walnuts (90 g)
- 3/4 cup cashews (140 g)
- 1/2 cup almond flour (60 g)
- 5 tbsp cacao powder (25 g)
- 10-12 medjool dates (200 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Topping Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashew butter (128 g)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (60 g)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (13 g)
Instructions
- If your dates are a little dry, add them to a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
- Blend walnuts and cashews in food processor until they are the consistency of flour. Next add in almond flour, cacao powder and salt and process until mixed.
- Add dates (drained, if you had them soaking) and vanilla to food processor mixture and blend until mixed well. You may need to add 1-2 tbsp of water if your dates aren't moist enough. The dough should stick together when pinched.
- Transfer dough to lined loaf pan.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together cashew butter, maple syrup and coconut oil until well combined. Pour over dough and place in fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
- Once set, cut into 8 bars and enjoy!